Fine Furniture Finishing: How to Create Beautiful Furniture Finishes, Vol. 1

It's been a while since I've seen a "how to" video that was so mercifully free of mindless host chatter, forced cheeriness, and annoying generic background music. David Sorg presents a comprehensive beginner's guide to furniture finishing, including the wiped oil technique, shellacking, varnishing, and faux marble painting, while also covering important products such as stains, putties, and paste wood filler that can dramatically improve the appearance of a finished piece. (In fact, I realized how poorly a professional refinisher had handled my great-great grandmother's rocker after seeing the attention to detail Sorg uses in his work.) Another refreshing plus is the careful masking over of brand-names on products shown to the camera--no tacky "product placement" here. And how many demonstrators have you heard lately using the word "ubiquitous?" Even if the painted projects were not to my taste (I am a fan of natural finishes) they will doubtless appeal to people with less traditional sensibilities. Given the price, the excellent information and fine production values (a second volume is also available at the same price), this is a solid choice for public libraries and is highly recommended, especially for those looking for a companion to or replacement for Taunton Press's Refinishing Furniture (VL-3/89). Aud: P. (R. Reagan)