Black walnut table finishing

[Rod Nikkel]

I am making a black walnut dining room table that will be our using table for as many years as I can forsee. How to finish? :confused: My wife wants it to be easy to clean and not mark up very easily. I don't like a "plastic" look. This will be a one time project and we live in a rural area where getting specific products is very difficult. I have Danish Oil on hand and like how it makes the grain look. We have heard of Selectone Varnish (a polyurathane), but getting it will be difficult. A furniture repair place recommened lacquer of some type. This will be brushed on, not sprayed on. All this finishing stuff is new to us. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you

[Prashun Patel]

I'd go with an alkyd or phenolic varnish if you wanna brush. I've found Waterlox Original to brush very, very well. Check out Behlen's Rockhard and Pratt&Lambert#38 also; these three get a lot of good reviews round these parts. The latter 2 can be thinned a little to improve brushability or wipeability. The Waterlox Original is already thinned.

FWIW, the waterlox has a dark color to it, and IMHO does nice things to walnut. I'm doing a rocking chair with it right now.

[Scott Holmes]

I too would recommend Waterlox Original (a phenolic resin/tung oil varnish) which can be thinned to wiping consistancy if needed... Behlen's Rock Hard Table Top (a phenolic resin/linseedoil varnish) is a bit thick in the can, it should be thinned to be brushed too. Make sure you use Behlen's thinner if you thin their varnish, mineral spirits does not work as well when thinning Behlen's.

If it were my dinning/kitchen table, I would use the Waterlox because it is made from tung oil, which makes it better at waterproofing than varnishes made from linseed oil. FYI this is the only real claim to fame for tung oil, by itself tung oil is a so-so finish.

Brushing or wiping it on rember that a thin coat is better than a thick coat every time. ~3 wipe on coats equals 1 brush on coat. No more than 1 brush on coat or 3 wipe-on coats per day.

Sand flat after the second day. No need to sand between coats of either of these arnishes; polyurethane varnish SHOULD be sanded between coats.

FYI - Poly is tough, not hard. Phenolic resin varnishes are HARD; tables do much better with a HARD varnish.

[Rod Nikkel]

Thank you. We've ordered some Waterlox.

[Chris Hudson42]

Hi Rod,

Since finishing is new to you, why not see if the 'furniture repair place' will lacquer finish your table at a reasonable cost?

Use the Waterlox you ordered on a smaller project to build your skills?

While the varnish is definitely most durable, it is also going to be an experience to brush it on - and may require a fair amount of time to rub out the brush marks. Varnish is also not the easiest to repair later if it gets scratched etc.

While not as durable, a non-catalyzed evaporative nitrocellulose lacquer (like Deft) does have its advantages. Sprayed on (by the 'repair place'?) it drys quickly (so its less likely to pick up dust nibs, bugs, etc.) - multiple coats can be built-up quickly in a day. It looks, IMHO, 'less plastic' than a urethane varnish. Lacquer is also very easy to repair when it does get damaged.

Before tackling the table, why not take a couple sample pieces of the same walnut - prepped the same way - and you do a Waterlox, and the 'finishing place' a spray lacquer? Then choose..:)

Good Luck either way..
Chris

[Joe Chritz]

Just remember to practice before you do the top.

Wiping waterlox after thinning is a relatively easy process if you get the technique.

I have seen it described as just like wiping a table at Denny's. Not dry but not wet. Best description I have seen.

Joe

[Rod Nikkel]

Unfortunately, the repair place is a four hour drive - one way - away from us. So wiping is better than brushing? Any suggestions as to the best technique, number of coats, etc.? Doing a test product is definitely a good idea. Thanks for the help.

[Prashun Patel]

Rod-
I've used Waterlox a couple times. The Original Sealer (red) does not require thinning to be wiped.

I suggest for the first coat wipe some liberally on the surface, and look for dry spots. Keep applying it to the dry spots, let the whole thing sit for a couple mins, then use a clean rag and buff the whole surface to get an even sheen. This will seal the wood. Let this dry for 24 hrs.

