the wood wizzard
How the Magic happens
explaining the refinishing process
TOP: Before refinishing, marks and dryness of old finish.
BOTTOM: Freshly stripped exposed wood.
Sanding
Sanding is the next major part of the refinishing process. More time consuming than stripping usually, and even more labor intensive, proper sanding is the core of preparing pieces for a high quality finish. Sanding can be delicate or industrious, often times both on the same piece. Working through each layer, a fraction of a millimeter at a time, reveals the purest of grains in the wood. Using different grit sanding paper in order reveals more and more of wood's beauty, any chatoyance present in the grain comes forward at this point in the process.
LEFT SIDE: Hand sanded, natural color tones of this inlayed mahogany top.
RIGHT SIDE: Stained mahogany, bringing out the richer tones and variances in the wood.
Finish
This is the big 'finish.' The pay off. The Wood Wizzard custom mixes it's own stains, sealers, toners, glazes, paints, and especially - the final coat. Offering dull, matte, satin, semi-gloss, and high-gloss finishes, in open and closed pore finishes that not only look good, but last for years. Finish is beautiful, durable, and enjoyable to the eye and to touch. This is the armor for the stories wrapped up in a piece, and will sacrifice itself as part of it's duty to protect your furniture. May your favorite pieces be used for years, and may your finish wither away over time and use, allowing you to keep your memories in a piece, and have it finished again and again for generations.
Maple Kitchen Table, satin finish, with Blue Painted Chairs, satin finish
Stripping
The Wood Wizzard is known for custom finishes, the top-coat, the end result: that durable, long lasting quality protective layer on the wood. To achieve that, the process all starts with detailed removal of the current finish, sealers, or paint. Revealing the original wood by removing all the current layers is done all by hand and using organic chemicals. We cleanse and treat the wood after stripping by simply washing the piece with water, and allowing it to dry, curing it back to it's natural state - raw, exposed wood. We only use chemical cleansers as needed. We use a myriad of hand tools to minimize chemical use, and insure all the original materials are removed while the original wood remains intact. This process is time consuming and drenched in elbow grease - we're applying years of stripping experience over every inch of a piece. Stripping properly is the first step to knowing the finish will look fantastic.
Freshly machine sanded oak, then hand sanded at a high grit, opening the smaller pores of the grain.
Staining, Sealing, toning, GLAZING & painting
This is the color application and protective layering process.
Stain is coloring, often times dye, that is applied to the wood to bring out or camouflage the natural color - customer direction required. Sometimes accenting differences in tone within the grain, other times minimizing the difference between darkest and lightest regions. This is where The Wood Wizzard relishes collaborating with customers to create the custom end result color desired. Stains are absorbed directly into the wood becoming the base of color tone.
Sealing is a first protective layer applied after sanding & staining. This is a sturdy chemical that bonds to the wood. Not only does it keep any stain from interacting with the layers above, but it also is a uniform layer that will absorb the high quality top coat finish.
Toning is another way to color a piece. Often times applied with the sealer, it can create an uniform color tone across areas of a piece, like 'sunburst,' or an entire piece to give a monochrome feel to wood that might have very diverse grain colors.
Glazing is layering color tones either on the wood directly, or on the sealer, to add even more depth to the wood's color. Much like an artist paints layers on canvas to give the art a depth of field, glazing performs this function for wood. Thicker glazes create a rubbed painted opaque feel, often times with brush stroking or antique qualities.
Often times, painting is the desired result for our clients. You can bring in samples or work with us to find the right color for your piece. The paint bonds with the sealer much like toner does, and becomes another protective layer to be finished beautifully. We prefer to order the paint directly from our source so the layers bond at the quality we require.
Square Dining Table - Painted Black with Satin Finish
