I need some advice on finishing quickly!!!

[Bill WIlson]

Trust me Ray, you aren't the only one mystified by finishing.  It's a very common problem among inexperienced and veteran woodworkers.  Problem is, manufacturers aren't much help in clearing up the confusion.  In fact, they contribute to it.  Some products labeled "Tung Oil Finish" may not contain any actual tung oil.  "Danish oil" is generally just a blend of varnish, oil (boiled linseed or tung) and thinner (mineral spirits).  It's sometimes called "antique oil".  "Tung oil finish" may be a blend, similar to Danish oil or it may simply be a wiping varnish (regular varnish thinned with about equal parts mineral spirits).  There are no set rules when manufacturers name their products, so it will leave the consumer unclear as to that he is actually getting.  It's all marketing and if the consumer can figure it out, more power to him.

The books I mentioned earlier will explain all these differences at length and will go into plenty of detail on their relative strengths & weaknesses, when & how to use and just about anything else you could think of plus a lot of other stuff.

[scrollerpete]

On 12/13/2018 at 5:14 PM, octoolguy said:

What sort of confuses me is that when you read the directions on all the cans, they all say that they don't play well with other finishes. So, if you use tung oil, can you still use spray shellac? Or Watco oil/tung oil/ shellac? Or clear polyurethane with anything? I don't want to experiment and ruin what I have worked so hard on.

 

Tung oil and shellac works great together, I used it on all my bowls.

[Hermit]

5 hours ago, octoolguy said:

Well, since we can no longer by MS here in the People's Republic of California, I guess I will be using Watco instead.

 

It must be a local thing. I just bought mineral spirits at home depot today. Sacramento. Here is a short video on a wood finishing method i really like but i substitute tung oil for Blo in the video. You really can't screw this up. 

 

 

[OCtoolguy]

21 minutes ago, scrollerpete said:

Tung oil and shellac works great together, I used it on all my bowls.

I take it that you apply the tung oil and then the spray shellac? Just wanting to be sure.

 

[OCtoolguy]

17 minutes ago, Hermit said:

It must be a local thing. I just bought mineral spirits at home depot today. Sacramento. Here is a short video on a wood finishing method i really like but i substitute tung oil for Blo in the video. You really can't screw this up. 

 

 

Very interesting. Thanks.

 

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

Ray many people use denatured alcohol to get a feel for the color the wood will be if oiled. Some people will use mineral spirits. If you use rubbing alcohol it has more water in it and could raise the grain of the woods. I won't go into the many varieties of basic shellac, dry, liquid, flakes, wax unwaxed,. But again if using for food you may want to consider it for your final finish. Good luck and if there are other questions I can help with I will try. 

[Phantom Scroller]

17 hours ago, octoolguy said:

I'm curious, what do you ask for them price wise? And, if you are making from the same pattern as me, do you give the pattern designer credit in some way?

 

I Charge £20 for the ply ones never made hardwood £30-40 at least.  I have never given the credit to the pattern maker to the customer but always do when I put pictures up on the forums I'm with. Roly

[Sycamore67]

One thing that I do is to cut several pieces of scrap wood the same as my project wood and then experiment on them.  I mark on the back of each piece info on what finish was used.

With finishing you will get so many opinions both good and bad.   As I said earlier, take your time and figure out what works for you.  Rushing your finishing is not the way to get the best looking project.

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

4 hours ago, Sycamore67 said:

One thing that I do is to cut several pieces of scrap wood the same as my project wood and then experiment on them.  I mark on the back of each piece info on what finish was used.

With finishing you will get so many opinions both good and bad.   As I said earlier, take your time and figure out what works for you.  Rushing your finishing is not the way to get the best looking project.

This is good advice and I would like to add to that statement in that finish those scraps the same way you do the final piece in that sand to same grit. Sanding a piece can change the look of a piece very easily. The higher the grit the more closed the wood grain is and thus lets less stain in or finish sealer. 

[OCtoolguy]

6 hours ago, Phantom Scroller said:

I Charge £20 for the ply ones never made hardwood £30-40 at least.  I have never given the credit to the pattern maker to the customer but always do when I put pictures up on the forums I'm with. Roly

Thanks Roly, I'm not sure what that would be in dollars but I'll find out.

Well, I found out. I wouldn't do it for that. Way too much work to make that little. Definitely a labor of love I guess. For a hardwood basket, I'd have to have $75 minimum. Depending on wood selection, probably more like $100. Oh well, I never figured I was in it for the money. 

