Unfinished Furniture Glossary

Once you're done sitting and staring at your gorgeous new unfinished wood furniture, it is time to think about finishing it. You'll be making a few trips to the hardware store, which is way more fun if you know what to ask for and why. Our wood finishing dictionary will help you come to terms and avoid sounding like a beginner, even if you are one.

Alkyd:: A synthetic resin made from organic acids mixed with other oils. Bridge:: The ability of a finish to cover a crack in the wood. 2) Where trolls live. Clerk:: The smart, experienced person at the hardware store, always a friendly font of good advice. Cold checking:: Mottled cracks in a finish caused by extreme cold or dryness. Cure:: The process of chemical hardening when exposed to air. 2) A punk band. Denatured alcohol:: An ethanol-based solvent used to thin or clean shellac. Dry hard:: The time a finish needs to cure or dry, ready for use. 2) The sequel to a Bruce Willis film. Gel stain:: A thick, drip-resistant finish that's easy to work with and provides a subtle effect to the wood. 2) A pillowcase problem in the 1980s.

Glazing:: Adding a stain or dye to unfinished furniture between varnish coats for a soft-colored effect.

Grain:: A wood pattern created with each cycle year of growth, showing up as lines in the wood. Fine grain woods are generally harder, heavier and slower to grow.

Green:: Fresh wood that is still full of natural moisture, unsuitable for unfinished furniture until it has been aged and dried.

Heartwood:: The hard, dead, darker wood toward the center of a mature tree.

Knot:: A hard circular wood feature common to pine, caused by a tree growing around its branch.

Lacquer:: A hard, glossy surface finish made from nitrocellulose.

Mineral spirits:: A natural solvent used to thin or clean stains and varnishes. Also called as paint thinner.

NGR:: Non-grain-raising. Any product that resists raising the grain of wood when applied.

Oil-based:: Finish products that use oil to help them flow and penetrate. Can be messy to work with, but provide the smoothest results.

Old growth:: Naturally established mature trees characterized by dense, straight grain and lack of defects.

Paint thinner:: A natural solvent used to thin or clean most stains or varnishes. Also called as mineral spirits.

Primer:: A pre-finish treatment that seals wood to protect it from moisture and help the finish coat to flow on smoothly.

Raise the grain:: A finish's tendency to make the wood swell, creating an uneven surface. 2) A farmer's goal.

Rings:: Circles of color on unfinished wood caused by the natural aging cycle of a tree each year, as seen in a cross-section of the wood. Rings appear as wood grain in lumber.

Sandpaper grade or grit:: A number denoting how abrasive sandpaper is. Higher numbers are finer and gentler, determined by how many grains of grit fit into a square inch of paper. Numbers range from 24 (very scratchy) to 1000 (nearly smooth). Sand unfinished furniture with 150-grit, sand between coats of varnish with 300 or higher.

Sapwood:: The layers or rings of a tree nearest the bark, usually lighter in color, that carry the life-giving fluids.

Satin:: A finish choice that reflects diffuse light for a soft, pleasing glow.

Sealer:: An undercoat designed to hinder further absorption of successive coats into the wood, helping them flow on smoother and more evenly.

Shellac:: A hard, glossy finish derived from lac bug resin mixed with denatured alcohol.

Sound:: Unfinished wood with few defects that would affect its strength.

Stain:: A dye designed to absorb into unfinished furniture, accentuating its grain structure and protecting it from moisture.

Tack cloth:: A clean cloth coated with a dry, sticky substance, used to removing sawdust from wood before applying varnish.

Topcoat:: The final finish coat, formulated to flow evenly and harden to a durable seal.

Tung oil:: A penetrating wood finish applied in multiple light coats that harden and seal over time, providing a soft, waterproof luster. Turpentine:: A solvent distilled from pine wood or gum, used to thin or clean oil-based finishes. Varnish:: A natural finish with no color or pigment, hard and waterproof, providing a gloss or satin luster to wood. Veneer:: A very thin layer of hardwood glued over the top of inferior wood. Viscosity:: The measure of how thick a liquid is. High-viscosity finishes are easier to work with and drip less; low-viscosity finishes penetrate better and flatten easier. Washcoat:: A pre-finish applied to unfinished wood to reduce penetration of successive finishes, and to promote adhesion of the next coat. Water-based:: Any finish that uses water as its solvent. Convenient and can be cleaned with soap and water. Generally less durable than oil-based finishes.

Wet sand:: Using super-fine sandpaper with a light oil to remove tiny dust bumps from a final finish, for maximum gloss or smoothness.