Watco and cherry

[Mike Steinhilper]

Good morning... I'm leaning toward Watco Danish Oil for a cherry end table. It came down to that vs. minwax wipe on poly - just for durability. However, would a poly keep the cherry from darkening? My favorite overall finish is shellac, but it won't offer enough protection for a table top, unless there is something I can supplement it with. Any thoughts?

[Jim Becker]

Varnish is varnish (whether based on polyurethane resin, alkyd resin or phenolic resin)...it's not going to affect the natural color changes in wood unless it's an exterior or other product that has a UV additive...and then it will only delay the process a little.

For furniture applications outside of a kitchen table, there's not going to be a whole lot of noticeable difference in "protection" between the various options you have for finishing, IMHO. Use what you like from a final appearance standpoint. I have shellac on a walnut end table and it's held up quite well, even with the girlie-girls beating the you-know-what out of it in our TV room. I may clean it and pad on another application at some point to renew the surface at some point, but there's nothing really noticeable "wrong" with it at this point. (One of the nice things about shellac and lacquer is the repairability) The cherry desk I made for Professor Dr. SWMBO back in 1998 is finished in BLO and wax. It's been re-waxed twice since then and looks as good as new. The Minwax poly on our kitchen table is toast in only a few years...and will get replaced with water borne when I have the time and opportunity to do so. "Durability" is relative...I'll leave poly for floors where it was originally designed to be used.

[Glenn Madsen]

Waterlox and cherry have done well on my projects, and they hold up pretty well. Waterlox is on the blanket chest that inadvertently became a coffee table in the front room, and a favorite place for the grandkids to whack their toys. It's red oak, and has taken that abuse for three or four years now, with no apparent damage.

I found that Waterlox had a faster build than Watco, which was far more like wiping with BLO, in my California experience. Maybe there's something different in our Watco?

Shellac and wax were all I used on a pair of nightstands three or four years ago for my son and his wife, cherry and maple. Still looks just fine, so it holds up in certain applications. Wouldn't use it on a dining table, however.

When I did the master bathroom cabinetry, I did a sample board, to show the wife what various finishes would look like. Maybe you want to do the same? (that one ended up as wiped on thinned spar varnish...)

[Bill Ragland]

I don't think Watco Danish Oil is meant to build up a finish. It penetrates the wood rather than adhering to it. If it starts to build up then too much has been applied and it can no longer penetrate the wood. It can be a real mess if this happens. Normally 2-3 coats is enough depending or the hardness of the wood. I am using Watco Danish Oil on kitchen cabinets, let cure for 72 hours and top coating with Resisthane Plus. Works out very nicely. Resisthane is sprayed on with an HVLP sprayer. It is not recommended for brushing.

[Steve Schoene]

Waterlox and Watco are almost totally different kinds of product. The Watco is a thinned mixture of oil and varnish. It is meant to be applied and then have all the excess wiped off. No film should ever be built on the surface since it will be quite soft.

Waterlox is a thinned varnish--no oil to speak of in it except has an ingredient which has been chemically reacted with resin and heat to form a new compound, varnish. It can be allowed to build on the surface and will be quite hard and protective. For furniture this is every bit as satisfactory as polyurethane varnish.

But as Jim points out, protective is relative. If a "protected" surface is the only goal, the best material is stainless steel. But quite a few finishes stand up well in the real world. And no finish, not even the toughest polyurethane or epoxy will prevent all damage to wood surfaces.

[Paul Libby]

Watco looks good on Cherry, I did a bedroom suite with it. I then put a coat (or two) or poly on the tops of the end tables to add protection. Just adhere to the drying time called for on the Watco can and you will be ok.

[Mike Steinhilper]

I went with the Watco (because I had some on hand). I may put some poly on the top, as Paul did, after it cures for a long time. Or I may just leave it as is. Thanks for everyone's input. I'll put a pic up here soon.