Author Works | Woodworking Network

Read More Articles by Bernie Bottens

Bernie Bottens writes and teaches on the subject of wood and wood finishing in industrial woodworking. He and his wife, Carol, live in Vancouver, WA. Bernie has been teaching wood finishing to shop owners, shop foremen, spray technicians and finishers all over Oregon, southwest Washington, and northern California for the past 9 years. Prior to that, he owned his own cabinet shop. His shop credentials include apprenticing and becoming a journeyman exhibit builder. Before that he taught in the public schools for 20 years. Bernie is the owner of Kapellmeister Enterprises, Inc. and Kap Coatings Consulting.

Recycling lacquer and paint? Yes you can

Buying someone else's recycled lacquer thinner can be a risky bet. But if you control the entire recycle process using your own still, it can be a good idea. Under these circumstances, painters in the shop know what chemicals they are loading into the still; and they know the content of the output after the process is complete

By Bernie Bottens

What chemicals are in your lacquer thinner?

Lacquer thinner is actually a combination of different chemicals and fall into two categories. They can be diluent solvents and, thus, dilute the nitrocellulose and/or other resins or they can be active solvents.

By Bernie Bottens

Not all lacquer thinners are created equal

Thinner issues are one of the most common problems that finishers encounter. Here are a few tips to ensure you make the right selection.

By Bernie Bottens

A new Australian fastening system hits the American market

The Torpedo CSIS is a panel connector system that works with honeycomb panels, MDF, particle board/melamine panels, and solid wood.

By Bernie Bottens

How to find the best coatings for interior trim

This comparative look at painted trim in three different houses will show how to pick the best coatings for interior trim work.

By Bernie Bottens

How to create a strong, totally concealed joining

At AWFS, something new in the realm of ready-to-assemble fittings caught my eye: Striplox, which won a AWFS Visionary Award for its innovative rapid assembly system.

By Bernie Bottens

Anest-IwataTOF-50 1.jpg

AWFS Spray Finishing Guns: No Permits Needed for These

A number of interesting new pieces of spray gun equipment this year at the AWFS 2015 in Vegas. I have chosen two for a brief review: Anest Iwata, and C.A. Technologies

By Bernie Bottens

Bernie_Bottens-head shot.jpg

Waterborne Versus Non-UV Coatings

At AWFS, a woodshop owner was seeking solutions for meeting California VOC compliance rules, spray booths, fire suppression systems, and weighing water-borne vs. solvent-borne finishing systems.

By Bernie Bottens

Water and Wood: Raising the grain can benefit finishing

Applying water to the wood’s surface is sometimes the best course of action the finishing process. In some instances, that can amount to quite a bit of water.

By Bernie Bottens

Lacquer Thinner Is Lacquer Thinner…Right?

The Yoda of Moulding

Sheldon Smith from Cut N Crown moulding shares his wisdom with AWFS Fair 2013 attendees.

By Bernie Bottens

©Copyright 2021 CCI Media, LLC All Rights Reserved.