Most of the Garage Shop-produced Sunday School materials are NOT ready to be used right out of the box! What we complete in the Garage Shop is the technical woodworking portion of a Sunday School story that faith communities cannot do because of a lack of tools or specific woodworking skills. The final sanding and finishing, if desired, and any non-woodworking items in a Sunday School story are left to the faith community to complete. This is what Jemome suggests in the first volume of his published work.
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Your woodworking material will arrive ready for final sanding. As noted above, we pass on the final sanding and finishing work to the faith community. Some 120-grit sandpaper and hand sanding are all you will need to prepare the surface for a finish. If you come across some dried PVA glue (looks like brown plastic), it is usually easier to scrape it off first and then sand it, but it will sand off as well.
A common question I get asked is what a “safe" finish is for wood materials. Frankly, all wood finishes are safe as long as they are given time to fully cure. Curing time will vary depending on the finish material you choose. Check with your local stain-and-finish expert at a paint store.
What do I use? I am currently using hard wax oils called Sample 73. This oil is VERY simple to apply, and the VOCs are very light. It is easy to repair and safe to use. It can be pricey, but worth every penny spent.
My old favorite is an equal mixture of Boiled Linseed oil, gloss Polyurethane, and Naphtha. Naphtha is no longer sold in California. You can use mineral spirits, but it takes longer to dry.
The oil allows the mixture to be applied with a rag, a “hand-rubbed” application; the Poly will build after a few coats and provide a durable finish; and the Mineral spirits will also help the finish to flow and dry quickly as the spirits flash off. This allows you to rub on an additional coat in an hour or so. How long will it take to cure? Depends on how much of each of the three liquids you use. Generally, 2 weeks to a month, or use your nose. When you can no longer smell the finish, it is cured.
Another easy alternative is simply to rub on boiled Linseed oil; I will use this when I do not want to “build” a finish. This is a great finish for wood stories, as it will add to the oil from all the little hands over time and create a GREAT patina on the wood. You can also get a can of spray shellac. Shellac is a resin secreted by the Lac bug. It is safe; in fact, it is used as a food glaze! It dries fast and looks great. It is not very hardy, but you can always re-spray to the story as needed.