Replies

1. 
   SteveSchoene | Jan 08, 2007 05:32am | #1

   Oil finishes, including polymerized oil, should go directly on bare wood.  A sealer, unless you mean the less polymerized oil Sutherland and Wells sells for early coats, defeats the purpose of the oil.  The S & W sealer will not reduce blotching. 

   If you want to put shellac over the oil, confine the oil to one thin coat to penetrate and "pop" the figure before applying the oil.  Of course, "pop'ping the figure" is the same as emphasizing the blotchiness of birch.  The best solution is to call it figure and revel in it. 

   If eliminating blotch is your principle concern you should chose a waterborne finish that is water clear.  I think this makes birch look cold and unappealing but its your taste not mine that counts.  As soon as you add some warming color (the amber in tung oil or linseed oil) you bring out the blotching. 

   Whatever finish approach you use test it completely on scraps before applying any finish at all to the actual project.  I try to do this before I cut the first board.  If I really don't like the way it finishes I chose another wood.  This is the first, and often the most important, step of finishing. 

    

1. 
   sharp | Jan 09, 2007 08:20am | #2

   thanks for the reply, and yes i meant the product sutherland wells calls sealer which is just as you clairified.

   I'm at a bit of a loss here because i built this desk for a friend and it has come out to be a really nice piece..and.. I am really ready to get it out of my shop  and move on.

   I like the richness of the oil but was wondering if there was a quicker finish to do in a couple of days that is nicer that a water base poly.

   To sum up my situation: i have an hvlp, i know how to do tung oil but am open to suggestions of other finishes, and it is a desk so it needs to be a  somewhat durable finish.

   Thanks to anyone for some hints.

   j

    

1. 
   fussy | Jan 09, 2007 09:21am | #3

   I'd use bol (boiled linseed oil), let it dry for a couple days, then a good coat or two of a good paste wax.  If you want more protection, mix bol, gloss polyurethane, and mineral oil or turpentine in roughly equal parts, apply with 320 wet or dry sandpaper in a circular motion, let it soak in, wipe dry and the next day do it again.  After it's dry, wax it with 0000 steel wool, and buff.  Stand back and admire your masterpiece.

    

1. 
   user-261566 | Jan 10, 2007 01:33am | #4

   I am also wondering how to finish birch to avoid the splotchy look.  Question: would a get stain be a good idea?  Such as Bartley, which I believe is a urethane so it adds some protection.  The guy at a store told me since it doesn't penetrate as much as an oil, it  won't  highlight the blotchiness tendency.  Many colors are available.

   Then top coat with varnish or poly?

1. 
   fussy | Jan 10, 2007 04:57am | #5

   I suppose it would depend on what kind of look you want.  If you're after a natural look that highlights the figure ( as other posters have noted, blotchiness is figure in birch, maple, cherry, etc), then you can't go wrong with oil to make it "pop".  After it dries ( usually overnight in the case of bol vs. a week or more for tung) you can coat it with your choice of polyurethane, lacquer, or shellac.  Try all on scrap from the project to see which one you like best.  If a stained look is what you're after and you want to avoid uneven absorption ( blotchiness ), seal it with a 1 1/2 LB cut of de-waxed shellac.  It seals, dries clearly, sands smooth quickly, and you can apply the stain of your choice and control the color quite easily.  That will eliminate your risk of blotching.  You will still have to overcoat with polyurethane, or lacquer.  Poly can provide a lot ov protection, and you can control the gloss.  If you spray lacquer, be very careful.  Good ventilation is a must, and an explosion-proof booth is just common sense safety.  Just a long-winded way of saying "Gee. I don't know!".

   Make sawdust, not war.