Clear top coat over Minwax Antique Oil Finish?

[Dennis Peacock]

OK......let me know what I can put over a finish of Minwax Antique Oil Finish.......I am trying to finish a box for LOML and I put too much antique oil finish on it....so I took mineral spirits, sandpaper and steel wool and removed almost evey single bit of it. Can I put a top coat of some oil based finish on top of it....like varnish or oil based poly?

[Jason Roehl]

Dennis, I'd spray a coat or two of shellac on it, then go with the oil poly. You shouldn't have a problem, then.

[Dr. Zack Jennings]

What wood is it....boy. Not that it makes a difference to me. You already know what I'm gonna say. Shellac then Minwax wipe on poly. ( get it at Wally World)

My new passion is wipe on glaze. I bought some raw seinna, burnt umber and black from Klingspor. I've used the burnt umber over shellac on my perpetual cabinet. I'm very pleased. Jewitt recommended it for getting an antique look. Looks great. I would put it on over the shellac, skip the poly and then wax.

[Dennis Peacock]

But will shellac stick to an oil finish? I can rub most of it off...but the oil finish is still there. I don't want to have to buy some shellac and find out that it won't stick.

The wood is: Ambrosia Maple
The finish I started with: 3 coats of Minwax Antique Oil Finish
The last coat didn't dry, so I wiped it off with steel wool and 600 grit sandpaper. Now I have a base coat of AOF and I need a good top coat that will stick on top of the AOF.

Clear as mud?

[Jim Becker]

Mixwax Antique Oil finish is just a mixture of linseed oil, varnish and thinner...very similar to other wiping varnishes. There should be no problem top coating with other finishes as long as what is left on your piece is left to cure. When you can't smell it anymore...it's cured. You might try a little heat to help it along...a hair dryer, for example. But don't get it so hot that, well...you know!

Shellac is pretty much a "universal" material when it comes to application as a sealer coat between different finishing steps. But whatever you are covering does need to be cured. The only thing that you probably don't want to brush shellac over would be an alcohol-based dye, although spraying it should be fine. If you plan on using polyurethane on a project, you "must" use dewaxed shellac.

[Daniel Rabinovitz]

I made a end table/book case from white and red oak.
Finished with Minwax Antique Oil and left it dry for two weeks or maybe a little more.
Put on a coat of water base Sanding Sealer and two coats of water based Poly.
No problem - looks nice.