Walnut coffe table - need a new finish option

[Bill Brush]

I have been puttering in the shop for years, but now I'm starting to aim a little higher. I'm working on a coffee table and I really don't want to mess up the finish.

Up to this point I've just used Watco Danish oil and it's a great "idiot proof" finish. But I don't think it's a good option for my coffee table now that I've done some studying on finishes. (I've been reading the Flexner book on wood finishes.)

Considering my kids and the life this table will have I really think that a varnish is the best option. I would like to build it up to a nice deep gloss finish.

Now I don't have a full-out finishing room but I do have a downstairs bathroom that doesn't see a lot of use with an exhaust fan. I can commandeer that room for the duration of the finish project.

What I don't know is anything about brands of finish, and how varnish looks on wood.

So what brands of varnish are going to be good for a high-use table? Brush-on, wipe-on, or spray can? (Spray gun is not an option.)

Do I need to do an oil finish before the varnish to make the grain pop? (The walnut is air-dried, and milled about 50 years ago, so it's got fantastic grain.)

I can use the underside of the top to test on, but I really don't have any idea where to start. I can't really afford to go to the store and buy one of everything.

[Sam Murdoch]

Hi Bill,
You are likely to get lots of responses to this question. My go to finish for a table top requiring a durable and easy to apply finish is Waterlox. There are a few versions of this product and so I ONLY RECOMMEND this very specific kind of WATERLOX

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=228896&d=1333821573&thumb=1 (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=228896&d=1333821573) For some reason the photo has disappeared. This is the specific kind: Waterlox Original Sealer Finish

Be true to your name and brush this on with a good varnish brush or, if you prefer, a 3" to 4" wide foam brush. Others will write that you can apply this finish as a hand rub but I am a strong proponent of using a brush, applying a nice full coverage even coat. No matter how you do it the Waterlox requires 24 hours between coats for best results with no sanding between coats. The quality of the surface that you start with is the surface you get. There are satin and high gloss versions of Waterlox and there are low VOC versions, but again I only suggest using the Original Sealer. It dries to a semi gloss sheen, applies easily, and is rock hard when thoroughly dry. Yes, it will make the Walnut grain POP. You can purchase it here:http://www.woodcraft.com/Family/2004...-Finishes.aspx (http://www.woodcraft.com/Family/2004209/Waterlox-Wood-Finishes.aspx)

My 2 ¢ :)

Sam

[glenn bradley]

1:1:1 BLO, mineral spirits and modified phenolic resin (I use Cabot's Gloss). Wipe on, 20 minutes, wipe off and repeat. This is 6 coats on walnut, no colorants. It is the drop-spot for car keys, mail, and whatever is in my hands as I come and go. The film is holding up admirably:

228897

Same finish on mahogany:

228898

[Bob Wingard]

I use WATERLOX and McCloskey's exclusively ... either one, I start out with a VERY thin (70% VM&P NAPTHA : 30% Varnish) and apply it with a clean, old piece of t-shirt. After several coats, I LIGHTLY sand away dust nibs and thicken the finish slightly ... still applying with a cloth and sanding (more like wiping) after every other coat or so.

The Naptha dries fast, allowing you to do 2-4 coats per day, and each coat only takes a few minutes to apply.

[Bill Brush]

So I guess Waterlox is a favorite. :)

I assume I can use the high gloss version without an issue? I would kind of like the top to be a deep gloss.

[Brian Kent]

I agree. My walnut burl coffee table has held up even with my invitation for people to prop up their boots on the table.

[Prashun Patel]

Yes, it's a favorite - but not the only game in town. I like The Original Sealer Finish (original formulation) because it imparts a dark amber cast - which is really warming on walnut. It wipes on very well too. I'm partial to wiped on varnish finishes.

I've heard good things about Behlens Rockhard and Pratt and Lambert 38 as well.

[Alan Lightstone]

Yes, it's a favorite - but not the only game in town. I like The Original Sealer Finish (original formulation) because it imparts a dark amber cast - which is really warming on walnut. It wipes on very well too. I'm partial to wiped on varnish finishes.

I've heard good things about Behlens Rockhard and Pratt and Lambert 38 as well.
Yes to all of the above.

