Tried & True finishes, anyone try them?

[Craig Hemsath]

And what did you think? The idea of a VOC free, safe, etc. etc. etc. varnish intrigues me. If you've tried any of their products, what did you think? What would you compare the final look to? Pics?

[Scott Holmes]

IMHO... T&T are marketing gurus they sell linseed oil finishes as the best finish in the world... yea right.

Do you think that the finishing industry has improved or learned anything since the 19th century? This is the 21st century and there are far superior varnish available now-a-days. Even some of the old school 20th century varnishes like Waterlox, Behlen's, and P&L #38, etc. blow the T&T away.

Do a test; leave some T&T on a piece of glass for a month and tell me how HARD it really is compared to; say a piece of wood.

[Neal Clayton]

i don't think there's anything wrong with such varnishes, but they are what they are. they penetrate, don't build much of a film, and don't offer much in the way of protection for the wood underneath from impact/abrasion.

they are, for whatever it's worth, historically authentic, if a historically accurate oil+natural resin varnish is what you're after.

[Steve Schoene]

Some folks have problems with the varnish oil being EXTREMELY slow to cure.

Let me add a bit about safety. ALL clear finishes are safe when they cure. Metallic driers speed cures, and become encapsulated within the cured resin of the finish. The rules determining which such additives can be used include provisions assuring that only minimal amounts leach out of the cured film.

[paul cottingham]

I use T & T for everything, and really like them. Put it on thin, and wipe off the excess.

I'm just sayin'

[Tom McMahon]

Tried and true has 3 products. The first one is boiled linseed oil, it's actually boiled no metallic dryers, they call it danish oil. The second is just the first with bees wax added, called original. The third is the first with pine sap added it's the only one that is actually a varnish and the only varnish I'm aware of that uses pine resin. Is it any better? I don't know.

[Jim Becker]

I use and like the T&T traditional oil and oil/bee's wax mixtures and often finish decorative items with them. My wife's cherry desk was also finished in the T&T oil/wax product...back in 1998...and it looks wonderful. It's been waxed three times since; each time it's been moved around.

I dislike the T&T varnish oil product, however, as I've gotten inconsistent results.

[Craig Hemsath]

Thanks for the replies folks. May tinker with it some day, just not right now.

[Seth Dolcourt]

Could be late to the party here, but....

I like T&T, but I don't apply it after October; takes forever, seemingly, to cure, and cold temperatures don't help any. During the warmer months, it needs 4-5 days for the raw smell to really subside, and after 60 days or so, seems completely dry.

Two of my cherry beds and a cherry cabinet are finished with Tired and Rude (;)) oil and wax, and with a maintenance coat of wax a couple years layer, the wood looks rich and satin-y. I used the linseed for the undercoat of a bird's eye maple snare drum, which really popped the figure. I gave the drum a good 6 weeks of cure before top coating.

If you're in a hurry, use BLO from the hardware store, what with all the high tech driers in it.