Hardwax oil + shellac + water based poly?

[Jon Westwood]

Would this combo work? Or is it redundant/unnecessary/stupid, etc?

I'm finishing an ash desk top that's not a slab, but it has some beautiful heartwood and chatoyancy that I want to accentuate with odie's oil (I'd probably use Tung oil, but odie's is what I have on hand). I also want to fill the grain a bit and end up with a shinier, smoother surface than what odie's provides, so I was thinking of using water based poly so it doesn't amber the wood anymore than the odie’s. Thinned blonde shellac would be my sealer to allow the poly to stick to the oil, probably around a 1lb cut.

I can't really notice a difference between odie's and only the shellac in my scrap pieces because they're not the most interesting cuts. Would there even be a difference at all?

If it isn't already obvious I'm very new to the world of finishing, so any alternative suggestions is definitely appreciated.

Thanks!

[Jim Becker]

Hardwax Oil is supposed to be "the" finish. I would not top coat them at all. If you want the warmth of oil with your waterborne clear, then use a thin application of simple BLO, a thin barrier coat of wax free shellac and then your top coat of choice.

[Jon Westwood]

Hardwax Oil is supposed to be "the" finish. I would not top coat them at all. If you want the warmth of oil with your waterborne clear, then use a thin application of simple BLO, a thin barrier coat of wax free shellac and then your top coat of choice.

Got it. I do want some colour but not too much; from what I understand tung oil ambers a little less than blo hence the odie's. Would it be worth picking some up some polymerized tung oil just for this?

As far as filling the grain, would the shellac + poly be enough, or should I be using a clear filler like aquacoat?

[John TenEyck]

If you want a glass smooth finish with no grain telegraphing through the finish then use a grain filler. If you just want smooth, don't use grain filler.

If you want to highlight the grain and add a touch of amber, then apply a coat of Sealcoat or other dewaxed shellac, and then your waterborne topcoat. Alternatively, you can add any one of a number of Transtint dyes directly to your waterborne. Honey amber is a common one used to make waterborne look like oil based varnish. You can get more or less ambering by how much you add to the finish. Make samples. Transtint comes in many flavors, too, so you can get nearly any color you want.

I would not use any hardwax oil under a waterborne, or anything for that matter. I also don't like BLO on much of anything except walnut, especially on light woods like ash. Keep it simple. Also, do not use Blonde shellac under a waterborne unless it's dewaxed; you would have to order dewaxed flakes and mix your own. The only dewaxed shellac at the BORG is Sealcoat or rattle can.

John

[Jon Westwood]

Sounds good, I'll try both methods on scraps and see how they turn out. Thanks!

[Jamie Buxton]

I haven't tested Odie's, but every other oil-based finish I've ever used has an amber tone. You might or might not like it on ash. Do test it before you commit to the furniture.

Given that it does yellow on the ash, I don't see much need for a multi-layer finish process. Just go to an oil-based varnish.

If you really want to fill the grain under the varnish, there's a remarkable grain filler that cures in a few minutes of sunlight. You can fill and sand in ten minutes. Yeah, that sounds like a scam, but it does work exactly like they say. https://www.amazon.com/Eco-Friendly-...7QNZVP3W&psc=1