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Thread: Butcher block oil finishing is not smooth, help please

  1. #1

    Butcher block oil finishing is not smooth, help please

    Hi,
    I have a birch butcher block counter top I got from lowes.
    I sanded it down to 220 before applying some Watco Butcher Block Oil & Finish.
    Instructions were to apply a coat with a soft clean cloth, which I did, allow 6 hours dry time (I did 12) and then re-coat, lightly scuffing with #400 grit sandpaper, which I did.
    First time using the oil so I have no idea if I applied too much or not enough or worked it too much or what.
    After my second coat though, the surface has a lot of patches that are rough to the touch. I can't tell if it is raised wood fibers or just the finish itself not coming out smooth because of the way I applied it. After the first coat it was way smoother.
    I did notice that once the cloth I was using (an old t-shirt) became really saturated that it was not as easy and smooth to spread the finish.

    Not sure what to do at this point. Just do a light sanding? Sand again with #400 and re-apply? Thin the product somehow? Ditch the oil and put poly on top instead?


    Photo Sep 14, 9 19 30 AM.jpg

  2. #2
    Put on a light coat and sand it with 400 or 600. Let dry and repeat. The oil will lube the sandpaper. Eventually the surface will be smooth..

  3. #3
    What about the dust from the sanding? It just mixes in with the finish and will still turn out smooth?

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mishkin Derakhshan View Post
    What about the dust from the sanding? It just mixes in with the finish and will still turn out smooth?
    The instructions do state "Before applying oil, remove all sanding dust and dirt with a vacuum". We may need some clarity on what you are expecting. I do not believe this is a film forming finish in the way that we think of a furniture "finish". From the Rustoleum site info I believe it is a penetrating finish that will probably end up a bit rougher to the touch than the material it is applied to. The instructions do say "If desired, use additional coats to build a finish" which seem pretty vague. There is not much info on the site so someone please correct me if I'm wrong. The one thing you don't need is misinformation.
    "A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg".


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  5. #5
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    Looking on Rustoleums sight, it list the ingredients as follows;

    CAS-No. Chemical Name Oral LD50 Dermal LD50 Vapor LC5064742-47-8 Hydrotreated Light Distillate >5000 mg/kg Rat >2000 mg/kg Rabbit >5000 mg/L Rat1330-20-7 Xylenes (o-, m-, p- isomers) 3500 mg/kg Rat >4350 mg/kg Rabbit 29.08 mg/L Rat100-41-4 Ethylbenzene 3500 mg/kg Rat 15400 mg/kg Rabbit 17.4 mg/L Rat64742-48-9 Naphtha, Hydrotreated Heavy >6000 mg/kg Rat >3160 mg/kg Rabbit N.E

    If you can make since of that, more power to you.
    I've never used it so I cannot give you a good explanation of what to do. Personally, I would wet sand it with 600 grit wet/dry sandpaper. Let sit for 5 - 10 minutes and wipe off the excess. Let dry for 24 hours and repeat 2 more times. I do this with my blend of tung oil finish and it leaves a velvety smooth finish.
    You might want to try it on a small piece or in an inconspicuous place to start with to see if it works.
    My Dad always told me "Can't Never Could".

    SWE

  6. #6
    thanks steve.
    Just to be clear when you say wet sand you mean by applying the finish and sanding it all together right?
    Any tips on how much finish? Do you completely cover the surface as if you were doing a regular coat, or do you just add a bit of oil onto the sanding block? Do you go overboard and make sure everything is really saturated and wet because you are wiping it off anyway?

  7. #7
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    Mishkin, I usually will apply a small amount to the area with a blue shop towel and start immediately sanding with the 600 grit. After the initial start I then will dip my sandpaper in my mix and continue sanding the project. I will continue until the surface is wet but not dripping wet. Then let sit for 5 - 10 minutes and wipe off the excess with a blue shop towel. Works real well. After it cures for several days, (approx.3), I'll then buff it out with my beall system. Leaves a nice smooth satin sheen to the piece.
    My Dad always told me "Can't Never Could".

    SWE

  8. #8
    I endorse vaccuming after sanding. Another potential solution might be the “brown paper bag trick”. Flexner wrote a good summary in Popular Woodworking a while back. In the end, it basically amounts to rubbing a dried finish with a brown paper bag. I was skeptical of this method, until I tried it.

  9. #9
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    You need not worry about sanding dust since with this kind of oil finish it is essential at after letting the liquid soak in for a short time (UNDER 30 minutes) that you you use a dry rag or paper towel to wipe off all liquid remaining on the surface. You are not trying to build a film. This also means that the application method is not critical--all that really counts is that you apply liberally, but if early coats were too dry, then subsequent coats should "fill in". So at this point just apply, and sand in an additional coat or two, being sure to vigorously wipe off all excess. In a couple of coats or so, you will see a more uniform satin finish that just looks like the finish in in the wood, not on it.

  10. #10
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    I used the Watco product on an maple butcher block to for an island 9 months ago and it is still near perfect. I sanded to 400, VACUUMED and blew the dust off, then first coat, applied liberally and let stand for 10 minutes and wiped off. Let dry for a day. 2nd coat applied without sanding, waited another day. 3rd coat was sanded (600 I think) and vacuumed and let dry for a couple of days before using the top. In the last 9 months we have used it every day and while it has some knife marks etc, water still beads up on it. And I have done no maintenance at all since the original finish.
    Stand for something, or you'll fall for anything.

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