cover image Taunton's Complete Illustrated Guide to Finishing

Taunton's Complete Illustrated Guide to Finishing

Jeff Jewitt. Taunton Press, $39.95 (304pp) ISBN 978-1-56158-592-2

With scores of color photos showing in medias res finishing work and dozens of carefully composed illustrations showing angles, strokes and tools, this latest entry in Taunton's guide series should give even the most amateur aspirant a shot at sophisticated wood finishing effects. Jewitt, a Cleveland-based refinisher who runs his own business, is the veteran of two previous books, Hand-Applied Finishes and Great Wood Finishes. Here, he uses his expertise to introduce would-be home finishers to everything from the right brushes and spray guns (""conventional"" v.""HVLP,"" or High Volume Low Pressure), to the proper techniques for sanding molded edges by hand, to the difference between glazing and toning. The book is intelligently laid out: no page is ever too busy, but each spread contains enough information to take readers through a full step of a process so that they don't have to drop whatever tools are in hand to flip a page. Well paced and comprehensive, Jewitt's book is a valuable resource for neophytes and pros alike.