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View Full Version : Wife says finish is too glossy!



Wayne Collier
02-13-2013, 2:01 PM
I'm finishing a sinker cypress dining table and after 4 coats of a 100% Tung Oil (40%), Mineral Spirit (40%), Glossy Spar Varnish (20%) blend my wife has decided it is too glossy. Can I just mix a new batch with Satin Spar Varnish and apply a few more coats (#0000 steel wool between) or do I need to sand out the gloss first. If sanding is required, what grit?

Thanks for the help.

Wayne

glenn bradley
02-13-2013, 3:31 PM
You don't want to try this on your finished piece but, using a test piece, add some paste wax and see if that knocks off enough gloss for her. If she wants it flatter than that just use some super fine wet/dry paper with mineral oil as a lubricant as that will about be the next step down.

Leo Graywacz
02-13-2013, 3:36 PM
Yes you can. Standard practice for any finish is to apply gloss as your first coats and the final coat is the sheen you'd like. Gloss is by nature a harder finish because the paste they put in it to knock the gloss down also leaves a softer finish.

John TenEyck
02-13-2013, 3:43 PM
Before you go spend money on another varnish, try rubbing out what you have with 0000 steel wool. That should give you a nice satin sheen. It's best if you wait a week for the varnish to cure before you do this. Unfold the steel wool and then refold it uniformly into something that will fit under a rubber or felt sanding block. You don't need any lubricant but you can use mineral spirits or Naptha if you want. Or you can use brass wool instead of steel wool with soapy water.

John

Prashun Patel
02-13-2013, 3:45 PM
What you've described is an oil/varnish mixture. These are not intended to be built up. As such they shouldn't develop that much of a sheen. I suggest you let what you have dry fairly well, then sand it smooth with 400 grit sandpaper lubed in MS (I wouldn't use steel wool).

Wipe all the slurry off several times and let the MS evaporate. Then use a mix of tung oil, ms and semi-gloss spar varnish. I would NOT use satin. It's hard to wipe on without getting streaks. This issue will be magnified if you dilute with ms (it makes the mixture thin for wiping but encourages the dense solids to settle out. Wipe it on generously. Wait 5 mins, then wipe it ALL off.

You'll have to repeat that up to 6-9 times to get a good satin sheen. The wiping off is what really prevents the sheen.

Know that this will not offer incredible surface protection ala a straight varnish. However, I have a table that's varnished with a hard interior varnish good an proper and nothing protects it from a 5yr old's pencils.

If you wish to do a straight varnish for more protection, then eliminate the tung oil from your mixture and use an interior varnish. In this case you wipe on and don't wipe off. Just make sure you keep mixing your semigloss or satin if you wipe it. A spar varnish will offer less protection than an interior varnish on a table. It's not as hard. I use it occasionally even on high use items when I don't mind if the piece shows its use, but you should go in knowing this.

Steve Schoene
02-13-2013, 10:47 PM
Your first problem is that you have not applied your mix of oil and varnish correctly. Done correctly there will be no surface film, and hence no gloss. As you have applied the oil/varnish mix, you have a film left on the surface. That film will not be very durable, it will be soft and possibly almost gummy. Even if you like the initial appearance, it still won't be a satisfactory finish over the long term. I recommend you strip it off entirely and begin from the beginning.

The correct method of applying an oil/varnish finish involves applying the mixture, letting it soak for a short time (say a half hour) and then using dry paper towels or rags vigorously wipe off ALL finish that remains on the surface. That is--wipe it dry. I would also increase the proportion of varnish in the mix to provide more durability. Even if you use gloss varnish you still would have a satin finish because the varnish doesn't build a film. You would get a finish that appears to only be in the wood. (Be sure to dispose of the used rags carefully. Spontaneous combustion is a real possibilty.)

If you do want the appearance of a satin film, then use satin varnish, or use a good interior gloss varnish and rub the film down to satin. By the way, interior varnish is more water resistant than spar varnish. Spar varnish is itself relatively soft because it is made to be flexible as it's chiefest attribute, along with protection from UV light.

Wayne Collier
02-14-2013, 8:32 AM
I should have been more specific on my process...
1st coat - Mixture 40% Pure Tung Oil & 60% Mineral Spirits - Wipe on, wait 10 minutes, wipe off
2nd coat - Mixture 45% Pure Tung Oil, 45% Mineral Spirits, 10% Gloss Spar Varnish - Wipe on, wait 10 minutes, wipe off
3rd thru 6th coats - Mixture 40% Pure Tung Oil, 40% Mineral Spirits, 20% Gloss Spar Varnish - Wipe on, wait 10 minutes, wipe off
Each coat dried a minimum of 24 hours, last 2 around 48 hours, then I buffed with 0000 steel wool prior to the next coat
Plan was to put 2 more coats of the last mixture, then a final coat of 40% Pure Tung Oil, 35% Mineral Spirits, 25% Spar Varnish
Other than the gloss, I am very happy with the results. It is fairly hard for not fully curing and shows off the beautiful color variation of the sinker cypress.
I greatly appreciate all the comments and directions.
Wayne

Prashun Patel
02-14-2013, 9:07 AM
Seems like you applied everything correctly. You can try rubbing down the surface with steel wool or fine grits of sandpaper (600-1000). However, it's my experience that unless the surface is perfectly flat it's hard to get this to look right.

Given your last post, if it were me, I would wetsand the surface with 600g. Wipe it completely dry and smooth, then follow the process of yr 6th coat, but using a semigloss varnish instead of gloss, mixed well.