Tips for Water Poly on Danish Oil Walnut countertop?
Howdy all. As I approach closing out on the danish oil finish for my walnut countertop (custom built-in) I’m starting to think through how I want to protect it. Right now I’ve settled on water poly for a couple reasons; I want a very clear top coat, I don’t want it to yellow, and I want something bulletproof (kids, spills, etc). And yes, I plan to let the top cure for 1-2 weeks after the final DO application before I do the poly.
There are two related questions/concerns I’m grappling with:
1. What poly to use (leaning towards GF High Perf WB)… trying to find a good WBP that doesn’t dry out too quickly
2. How to beat the issues I’ve heard about when doing water poly on a large counter… e.g., fast drying = streaking.
Was hoping some of the expert finishers here might have some recommendations? Some of the articles I’ve read talk about putting it down with a foam roller and then doing a light finish with a foam brush, etc.
For reference, the countertop is about 9.5′ x 2′. I’ll be applying the poly in an air conditioned environment at about 80f.
Appreciate any help.
Thanks,
Rick
Replies
I like the General Finishes high performance water based. I use it over Zinsser Sealcoat. I've never tried it over Danish oil.
Check out osmo polyx and top oil, both offer a different surface/protection but they both are very easy to repair if needed. Much easier than a poly and they are very easy to apply.
I would explore the spray options available for whichever WB poly you decide on. I've not used WB poly on a surface as large as what you have, but, based on the experience I've had with it on smaller surfaces I would definitely look at spray.
It is also perfectly fine to use Sealcoat (shellac) over the DO and then follow up with WB poly. I've done it many times as it reduces the number of poly coats required.
If I do the count with the shellac between the oil finish and the water soluble poly, I see oil, varnish and mineral spirit, followed by shellac flakes dissolved in alcool followed by poly. One can hardly say that to cut back on the number of coats of poly, it is efficient to use 3-4 coats prior to. But my main point is that these recipies are complicated and will probably not meet the expectation that you get the looks of rubbed oil, the durability of poly and you definitely get a finish that is all but impossible to repair by layering multiple products each of a different nature.
Danish oil is a mix of varnish and oil, so it has properties of both.
Danish oil has become a generic name for hand rubbed finishes and unless you mix your own or have the ingredients list it could be anything, even straight boiled linseed oil.
Kogt linolie, in Danish.
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