Let's Play 'Name That Finish'

[bill epstein]

Entries will be a finish that, unlike the original T&T that made the maple, after 20 years, the color of a strained peas and carrots diaper will not make the now virginal wood so.

The winning entry will also serve to make the grain of the walnut 'pop' although 2 different finishes will be tolerated.

No water-based finishes are allowed. Contestants who advocate spraying will be disqualified. Abrasion resistance is secondary to looks and anyone who brings an alcoholic drink within a yard of my delicate electronic equipment will be shot.

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[Robert Hazelwood]

Platina shellac is the next best thing to waterbase for keeping light woods light.

It will look pretty good on the walnut but you could apply some BLO to it first if you want it dark.

[Derek Cohen]

Bill, a water-based poly, such as General Finishes, does a great job. I rub it on with microfibre cloths and denib with grey mesh ...

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Furniture/Kitchen%20Rebuild_html_m36211531.jpg

You can simplify this with a dewaxed shellac. In Oz I use Ubeaut Dewaxed Shellac (I think that Lee Valley may sell it) dissolved in alcohol (meths in Oz)...

https://i.postimg.cc/28dq5xRr/28a.jpg

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Jim Matthews]

Watco Danish oil applied with Mirka Mirlon pads, three grits.

A day between coats to let the finish cure.

Each progression to finer grits "polishes" the one prior.

[Bill Carey]

If that is going to be used for food, I highly recommend Watco Butcher Block.
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[Mike Allen1010]

Watco Danish oil applied with Mirka Mirlon pads, three grits.

A day between coats to let the finish cure.

Each progression to finer grits "polishes" the one prior.

+1 to Jim's suggestion. For extra depth and sheen I would follow with blond shellac applied with french polish pad. After initial light sealer coat, apply second coat with little bit of rotten stone rubbed in with felt pad. Finish with airplane landing strokes with the grain. follow with as many additional coats as you like - suggest at least 4. paste wax at the end.

cheers, Mike

[bill epstein]

+1 to Jim's suggestion. For extra depth and sheen I would follow with blond shellac applied with french polish pad. After initial light sealer coat, apply second coat with little bit of rotten stone rubbed in with felt pad. Finish with airplane landing strokes with the grain. follow with as many additional coats as you like - suggest at least 4. paste wax at the end.

cheers, Mike

Great idea except for the part about the Watco. Linseed oil is what I wanted to avoid. I wound up with GF High Performance Satin which went on 3 coats in a day, each side and keeps getting smoother every day it cures. Not plasticky looking and nearly water white clear.

[Mark Gibney]

Bill can you post a photo of how it looks now you have finished it?

I made a table top from ipe. Finishing was a challenge, as I found that the hard oil (BLO mix) will not cure due to the oils in the ipe.
If I spray it with lacquer the wood goes a very dark red / brown with little grain definition.

So I gave it a first coat of thinned water based poly (acrylic really) and then sprayed it with lacquer, and it kept the greater variation in wood tones and grain definition, but had a warmer and, to me, more attractive less plastic look than using just water based poly.

This could be a way to keep whiter woods from becoming amber with finishing, but I haven't explored this further.
Mark

[bill epstein]

436180

Just the merest hint of a change in tone from the raw wood which is just what I wanted.

3 coats of GF High Performance Satin applied with the rather firm foam brushes bought in bulk on Amazon. It's goopy. I wouldn't dare try one of the big box foam brushes. The guys at Klingspor recommended padding on which I tried, but this stuff ain't shellac! 3 coats went on in a single day burnished in between with a grey pad. Cured hard as a rock and smooth as...well, very smooth, in 2 days.

GF says more Alkyd content than urethane, whatever that means. Doesn't look Minwax plasticky.