Oil/Varnish Homebrew Questions

[Rob Luter]

Greetings to all,

I've used Watco Danish Oil finishes on a number of projects recently and am really pleased with how everything is turning out. I'd like to do a little oil/varnish home brewing on my own and experiment with some different tints, etc. Can anyone recommend a varnish that will work well for this kind of experimentation? I've looked for old fashioned varnish at the borg with no success, only finding polyurethane of one kind or another. Maybe this will work fine?

Any input is appreciated.

- Rob

[Jim Becker]

You "can" use a polyurethane oil varnish for your brew...it will just be a wiping poly.

Consider using something like Pratt and Lambert #38, or Sherwin Williams Quick Dry, or something similar. And go to a real paint store, not the 'borg, for your varnish. Check the yellow pages for locations in your area.

[Howard Acheson]

If you are looking to re-create a Watco Danish Oil, you need to mix about four parts boiled linseed oil, one part varnish and four-five parts mineral spirits. You can mix in any oil based pigment stain if you want to tint the finish.

However, the basic home brew oil/varnish mixture is equal parts of varnish, boiled linseed oil and mineral spirits. With this you will get a more protective and durable finish because of the higher varnish content. I would start with this mixture and vary it if you want. The more varnish, the more durablity but the less you have the look and feel of the wood.

You can use any oil based varnish or poly varnish. The varnish is such a small component that it makes little practical difference. Also, it makes no difference whether you use gloss or a non-gloss varnrish.