On 14 Oct 2004 06:31:55 -0700, (Never Enough
Money) wrote:

Lot's of books to choose from! I've listed some I found from Amazon
below. I want one that covers mixing finishes like wax topcoats on
Danish oil, or shellac as a top coat, etc. I also want a chart (that
I've seen somewhere but don't recall) that compares various finishes
in terms of durability, repairability, water resistence, shine, etc. I
don't care about spraying techniques, I'm only doing hand
finishing....

BTW, I'd welcome a recommendation from Jeff Jewitt, a sometimes
contributor to this group and the author of many of the books listed
below. Jeff, are you out there reading this?

Here's the list I found:
Tauton's Complete Illustrated Guide to Finishing by Jeff and Susan
Jewitt

Great Wood Finishes: A Step-by-Step Guide to Consistent and Beautiful
Results by Jeff Jewitt

Hand-Applied Finishes by Jeff Jewitt

Finishes and Finishing Techniques: Professional Secrets for Simple and
Beautiful Finishes in Fine Woodworking by Tauton Press

Understanding Wood Finishing: How to Select and Apply the Right Finish
by Bob Flexner

I picked this one up tonight, and I'm pretty happy with it- assuming
that the advice he gives is sound. Lots of information regarding the
actual properties and interactions of various finishes that seems to
be based on some solid facts, and not just a how-to book. I spent
about an hour picking through finishing books at Borders, and this one
seemed to have the most information- though I did not give them the
kind of going over you can get by reading them fully and trying the
advice out!

More Finishes and Finishing Techniques: The Best of Fine Woodworking
by Fine Woodworking

The New Wood Finishing Book by Michael Dresdner