Stage 2: Finishing

No, not finished. Just finishing. The outside of the drum that is. I'm done sanding. There comes a point in every OCD's life when you just gotta say: ok, enough with the sanding already! I got the majority of the stains out, but not all of them, and you know what? It's fine. No one will notice.

I decided on using tung oil for the finish. Tung oil has been used for centuries by the Chinese, and I read lots of good stuff about it. I did some research on the internet and found a company in Vermont that claims to have perfected the tung oil manufacturing process, and after reading everything on their website, I was sold. Tonight I applied the first of two coats of sealer. The color of the drum totally changed from chalky-pale to a richer, healthier color. This pic doesn't do it justice. I wonder what it will look like when I'm actually applying the tung oil? We'll see! Until then I'll be watching paint (er, sealer) dry.