What finish for burl veneer ?

[Zahid Naqvi]

As most of my Arkie friends know I am working on a hall table these days. All is done except the top. Which is composed of Olive Ash burl veneer on top of 3/4" MDF substrate. I epoxied the veneer last night, but am contemplating the next step. This being a burl has some voids and holes and as expected some of the epoxy leaked through it. Which actually doesn't look bad, gives it a look of splattered tung oil. I rubbed some mineral spirit on it to see how an oil would look and the epoxy spots are impossible to tell apart.

Now to the actual question. What would you suggest as an appropriate finish. The final coat will probably have to be rubbed on poly becuase the top will see some moderate use. I was thinking some sort of oil (tung or danish) before I apply the poly. No plans to apply any stain or color the natural grain is just so fantastic. The actual veneer is as pictured below.

[Jeff Sudmeier]

I hate to always promote the same finish, but it is the one that I love.

Hopefully you have some small peices of the veneer left that you can epoxy to some left over MDF to try out your finishes.

I would first try "witches brew" it is a mixture of 1/3 BLO(Boiled Linseed Oil), 1/3 Naptha and 1/3 Poly. It really pops the grain and is wonderful to put on! I really like the feel of the finished product.

Like you said, you may want a few coats of wipe on poly over the witches brew.

[Zahid Naqvi]

I would first try "witches brew" it is a mixture of 1/3 BLO(Boiled Linseed Oil), 1/3 Naptha and 1/3 Poly. It really pops the grain and is wonderful to put on! I really like the feel of the finished product.

Like you said, you may want a few coats of wipe on poly over the witches brew.

So why not BLO followed by a few coats of wipe on poly. The whole notion behind the witches brew (which I like and have used before) is that it has three stages condensed in one. If I am going to use poly as the top coat why go through the witches brew process. Shouldn't I be able to get a comparative finish with a first coat of BLO, dried for a few days, followed by 2-3 coats of wipe on poly.

[Jeff Sudmeier]

From what I have read, you do actually get a different look using witches brew as opposed to using BLO and then Poly.

Your veneer looks too great to practice on, so be sure to try out whatever finish you decide on some scraps.

[Zahid Naqvi]

Thanks Jeff, I'll try the brew on a scrap of the same veneer I have in the leftovers. I'll probably do half and half that way I can compare the two on the same scrap.

[Earl Kelly]

Veneer does not react the same as solids with an oil finish. I don't guess it can soak in enough. I did a maple burl veneered top for a Teak wine cabinet, which I oiled, then tried to oil the top but it didn't dry good. So I wiped it down and wiped a poly finish on. Which worked very good.

[Zahid Naqvi]

Veneer does not react the same as solids with an oil finish. I don't guess it can soak in enough. I did a maple burl veneered top for a Teak wine cabinet, which I oiled, then tried to oil the top but it didn't dry good. So I wiped it down and wiped a poly finish on. Which worked very good.

The veneer I have took the BLO very nicely, although it didn't take as much oil as solid wood would have, perhaps due to the epoxy used as adhesive. But the vaneer did get get saturated, I wiped of the excess oil after about 10 mins and another cleanup after 2 hours and left it sitting overnight. I checked it again this morning before leaving for work and the surface was not oily or sticky, so I am sure what ever oil was applied has been absorbed and is drying. The look of the veneer has all the qualities I would expect from BLO.