I discuss high-tech wood coatings. But from time to time, I will discuss something that is tried and true and, perhaps, not so high tech. Shellac is definitely a low-tech product. It is the secretion ...

My old cottage has bead board in the upstairs bedrooms that has been varnished. It looks very nice, but some of the varnish has bubbled. How can I get rid of that bubbling? A. First, check to see if ...

Perhaps you live in an historic house with perfectly intact, never-painted wood. You can just leave it be, or gently clean it with a rag dipped into water with a squirt of Ivory liquid soap. How to ...

My buddy Chuck called me the other day and asked me to help out with a project. His wife, Kate, had lost her mother earlier in the year. When her mom’s estate was divided up, Kate got her mom’s Singer ...

Shellac has stood the test of time as one of the most beautiful and forgiving wood finishes ever created. Derived from natural resin secreted by the lac beetle, shellac provides a warm, luminous glow ...

Q. I recently bought a house where the previous owner had repurposed a sideboard/credenza to create the bathroom vanity. It has a waterproof finish on the top with a luster, but not as shiny as I ...