For the next X coats, Just squirt some into a rag and wipe the entire surface. You don't want it dripping wet, but 'slick'. You want a relatively even sheen, but don't worry about wipe marks or tiny bubbles if any. They'll even out on their own.

Here's the biggest thing: don't be put off when your first 3-4 coats dry unevenly or streaky. Just keep at it. Waterlox builds quick and wonderfully.

You can do 2-3 wiped coats/day. After 3 coats, you can 'wipe' the surface gently with 400gt to remove any nubs if any.

For a table, I'd do about 9 coats (equiv to 3 brushed coats).

[Roger Benton]

i just found this thread after searching for info on behlens rock hard and waterlox for an upcoming project. the solid info here is what makes this site well worth it's proverbial weight in gold. Thanks.
-Roger

[Jim Barry]

Hi Rod,

As you can tell, there are many options for your finish. Since you are new to finishing I have a tip for you to help your project be a little less stressful.
If you are working in the basement, invest in a cheap roll of plastic film and staple it on the floor joists above the area you are working. Anyone walking above the area will rain down a bunch of dust on your new finish and you will wonder how it got there. If in the garage, I would keep the door closed and live with the smell. Maybe crack a window or two a bit for ventilation and hope nothing gets stirred up and lands in your finish. Good luck and let us know how it turns out.

[Prashun Patel]

Jim's probably more of an expert than I, but wiping varnishes are far more forgiving in dusty environments. I just refinished a walnut coffee table with waterlox in my garage. The pollen is so bad it's leaving yellow dust all over the driveway. I swept the garage while a coat was drying. And my dryer vents into the garage. Talk about a bad place to refinish. The table looks and feels great, though. Like I finished it in the Queen's bathroom.

[Rod Nikkel]

Thanks for the tips! I haven't got started on the finishing yet so they will be useful.

[Rod Nikkel]

I have the Waterlox Original sealer and Satin finish. How many coats of the sealer should I put on before I start the satin?

[Henry Ambrose]

Waterlox has a website with a support section:

http://www.waterlox.com/site/425/default.aspx

I'd use the "original" until the last coat or two.

[Neal Clayton]

the satin is quite thick, if you don't thin it. i can even get away with only a single coat of the satin on rough old floors with wavy imperfections and such. it covers well due to how thick it is.

[Rod Nikkel]

Rod has done a test piece of wood with multiple coats which was done over a week or two ago. He is working on the table. My question now - a pen dropped from 6" will dent the test pieces. A bang between the wood pieces will dent them severely. This is our dining room table and will take a lot of use/abuse. Is this finish supposed to let damage happen this easily??

"the wife"

[Prashun Patel]

Rod has done a test piece of wood with multiple coats which was done over a week or two ago. He is working on the table. My question now - a pen dropped from 6" will dent the test pieces. A bang between the wood pieces will dent them severely. This is our dining room table and will take a lot of use/abuse. Is this finish supposed to let damage happen this easily??

"the wife"

That surprises me. Put on more coats?

Personally, I don't mind dents. I think it adds to the character...

[Neal Clayton]

Rod has done a test piece of wood with multiple coats which was done over a week or two ago. He is working on the table. My question now - a pen dropped from 6" will dent the test pieces. A bang between the wood pieces will dent them severely. This is our dining room table and will take a lot of use/abuse. Is this finish supposed to let damage happen this easily??

"the wife"

it's not cured yet. it's about three weeks to a month before it reaches the final hardness.

you can use it in that time, just have to be a bit more careful til it has fully cured.

[Joe Chritz]

Is the "dent" just the finish or is the wood actually being deformed?

No finish outside of epoxy or pour on is going to protect the wood from an impact that crushes the wood fibers. Walnut isn't an especially hard wood so it isn't going to withstand an impact like hickory or maple would.

If it is just the finish then likely it is because it is not full cured. There is a big difference between being dry and being cured.

Joe

[Scott Holmes]

Chris who said anything about urethane varnish? Waterlox is NOT a urethane varnish it's an phenolic resin tung oil varnish. Much harder than poly and more UV stable to boot.