Waterlox Finishing Schedule

[Brian Kent]

I am looking for a simple finish schedule for waterlox on a walnut coffee table. It has probably been written here a dozen times but I can't find it.

Thanks in advance

(No spray equipment. I prefer padding or wiping on)

[Prashun Patel]

Hi Brian. I found the instructions on their website pretty simple.

Here's how I brushed it on:
Sand to 220.
Brush on 1st coat against the grain with a good natural brist. brush. Then tip off with the grain.
light wet sand with 320
Brush 2nd coat
light wet sand with 320
Brush on 3rd coat

I barely had to sand. It was a joy to brush.

On vertical surfaces, I wiped. That's brainless: shoptowel, dipped in a bowl of the stuff, and wiped on. No thinning. I didn't wipe off aggressively, which is what I do for in-the-wood finishes. I just looked at the piece in angled light and swiped at it with the towel until it looked fairly even. It leveled flawlessly. I applied 6 coats; no sanding was needed.

[Brian Kent]

Thank you Shawn. You have come to my aid before and I appreciate it.

Brian

[Neal Clayton]

suggestion: nail a scrap board to your shop wall and brush/wipe it vertically, to get a hang of the point at which it runs.

runs are really the only concern, as shawn said it levels extraordinarily well. as long as you don't use one of those cheapo foam brushes or any other application method that can cause it to bubble, it'll be fine.

[Howard Acheson]

Which Waterlox product are you planning to use? "Waterlox" is just a brand name for a family of finishing products. The most common are Original Gloss, Original Satin and Original Sealer/Finish. Each has somewhat different characteristics and best uses.

[Brian Kent]

I had laid down 2 coats of Formby's Traditional Tung Oil Finish. That is nice and dry and ready to fine sand.

The Waterlox Original Sealer / Finish arrived (by mail order) a few days ago so I am switching over to Waterlox. (Now that I know where to find Waterlox I'll use it for the whole process in the future, but I was using what I could find at the time.)

I got a high quality brush at a paint store. I was planning on using the brush for the table top and wiping on the pedestal.

Do I need to use dewaxed shellac between the Formby's and the Waterlox. I am assuming I do not need to, but I have some if I need it.

[Scott Holmes]

Formby's Tung Oil Finsh is NOT tung Oil.

It is an alkyd resin/soya oil varnish THINNED ~80% with mineral spirits (MS).
The only tung oil is that which is printed on the label. there is none in the can not even the varnish was made from tung oil. Marketing....

SO you will be appling varinish over 2 wipe-on coats of varnish.

In the furture skip the Formby's and save a lot of money.

You can Thin the Waterlox Gloss ~50% with MS and have a wipe-on phenolic resin/tung oil varnish.

[Prashun Patel]

Scott's the expert, but I found Waterlox original to wipe fine without thinning too.

[Scott Holmes]

I agree, sometimes it needs a bit of thinning not always. The Sealer doesn't need to be thinned; it is thinned at the factory.

[Neal Clayton]

i agree, it's even a bit too runny. the satin is quite a bit thicker with the flattener in it, so it could be thinned a bit if you prefer, but the original needs none.

[Brian Kent]

It is about 100° today, 13% humidity. No AC in the shop. No insulation in the ceiling. So it is about 95° in the shop.

If I use the brush, I will still wait 24 hours for the Waterlox to dry.

If I wipe on, can I put on several coats in 3-4 hour intervals, then wait 24 hours to do another set?

[Scott Holmes]

If you want to wipe-on then that's the plan you should be able to recoat in an hour or so. Rule of thumb in my shop (Houston, albeit with A/C) 3 wipe-on coats per day then light sand if needed. 3 wipe-on is abouttuhe same build as one brush on coat; IF you are leaving the proper 3-4 mil wet coat when brushing. I have touble getting my wood to 13%; Houston and humidity are synonimous

[Brian Kent]

Thank you very much, Scott.

I am going to do some home repair in Desert Hot Springs for a friend. 114° high the last several days. I'm just not ready for that stuff!

Brian

[Howard Acheson]

>> Do I need to use dewaxed shellac between the Formby's and the Waterlox.

No, both are oil based varnishes. The Formby's is an alkyd/soya oil varnish while the Waterlox Original Sealer/Finish is an oil heavy phenolic/tung oil varnish.

Depending on the degree of protection and durability you want, the Original Gloss and the Original Satin are more long lasting. The Sealer/Finish is softer.

[Brian Kent]

>>Depending on the degree of protection and durability you want, the Original Gloss and the Original Satin are more long lasting. The Sealer/Finish is softer.

Let's just assume that the degree of protection I need will be taken care of by the Sealer/Finish, because I can't afford to pay $50/quart for Original Satin ($38 + $12 shipping or $12 gas from my available sources). Since the instructions say I can add a coat later for renewal of the surface, I can still do that next year if I have problems.

I am guessing it will be fine. A year or so ago I finished a little table with layers of wipe-on poly (softer than waterlox) and wax (which is supposed to be quite susceptible to coffee cup heat), use it continually, and there are no scratches or rings yet.

So for $50 that doesn't exist this month, I'll take a chance.

Brian