April 7-11, 2026 (Tues to Sat)

Hands-On Finishing

with Mitch Kohanek

& Tim Puro

$1,135

$1050 tuition + $85 material fee

Part of the MASW Higher Education Program

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Workshop Description

This five-day hands-on finishing class is designed to help students understand which finishing schedule is best for their projects. The goal is to learn what it takes to create a beautiful, lasting finish through a variety of finishing systems. These systems include changing the color of wood with dyes, stains, toners, and glazing techniques. Everyone will have the opportunity to apply the finishing systems of their choice to their assigned lab projects, and students are encouraged to bring small projects to finish during the week. Most of this class will be in the finish shop rather than the classroom. However, everyone will have enough classroom time to learn how to accurately apply finishes with predictable results. Students will learn to use hand-rubbed finishes such as shellac, French polish, and brush-on finishes, as well as spraying equipment. Once the coatings have been applied, adjusting the sheen using rub-out techniques and maintaining your coating will be demonstrated. Mitch and Tim will teach how to solve common problems and fix finishing defects such as blotching, orange peel, brush marks, and fisheye, and how to achieve the ultimate finish. There will also be an introduction to the basics of color matching. Anyone who works with wood and enjoys its beauty will benefit from this class.

Key Points

  • Six steps for a perfect finish
  • Customize a wood finishing system for yourself
  • Understand wood as a material
  • Proper techniques for wood preparation
  • Techniques for coloring wood
  • How to choose and apply the right finish
  • Pre-conditioners, sealers, and grain pore fillers
  • Understanding open and closed pore finishing
  • Rub out and finish the finish

Meet the Craftsperson

Mitch Kohanek

Meet the Craftsperson

Tim Puro

Visit the Full Week Programs page for complete details on our weeklong workshops!

$1,135.00

Hands-On Finishing with Mitch Kohanek & Tim Puro April 7-11, 2026 (Tues to Sat)

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