 

 

Edited December 15, 2018 by octoolguy

[OCtoolguy]

6 hours ago, Sycamore67 said:

One thing that I do is to cut several pieces of scrap wood the same as my project wood and then experiment on them.  I mark on the back of each piece info on what finish was used.

With finishing you will get so many opinions both good and bad.   As I said earlier, take your time and figure out what works for you.  Rushing your finishing is not the way to get the best looking project.

Thanks for your sage advice. I agree with what you say. I am not that organized yet but I hope to be someday. Time is running out though. Ha!

 

Edited December 15, 2018 by octoolguy

[scrollerpete]

22 hours ago, octoolguy said:

I take it that you apply the tung oil and then the spray shellac? Just wanting to be sure.

 

You are right, apply Tung oil let it dry over nite, you can use a second coat if you want and when it is dried to touch I used the spray can of Shellac one or two coats fora real nice finish

[OCtoolguy]

I know you folks are probably getting tired of seeing my baskets but this is where I'm at so far. I have one pic of a basket before Watco oil and one with. The second pic is with both oiled. Once they dry, I'll start the spraying of the shellac. I think the recipients will be happy.

 

[OCtoolguy]

1 hour ago, scrollerpete said:

You are right, apply Tung oil let it dry over nite, you can use a second coat if you want and when it is dried to touch I used the spray can of Shellac one or two coats fora real nice finish

That's exactly what I'm doing. Thanks for your help.

 

[Phantom Scroller]

19 hours ago, octoolguy said:

Thanks Roly, I'm not sure what that would be in dollars but I'll find out.

Well, I found out. I wouldn't do it for that. Way too much work to make that little. Definitely a labor of love I guess. For a hardwood basket, I'd have to have $75 minimum. Depending on wood selection, probably more like $100. Oh well, I never figured I was in it for the money. 

 

 

Let me know if you sell them for that price I'll have to put mine up. Mind you they are a bit tight with the money in the UK  

[Sycamore67]

Now that you are done with the baskets. It would be a good time to try the various finishing materials and figure out what looks best.  That way, you will not be trying to figure out what works "quickly".

[OCtoolguy]

41 minutes ago, Sycamore67 said:

Now that you are done with the baskets. It would be a good time to try the various finishing materials and figure out what looks best.  That way, you will not be trying to figure out what works "quickly".

You're right about that. I only added the "quickly" to my post to get as much advice as possible on a timely basis. Not the finishing process. I'm taking my time on that. Thanks for all your help.

 

[Travis]

Hi All.  This is a great thread with lots of great advice. 

 

I removed a couple posts that were a bit too aggressive, though.  I just want to remind folks of the User Guidelines (a link found on every page of this website, and agreed to upon joining SSV):

Quote

Respect is the name of the game. You must respect your fellow members. Please refrain from inflammatory and defamatory comments as well as flaming, taunting, and general disrespect. Do not simply put down the opinion or advice given by others. If you don't agree with it, say why - respectfully. Don't just tell them they're wrong. Do not make uninvited remarks about typos, duplicate posts, posting styles, etc. When an opinion-based discussion is being had, do not state things like "there is no argument" as if your opinion is the only one or the only one that matters. When someone has clearly stated their opinion, do not say things like "Are you serious?" and "Are you kidding me?" Remember, this is not a debate club. This is a friendly discussion community. 

 

We all know what a friendly discussion looks like.  So this policy shouldn't be a big surprise. 

 

Thanks all!  Keep talking shop!  That's what we're here for. 

 

[Joe W.]

On 12/13/2018 at 8:03 PM, Bill WIlson said:

1.  Taunton's Complete Illustrated Guide to Finishing - by Jeff Jewitt

OMG!

I just picked up a copy of this guide from the library and Wowz-ah!  With em-pha-sis on "Complete"!  This will be nightly reading for quite some time.

286 pages and a nice resource listing too.

[ben2008]

I have been using Deft satin lacquer spray for the last year or 2. Works great for me especially on my fretwork or scroll saw work. Gets in all the nooks and crannies. Dries very fast and you can apply many coats in a day.

Stinks, so wear a mask if you decide to use it.  I spray light coats. You will need  at least 3 coats. Give it a try.

This is what I use,    https://www.acehardware.com/departments/paint-and-supplies/stains-and-finishes/lacquer/1198209

Edited April 22, 2021 by ben2008