Beginner question: under what conditions can (should?) wood be left UNfinished

[Ken Cobbing]

Hi all,

I am very much a beginner at finishing so the answer to this question may be obvious, but I just don't know

When building your wood projects:

1. Under what conditions can wood be left unfinished, i.e., to save time and money?

2. Are there certain conditions that wood *should* be left unfinished?

In regards to question 1: my guess is that the answer to the first question is: when the wood is not visible and will not receive wear. However, I'm curious if that is always true. For example, what about when the wood is subjected to above 50% humidity, like the underside of a bathroom vanity countertop? Also, does it matter what type of wood is being used, i.e., plywood vs. hardwoods vs. softwoods?

I've been building a number of casegoods and this question about finishing has crossed my mind a number of times when I'm finishing the backs of cabinets etc. Right now I'm building a folding table to go over my laundry equipment and I'm wondering about the underside of the countertop and insides of the side support panels (legs).

Thanks for reading!

[Frederick Skelly]

1. When it's in a climate controlled room with "normal" household humidity. I have a set of 3 mahogany bookcases that are unfinished - just never got around to it. They've held up fine. I wouldn't personally leave unfinished wood in a high humidity area like a bathroom, but that's a personal opinion with no data to back it up. Perhaps Patrick will have some.

2. Some kinds of wood used in outdoor applications can be left unfinished. I think I recall redwood is one. Obviously, pressure treated lumber can.

Aside.... I often use shellac for things that I just want a finish on (e.g., to keep fingerprints off) and I dont want to work too hard at doing. Or, just plain old Johnson's Paste Wax over the bare wood works too. Sand it first, of course.

[Andy Giddings]

1 depends a lot on whose time and money - some users don't apply a finish to every unseen or interior surface whereas others do. There's really no hard and fast rule. Like Frederick, I'll apply a shellac from a rattle can sometimes when I want a simple, quick finish (inside of utility drawers being one example).

2 some species of wood don't require a finish to prevent decay (cypress etc) but again, some users apply a finish to avoid weathering of the wood.

If in doubt, I always apply a finish - compared to the hours invested in the project, typically the cost of finish is low and I'd rather do it once and not have to worry about problems later on

[Doug Hepler]

Ken,

Except for ability to clean a surface, whether to finish is entirely up the taste of the maker and the client. To finish or not, and which finish to use depends on many factors. I finish every piece of interior and exterior domestic furniture (as different from shop furniture). I do it because I like the appearance of finished wood, emphasized grain, etc., and for protection of the surface appearance (spills, weather checking, etc.)

Many woodworkers dislike and fear finishing. I think that learning to finish is as much a part of learning this craft as any other. And, until you have seen a client run their hand over a table top with five coats of hand-rubbed varnish you can't appreciate what a huge, favorable impression that makes. It is actually a sensual experience. A film finish does not have to look like plastic. It can be as dull as unfinished wood if you like it that way.

I have a redwood picnic table on my patio that most people would not have finished. It has many coats of expensive spar varnish on it and it looks wonderful (to my eye) despite having sat out in the Colorado sun, rain ans snow for four years. It is also easy to keep clean. Likewise for the eucalyptus chairs. They are bright and shiny. They look new. No greying and NO SPLINTERS.

When we were first setting up housekeeping, we received a fair number of pieces from our parents' attics. The ones we still have, 56 years later, are the ones that had been finished well and could be restored. My first refinishing job was a lovely walnut gateleg table. We still have it in our living room. It still looks like new. Other people will disagree. Some people would not want to keep a piece of furniture around that long. So, its a matter of taste.

Most of my shop furniture has a film finish. Some does not. It depends on how busy I was when I finished assembling the piece. My workbench top is finished and waxed because I spill glue on it frequently and the finish makes it easy for me to scrape off the dried glue and keep it flat. The shelf and legs are not finished.

Doug