Soft wood finish

[John M. Smith]

I am turning a piece of redwood and it is really soft. What would be a good finish to make it somewhat more durable. I am currently thinking wipe on poly.

[John Keeton]

IMO, WOP would be a good choice - several coats applied over a few soaking coats of lacquer, steel wooled back to get a nice, smooth surface on which to build the poly.

[Bill White]

I'm not a great fan of urethane finishes. Use 'em when it's called for.
I will seal with either dewaxed shellac or a mix of 1/3 ea. shellac, BLO, and dna as a primer, then coating with a wiping varnish.
Depending on the wood of choice, you might want to just go with the BLO mixture. Color/stain as you might wish, then more varnish.
Seems to me that this combo makes for a more "warm" finish. Rub out to the sheen you desire.
Bill

[John Keeton]

Bill, I agree with much of what you say, however, John is concerned about a hard finish to protect the piece and poly is hard to beat for that feature. It does have its shortcomings. With hardness comes lack of flexibility and it can look plastic if not done right. Not knowing any more about the piece John is doing, it is hard to offer much more regarding aesthetic considerations.

[John M. Smith]

John, I have turned a hollow form out of virgin growth redwood. Very, very tight grain. I am not very good at descriptions. That being said, I did some carving on it. I guess a lot of carving. I noticed it dents and mars very easily. I will be dyeing the piece.
Think I will try WOP. With the carving I have done, not sure i can buff. Or if the buffing would further dent/groove the wood. Really soft.

[John Keeton]

John, the WOP applied directly to the redwood will darken it. I would suggest a lacquer sealer to minimize the darkening.

[John M. Smith]

Thanks John. I will use a laquer sealer before the WOP. Will post pictures when I get it done.