Brightwork : The Art of Finishing Wood

"-Sailing "It's elegant-elegant as the work it describes so successfully, elegant in its writing, elegant in its photography, and elegant physically as a volume."-SAIL "Brightwork provides all the information you need to avoid frustrations and costly mistakes and derive the greatest satisfaction from a process that can be its own reward."-A Cruising World "Editor's Choice" Few things transform a boat into a yacht quite as gracefully as the incomparable look and texture of oiled, varnished, and bare wood surfaces. Drawing on her decades of brightwork experience, Rebecca Wittman shows you how to diagnose and cure a deteriorating finish, when cracked and flaking varnish can be patched and when it must be stripped and a new finish applied, how much sanding is truly necessary, and much more. Rebecca Wittman cofounded The Teak Twins custom yacht refinishers in 1978 and has taught brightwork seminars at Seattle's Center for Wooden Boats. She is also the author of The Brightwork Companion (2004).“As well as being a comprehensive guide to wood finishing, this work celebrates the beauty of brightwork on boats.”—WoodenBoat “A first class and highly readable text that should be mandatory reading for anyone who owns or is contemplating owning a wooden trimmed vessel.”—Sailing “It’s elegant—elegant as the work it describes so successfully, elegant in its writing, elegant in its photography, and elegant physically as a volume.”—SAIL “Brightworkprovides all the information you need to avoid frustrations and costly mistakes and derive the greatest satisfaction from a process that can be its own reward.”—ACruising World“Editor’s Choice” Few things transform a boat into a yacht quite as gracefully as the incomparable look and texture of oiled, varnished, and bare wood surfaces. Drawing on her decades of brightwork experience, Rebecca Wittman shows you how to diagnose and cure a deteriorating finish, when cracked and flaking varnish can be patched and when it must be stripped and a new finish applied, how much sanding is truly necessary, and much more. Rebecca Wittmancofounded The Teak Twins custom yacht refinishers in 1978 and has taught brightwork seminars at Seattle’s Center for Wooden Boats. She is also the author ofThe Brightwork Companion(2004).Brightwork is rarity among boating and boat maintenance books: a beautiful how-to book, with 59 lush four-color photographs that celebrate the incomparable look and texture of oiled, varnished, and bare wood surfaces on boats. Rebecca Wittman's meticulously thorough yet graceful and entertaining text details in 17 chapters how to achieve such stunning results. Chapter include choosing Finishes; The Yacht Refinishing Commandments: Stripping Old Finishes; Intermediate Prep Work; Oiling; The Varnishing Prelude; Varnishing; Maintaining and Repairing Varnish; Rescuing Teak Decks; Tools; and Materials. A glossary and an appendix on safety, both personal and environmental, complete the book.This new paperback edition of Rebecca Wittman's magnum opus answers every boater's questions about creating, maintaining, and restoring the deep lustrous glow to any boat's wood trim. Readers learn how to diagnose and cure a deteriorating finish, when cracked and flaking varnish can be patched and when it must be stripped and a new finish applied, how much sanding is truly necessary, and much more."As elegant as the work it describes sosuccessfully--elegant in its writing, elegant in itsphotography, and elegant as a volume." --SAIL This new paperback edition of Rebecca Wittman’s magnum opus answers your every question about creating, maintaining, and restoring the deep lustrous glow to any boat’s wood trim. You will learn how to diagnose and cure a deteriorating finish, when cracked and flaking varnish can be patched and when it must be stripped and a new finish applied, how much sanding is truly necessary, and much more.Rebecca Wittmancofounded The Teak Twinscustom yacht refinishers in 1978 and has taught classes at Seattle’s Center for Wooden Boats.