Flammable finishing products should be stored in a metal cabinet for fire safety. In fact, cabinets in commercial shops are required to meet National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) fire-rating codes. I recommend that cabinets in a home shop be made of at least 22-gauge metal.

To work with finishing products, you’ll need to measure and transfer liquids, powders, and pastes. I use a variety of simple tools for this. Many can be purchased from online plastics dealers. However, I also routinely look for measuring items at drugstores and kitchen accessory dealers, as well as at beauty supply stores.

Transferring liquids

The humble ladle is one of the best tools for transferring liquids from cans, although hand pumps mounted on gallon jugs are also very handy. Squeeze bottles work well for repeatedly dispensing premeasured amounts of liquids. For transferring small amounts, I like syringes with tapered nozzles that can be…