Finishing
Finishing
The finish is the last step of making and the first step of being seen. These pages explain how hard-wax oil, oil, wax, shellac and lacquer change the contrast, pore structure and reflection of an intarsia, how wood ages in the light, how surfaces are touched up and which surface suits which object. Every Reihax piece is finished with hard-wax oil in a satin sheen. Pages not yet translated are marked and lead to the German original.
- Finishing geometric intarsia How the finish changes contrast, joints, pores and reflection in geometric intarsia: the basics for planning.
- Oil, wax and shellac Depth, reflection and feel: oil, wax and shellac for intarsia surfaces compared.
- Hard-wax oil The finish on every Reihax piece: how hard-wax oil is applied, how it changes wood and contrast, and how it can be touched up.
- UV light and ageing Which woods darken in the light and which get lighter, how contrasts shift and what a finish can do about it.
- Lacquering Water-based and solvent lacquer on veneer: application, sanding between coats, sheen, typical faults and the comparison with hard-wax oil.
- Repairing a finish Identifying a finish, renewing hard-wax oil locally or over a whole face, water marks, touching up lacquer and shellac, and the limits on veneer.
- Shellac Depth and glow, but sensitive to water, alcohol and heat: when shellac suits and when it does not.
- Matt surfaces Why matt and satin finishes calm reflections and make geometric patterns easier to read.
- Finishes for wood art Standards and measures of quality for the surfaces of fine handmade wood art.