Replies

1. 
   bilyo | Feb 20, 2022 03:47pm | #1

   BLO, as you know, is slow to dry. I would let it go for a week or longer. However, if you are going to put a poly finish on it, I don't think you need another coat of BLO. Just go for the finish.
   You say the table is going to take a beating. Are you talking about pounding, scraping, scratching, kind of beating? If so, I don't think that poly is the best finish. Under those conditions, it will scratch and chip and be more difficult to repair. Just proceed with another coat or two of BLO and call it done. Any damage that occurs can be repaired with more oil in the future.

2. 
   john_c2 | Feb 20, 2022 06:11pm | #2

   If you are adding another finish, seal it with dewaxed shellac. But if you were going to use poly anyway I would have skipped the BLO. It's really not doing anything besides adding color.

3. 
   user-7839066 | Feb 20, 2022 06:41pm | #3

   I added the BLO to enhance the color after adding some dye to the wood. I don't think the table will take too much of a beating -- it is not being used as a food prep surface. But it will be used by a bunch of 20 somethings so will be used heavily. I would use an oil based poly; not sure that i need a sealer. My question has evolved. Do i need to wait for the BLO to fully cure or is one week enough to add to the poly top coat?

1. 
   john_c2 | Feb 20, 2022 08:21pm | #4

   You really, really need to wait for it to fully cure. I wouldn't look at it for at least a week. Too soon and the poly won't adhere. I think it won't adhere without the shellac sealer, too.

4. 
   bilyo | Feb 20, 2022 08:48pm | #5

   You do not need shellac. Make sure the BLO is dry for at least a week. Then sand it lightly with 320 grit. Thin the oil based poly by 10% and apply two thin coats.
   For future reference, the dye alone would have been sufficient. You didn't need the BLO.