Dear Peter,
I am building a cherry dining table and wanted to use Garrett Hacks tung oil,varnish and terpintine mix wiping oil as a finish but I am getting cold feet due to no experience with protection with this mixed product. I wanted to get away from the haze and loss of clarity I sometimes get with multiple coates of wipe on poly.
A fellow woodworker suggested three coats of the above to get the depth and clarity then one top coat with minwax satin wipe on poly as the final top coat.
Any thoughts you could pass on due to experience with the above and dining table finishes in general.
Many thanks for your help,
Gordon S. Davis DVM
Replies
Gordon,
You don't need to make a special mixture to get a good finish. Finishing is the part of woodworking that can be unduly confusing. When cutting a 90% angle, it must be 90% to be correct. Yet when it comes to finishing,many have a favorite recipe they like to mix. Believe it or not, you can use a finish right out of the can.
If you want to get the look of the oiled surface, use one of the oils such as Minwax Antique Oil or Watco ( or one of the many like them) They are oils that contain a small amount of resin. After they dry well you can move onto a varnish or urethane. Be sure and read ALL directions first for compatibility. You can always make your own wipe on varnish or poly simply by cutting your material with the proper solvent.When you do this it also cuts down on the solid content and will take a little longer to get a surface build.
For a dining table I would want a coating of sufficient build and hardness to stand up to heat and moisture. There are a variety of varnishes like Behlens Rock Hard and Pratt and Lambert 38. I really don't like being brand specific here, so just take these as starting points. I like varnishes for their ease of repair and appearance. There are also a variety of polyurethanes if you'd prefer.
Do yourself a favor and read any of the many books on finishing. Learn the pros and cons of various mediums and then it gets easy. Remember, KEEP IT SIMPLE.
Peter Gedrys
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