Finishing Your New Bookcases

Geitgey’s Amish Country Furnishing and Creative Paints have teamed up to help you save money on furniture you need for your home. During this promotion you can save two ways. You’ll save money when you purchase the discounted unfinished bookcases from us and save when you purchase your finishing supplies from Creative Paints using the discount coupon we’ll provide.

Finishing your new bookcases involves 4 easy steps:

1. Prep
2. Staining
3. Finishing
4. Assembly

1. PREP
Start by completely disassembling everything you can. Remove all shelves that aren’t permanently attached. From the back of the bookcase, remove the screws that hold on the back and remove the back. Lightly sand all pieces with 150 grit Aluminum Oxide sandpaper, purchased from Creative Paints. Sand in the same direction that the grain runs. Smooth any rough edges, press or handling marks, scuff marks etc. You’re now ready to stain.

2. STAINING
Flat panels like shelves and backs are easiest to stain and finish laying flat. A pair of saw horses works great to lay the panels flat and at a comfortable work height. If you have chosen to finish your bookcases in the “natural” color of the wood, you can proceed to the FINISHING step. If you are staining your bookcases, you can choose any of our standard stains from our color samples or purchase any of the OLD MASTERS STAINS from Creative Paints. Old MASTERS STAINS come in 15 pre mixed colors and can be custom mixed if you’re trying to match other furniture or wood work. Stain may be brushed on, rolled on or applied with a rag. The method doesn’t matter. Apply the stain to one section at a time and wipe off the excess. If the stain starts to dry before you get a section done, you’re trying to stain too big of an area. If the stain dries too quickly, you can re-wet the area with stain and wipe down again. Finish by wiping each board and panel in the direction of the grain paying close attention to remove excess from corners, edges, nooks and crannies. After the shelves and back dry, you can turn them over and stain the other side. The bookcase itself is best stained standing up straight. Start by staining the inside and working from top to bottom then the outside again working top to bottom. After all the stained pieces have dried, inspect and correct any stain problems you find.

3. FINISHING
While there are many wonderful finishes available today, one old standard remains the logical choice for home application because of the ease of application and consistent results and that is Polyurethane varnish. Creative Paints offers both oil based and water based polyurethanes from Coronado in sheens from dull to glossy. Purchase either the POLYURETHANE LIQUID PLASTIC or AQUA PLASTIC URETHANE along with short knap rollers and a good varnish brush from Creative. Don’t scrimp on the brush. A good brush made specifically for varnish application is the secret to a good finish job. The helpful folks at Creative can be trusted to assist you in making the right choices! Follow the directions on the can for application using the same lay out used during staining. Plan on applying 3 coats to each surface. Allow each coat to dry following the re-coating instructions on the can. Lightly sand between coats using 320 grit sandpaper from Creative Paints to smooth the finish and provide a good bond between coats. Be sure to allow adequate time for the finish to dry and cure. A day or two is usually sufficient. After all pieces are finished and dry, you’re ready to reassemble your bookcase.

4. ASSEMBLY
Re-attach the back using the screws removed in Step 1. Now it is safe to carry and move the bookcase to the desired location in your house. Install the movable shelves using the shelf pins provided. Now the best part, confidently enjoy many years of service from you bookcase. Confident that you own a well built, Amish made bookcase. Confident that you got a great deal from Geitgey’s Amish Country Furnishings and saved money by finishing it yourself with a discount from Creative Paints.