Walnut and Poly

[Ed Scolforo]

OK, guys, I need your advice. I just finished a walnut wedding platter for my daughter and am about to put a finish on it. It's sanded to 400 and I was going to use high gloss wipe on poly, which I've never used before. Of coarse, I HAD to search some threads on walnut finishing and find a few references saying to avoid poly. Now I'm not sure if I should or not. I don't want to mess it up at this point. I'm going to have it laser engraved, and the engraver suggested that I put on one coat before sending it to him. I don't know if using another finish, like an oil, prior to engraving would affect the lettering. Any thoughts about poly as a finish? Thanks, Ed

[Bernie Weishapl]

Ed I use Waterlox on a lot of my walnut with excellent results. I am not sure about wipe on poly. I have also used Seal-A-Cell and Arm-R-Seal (General Finishes) with what I consider excellent results. Hopefully you will get some more advice but those have been my experiences so far.

[Andy Hoyt]

Hey Ed. I've not worked with a lot of walnut, but on those pieces that did survive my butchery I've had good luck with tung oil and buffing; or gel poly and buffing. If the piece is intended to be a user, I'd lean towards gel poly.

I may be wrong here, but my assessment of wipe on poly is that it's a product designed to help the impatient. It dries quickly because it's been thinned down significantly. But since it's so thin, you need mutliple multiple multiple coats to achieve a durable finish. Which to me, means that it really doesn't save that much time over the long haul.

[Lee DeRaud]

I'm going to have it laser engraved, and the engraver suggested that I put on one coat before sending it to him. I don't know if using another finish, like an oil, prior to engraving would affect the lettering.If the action of the laser throws off any smoke/residue, it's easier to clean off if there's a finish instead of raw wood. Pretty much anything will do for that, even a quick hit of spray-can shellac: the laser will blow right through it anyway. If need be, you can sand it off before you put on your "real" finish.

[Joe Melton]

I've used a lot of Enduro water-based poly on walnut, and it works splendidly. I'm sure the laser engraving would work just fine.
Joe

[Mark Pruitt]

I'm going to have it laser engraved, and the engraver suggested that I put on one coat before sending it to him.
Ed, Just from that one statement, I would say avoid any kind of poly, based on what nearly all the finishing gurus say about not allowing too much time to elapse between coats (citing adhesion issues). I'm assuming that your engraver would have it for an entire day or possibly longer. There are doubtless other sealer coats that you could use. My suggestion is to post this over in the Finishing Projects forum; the regulars "over there" can be of better help than me.

[Tom Jones III]

What do you hope to acheive with the finish? durability through extreme use? protection against water? I use a lot of walnut and LOML and I don't agree on finishes. Out compromise for pieces that need very little protection (ex. hallway table for decoration, not for everyday use) is BLO with a coat or two of wipe on poly. She wants something that will not need to be renewed (so paste wax is out) and she wants a little protection. I want something that looks as close to BLO as possible and will look the same for years to come. So far, after 3-5 years things are still looking good.

[Paul Engle]

I have used wipe on minwax poly in my trophy plaque bussiness for the last 12 years with excellent results as i cannot spray due to ashtma. 3 coats 400 sand inbetween coats. On my turnings I have been putting on tung oil for the first coat to use up some older stuff , sand 400 and two more of the poly. last coat gets wiped with soft cloth just damp with laquer thinner to act like a cheese cloth then final with a foam brush and can truthful say Stuarts taxidermy in Hope Idaho has never complained . I like the wipe on as I can get a hand rubbed finish on the lathe or rub on final coat off the lathe and it does not streak.

[Ed Scolforo]

Thank you guys for your responses. Tom, it will be used as a cake platter for the reception next month. I plan to protect the finish with a layer of whatever while the cake is sitting on it. After that, my intention is to have it displayed on a platter holder. I'm thinking Bush Oil as a first coat and the wipe on poly after it gets back from the engraver. Sound ok?
Ed