Redwood Burl...I NEED HELP!!!

[Joe Fennell]

Can someone please help me with this? I have a redwood burl vase that is partially finished and i have only one week to complete. I started with a heavy layer of BLO and moved to Oil Varnish THinner. After about 20 coats of OVT i still can get a uniform sheen. Some parts have a perfect gloss and others are still dull. I went back to BLO but nothing is bringing out the low areas. There are a lot of natural voids and i don't want to use a spray finish but i'm thinking that is what i may have to do. I've also read about Tung oil and beeswax but having never used either finish i'm a little scared to do something i haven't done before this late in the game. Any help would be wonderfully appreciated. Thanks

204841204842

[Michelle Rich]

I think what you are experiencing is the nature of the redwood burl beast. I have worked with it a few times and found nothing in my arsenal that totally stopped that. I tried shellac as a base coat and then topcoats and still experienced the problem. I hope someone else here can help more..that's one gorgeous burl

[John Keeton]

Joe, that is one beautiful piece of burl!! I am not familiar with "Oil Varnish Thinner", but the title would make me think it is long on thinner and oil, and short on varnish resins. I have worked with redwood (not burl like that!) a couple of times, and it soaks up finish like a sponge. Were it me, I would lay on several coats of dewaxed shellac, wiped on with a paper shop towel. Eventually, the shellac will build to an actual film finish. Then, I would switch to WOP.

Burls, by their very nature, can be tricky to get a uniform finish. The wood varies widely inch-to-inch in density.

I would not use wax at this point. It will negatively effect adhesion for other finishes.

[Gary Max]

With what you have done so far---- here's the direction I would head. Keep using the BLO----thin it down about %5 with mineral spirits. You are want to seal the wood. Like John said the burl has different densities. Apply one light coat every day. If the surface is rough I would lightly sand with 220 between coats. If you keep repeating this it will come out the way you want--- it's going to take some time but you can get there.

[Chris Burgess]

I am not sure of the finish you are using but I know w/ Tung oil you get the same results as I apply (some gloss some flat). The goal would be to quench the thirst of all of the wood untill it is even. It has take me 20-30 coats on some wood to get there. To me oil would be prefered because it will be something the customer can easily touch up if need be. Just my $0.02.

And that is a spectaculr Burl. Amazed. What are the demensions?

[Bill Neddow]

I agree with everything John has said. It is a spectacular piece of burl. The form is fantastic. And, I have also run into the problem of not being able to get an even finish with Redwood burl. My solution was the one John has suggested. The shellac is guaranteed to stick to the finish you already have on it. It dries quickly, so you can put on many coats, if necessary, in the very short time frame you have. I think it may take a number of coats to get an even luster as the Redwood really is a sponge. Shellac forms a natural barrier and film that builds quickly. And any finish you want will go over it. I think I would do a final coat of BLO.

[David DeCristoforo]

I would use my "old favorite" oil/varnish mix. 1 part oil (pure boiled linseed), 2 parts varnish ("Man-O-War" marine spar varnish), 3 parts turpentine. Let it sit for 24 hours after mixing. Apply generously and wipe down before it starts to "gum up". One coat every 24 hours, wet sanding with turps in between coats. Four or five coats. On the final coats, cut the mix 50 - 50 with turps. You can control the level of sheen by how fine you wet sand. Stop at 600 for a satin sheen. Go to 2,000 for a gloss. Polish with wax for a high gloss.

[David E Keller]

Another vote for dewaxed shellac... With your time constraints, it seems like the fastest option. Top coat of your choice, but WOP is pretty easy. Great looking form and phenomenal wood!

[Rick Markham]

I'm going to have to vote for dewaxed shellac built in layers until the pores are mostly filled, and the more absorbent areas are tamed. Then would sand that layer back (until nearly gone) and then apply WOP until your desired finish is achieved. It's a gorgeous piece of burl, and an awesome form. :)