Finishing question

Re: Finishing question

George Balock

>Carole,

Frequenly after I oil (I'm assuming you're using tung oil or something like that, not mineral or walnut oil)my work, I let it dry overnight, buff with the Beall buffs and wax with carnauba wax. The finish should be hard enough after an overnight. Sometimes when the piece is not amenable to buffing, I use 0000 steel wool asa the applicator for paste wax and then buff with a soft cloth.

George

Re: Finishing question

Dick Hines

>Carole, I use Watco. After 3-4 coats I let the piece dry for a a week or so. By then I have 8-10 pieces needing buffing. I then have a buffing night. I use the Beall system. Great finish.

Re: Finishing question

RevDoug

>Carole,

I use DO all the time. I'll put anywhere from 6-12 coats on. I will usually allow the last coat to cure to the point that it does not smell. Wax is never a problem over the oil. I will usually apply two coats rubbed on with 0000 steel wool and buffed off with a soft cloth.

Turn 'em round,

RevDoug

Finishing answer, long but thorough...>>

RonZ

>I hope =o) ...>>>

Hi Carole,

Here's my take on the subject.

Sanding and finishing.

Unless the item you're sanding is plastic / acrylic, one should not sand above 400grit, unless you like to waste time [explanation to follow]. Utility pieces that I would use Danish/walnut oil for is usually sanded to 320, 400max by professionals. If you sand your work over 400, you close the pores that have to soak up the finish. Your goal in the finish is to have it soak up into the wood in the first coat or two, cutting back with 0000 steel wool between each coat, acting as a sanding sealer/finish. Then apply an additional coat or two to build up the finish over the wood, cutting back with 0000 steel wool between coats with the exception of the last coat. This is to be followed by a paste wax [I use Mylands bee/carnauba] applied by 0000 steel wool. This steel wool is equivalent to ~600grit hence no need for over 400 on the work. If you would like to have a shinier finish then by all means use the Beal method. Apply a couple more coats of finish and allow a day to dry for Danish oil, Mylands Wood finishing oil, Mahoney's walnut, or any similar finish before buffing. The Beal method uses abrasives and will remove some of your finish. Tripoli is equivalent to about 800-1000 grit and white diamond is equivalent to about 1000-1200 depending on brand. Hence you see another reason not to sand to 12000. Followed by carnauba wax for the final finish

Finishes

While I have not tested everything out there, these are the results of what I have tested and research that I have done. Danish oil containing tung oil is like the three stooges making chicken soup, pouring hot water through a fresh chicken. It contains some tung oil but it is too far removed from its original form to be of any value. While it has driers to speed up the drying process, it mainly contains vegetable oils that can turn rancid. If you want an oil finish then I recommend walnut, specifically Mahoney's. I have tried this and regular walnut on the same wood [English apple] and it takes much much longer for the cold pressed walnut to dry. Mahoney's walnut oil is what I use on utility items.

If you want the benefits of tung oil but don't want to wait the drying time then use Myland's wood finishing oil or a similar product. This contains tung oil and dryers to speed up the drying process. I use this on most of my regular food contact items.

The best of course is pure tung oil. I use this for one offs or special work. It leaves a semi gloss / gallery type finish with the wood's full chatoyancy in view. The draw back is the drying time. I use a 50/50 mix of tung oil [Liberon] and mineral turpentine for the first two coats waiting between a day to 4-5 days between each coat. For the final coats I apply pure tung oil. For the final coat I wait about a week before I Beal buff it.