Need Finishing Help

[Mike Leonard]

Of my many woodworking shortcomings finishing is at the top of the list. What finish would be recommended on top of Tried & True Polymerized Linseed oil and Beeswax. I need something relatively easy to apply and durable. I just finished a mahogany mission style coffee table and am in the process of building matching end tables. Should I use shellac, lacquer, arm-r-seal, or something else. I have tried minwax satin wipe on poly on a test piece and am not real pleased with the results.

Thanks

[tod evans]

What finish would be recommended on top of Tried & True Polymerized Linseed oil and Beeswax.

Thanks

mike, the key word here is beeswax, applying a topical finish over wax of any sort is a recipe for disaster. you`ll need to completely remove the wax before proceeding. if you don`t own spray equipment i`m afraid i can`t offer any tried advice other than schellac or rockhard varnish and i don`t consider those "relatively easy".....02 tod

[Jim Becker]

The T&T product you used is not intended to be top-coated--it's a one step finishing product. (And I love it!) You'll need to de-wax as best as you can, seal with de-waxed shellac and then use whatever top coat you prefer. If you want to top coat T&T in future projects, you should use the non-waxed, oil-only formula...or just regular BLO since you don't really benefit much from the T&T if you're going to only use it as an interim step and it's so expensive for that purpose.

I only use T&T when it IS the finish. Otherwise, cheap, borg-purchased BLO gets the nod.

[Mike Leonard]

Thanks. Removing the wax sounds like it may be a PIA so I will have to live with what I have on the coffee table (the finish looks great by the way) and use BLO or Watco on the end tables. I will continue to buff the coffee table and may apply some Renaissance wax to the top. Live and learn.

Thanks again

[Jim Becker]

Mike...don't fret. I've had the T&T oil/wax finish on my wife's cherry desk for over 7 years, with only two additional applications of wax. It looks like new, despite the abuse she gives it...

"Durability" is a relative term. While I wouldn't want this finish on my kitchen table, I'd have no problem with it on other pieces around the house if I felt it would give the look I want. In face, it's remarkably similar to the finish that Thos Moser (http://www.thosmoser.com) uses on all his furniture offerings...silky. And check out the prices... ;) That said, I do tend to shellac at this point for things like end tables, coffee tables, etc. Over oil, of course.

[Jerry Olexa]

You have to reemove the wax before applying any additional topcoats. Mineral spiriits dampened soft rag will do the trick. Then you have options: shellac, oil finish, varnish, etc

[Jim Becker]

Jerry, in this case, the wax is part of the finishing product and is likely scrubbed into the wood, too. It would be hard to remove. However, wiping with MS "a lot" and then using a barrier coat of de-waxed shellac would likely work if Mike really wanted to do it.

[Howard Acheson]

Nothing should be used over Tried & True. It's supposed to be a complete finish as it is. If you didn't want a T&T finish, you should have started with something else. BTW, T&T is not a very protective finish for a surface that will get some abuse. It's very soft and not very water or watervapor resistant.

If you are new to finishing I strongly recommend that you purchase Jeff Jewitt's Taunton Complete Illustrated Guide to Finishing. It will tell you all you need to know to chose the correct finish for the application and then how to apply it.

In this case, you seem to have gotton off on the wrong foot.