I've had some issues wiping on multiple coats a day of Waterlox, though. A safer, though decidedly slower, technique would be to wipe on 1 coat per day. I only dilute mine about 10% with mineral spirits. The manufacturer will tell you you don't have to dilute the Waterlox Sealer/Finish at all for wiping.

[Jerry Olexa]

I would BLO. Let dry minimum 1 week...Pad on dewaxed shellac (I prefer Garnet). then your choice of durable topcoat (P&L 38 or your favorite non poly varnish)

[Prashun Patel]

Alan,

I will also say don't dilute the Original Sealer Finish. I have found Waterlox to be mildly incompatible with mineral spirits - not enough to mess it up, but enough to cause some streaking. The Original SF is the perfect wiping consistency out of the bottle.

I am with you that it's best to be patient when applying it. I had great success doing 2 coats a day - one in the AM, one before bed.


Bill,
With the Original SF, you really don't need ANY BLO for color enhancement. However, beware of two things: 1) The gloss will settle down over weeks to be semigloss - NOT "deep gloss". If you really want that, use a true gloss varnish. 2) To get a gloss finish on walnut, you will need to fill the grain of the walnut. If you are willing to be a little patient, you can do this with the varnish: Keep applying coats and sanding them back flat with 320 or even 220 grit until the surface is level. A quicker and cheaper approach, IMHO, is to fill the grain with shellac. It dries quicker and is cheaper.


Filling the grain will take multiple coats vs using a commercial pore filler, but is IMHO easier if you are not looking to do this on a commercial production basis.

[Bill Brush]

So what about just using straight Waterlox Gloss? At this point my thought is to just do straight Waterlox gloss, and sand/coat-sand/coat until it's as glossy as I want. Would I be better off doing shellac to fill the pores, and then the Waterlox? This walnut is unusually close grained, so I'm not anticipating a huge issue filling the pores.

[Prashun Patel]

Walnut is not closed grained. It will require a few coats of varnish to fill the pores. But it does fill relatively quickly; you're right. The gloss is fine, but what I meant is that it requires some drying time b4 you can sand it.

With the shellac, you could sand relatively quickly.

YMMV, but I think you can get about 3 coats shellac on and sanded in a day vs 1 varnish.

[Howard Acheson]

Oil/varnish mixtures are the traditional finish for dark woods like walnut. Watco is an oil varnish/varnish mixture that contains mostly mineral spirits and other thinners. You can make your own oil/varnish mixture by mixing equal parts of your favorite varnish or poly varnish, boiled linseed oil and mineral spirits. This will give you a longer lasting and more protective finish than Watco. It will "pop" the grain and highlight the colors in the wood. It's an in-the-wood finish that leaves a soft gloss glow and the feel of the wood.

Walnut also looks nice with a dark varnish like Waterlox Original or Behlen Rockhard. These provided maximum protection but require good good brushing skills to get the best appearance. You can use the Waterlox Original Sealer/Finish which is a wiping varnish right out of the can.

[Alan Lightstone]

Alan,

I will also say don't dilute the Original Sealer Finish. I have found Waterlox to be mildly incompatible with mineral spirits - not enough to mess it up, but enough to cause some streaking. The Original SF is the perfect wiping consistency out of the bottle.

I am with you that it's best to be patient when applying it. I had great success doing 2 coats a day - one in the AM, one before bed.




Prashun:

I found, at least with those great wiping cloths, that it helped to very slightly dilute it with MS before wiping on. I know that if you look at the MSDS it contains tons of MS. I've certainly found it to be more finicky with the High Gloss and MS.

Next project I'll switch back to the full strength Original Sealer Finish and try it again. I switched away from multiple coats a day after that fiasco with my drafting table top. The folks at Waterlox had attributed it to not waiting long enough between coats. That was with the low VOC formulation, which may need longer to dry between coats. I don't like the low VOC for multiple reasons, so won't be using that again.

Which reminds me, (back to the OP), don't use the low VOC Waterlox Original Sealer / Finish. Use the normal Waterlox Original Sealer / Finish. And definitely don't mix the two on the same surface.