Wood Finishes

The wood finishes I have found to work, and how to care for them

Choosing the right finish for a project is not an easy task. What you think might be great, might instead turn out to be a disaster. Disaster in how it looks, and disaster when you try to remove it...

I have had my "glossy" years - but those are over. Today I tend too choose finishes that help put emphasis on the wood and the form of the piece. Most often I end up with an oil finish - or semi-gloss varnish if I want extra protection. For small turnings and pens I have found HUT Crystal Coat™ to be a good finish when I want a little extra sheen.

It can be useful to ask yourself a few question before you choose your finish:

Cherry (fruit) wood goblet, no finish.

What do I want to show or achieve with a finish?
Why do I want to put this specific finish on my project (e.g. glossy varnish)
- protection
- aesthetical reasons
- old habit - I just like this finish
- it is the tradition to use this finish for this kind of project
- it is the only finish I have...

Maybe you also find that a finish beyond the final sanding is not necessary. This is the route I have taken with some projects, and I have not regretted it. Especially for oily woods I have found that just sanding to fine grit and then use a dry cloth can give a beatiful "natural" finish. And when handled over the years, a beautiful patina can develop because there is no protective finish...

Whatever you decide, I hope it turns out good. Below I have listed finishes I have found useful and worthy of mention.

Oil Finishes

Mineral Oil

Mineral oil and beeswax on Black Walnut bowl

When I have marked a product with foodsafe, mineral oil is the oil I have used. Mineral oil is a by-product from the distillation of petroleum, and this oil has no flavor or odor. It is food safe, and often used to preserve wooden cutting boards/countertops as well as cooking utensils. It gives a satin sheen. For those who need to meet Kosher requirements - there are Kosher mineral oils on the market.

Some woodworkers claim that mineral oil is an inferior finish because it does not cure like e.g. Danish Oil. I disagree. In my experience the "quality" of a mineral oil finish depends more upon how well the wood is prepared before the mineral oil is applied - e.g. proper sanding.

Maintenance

Wash item with warm water. If wood appears dry, you can add a small amount of mineral oil to a cloth and wipe the surface. Cloth can safely be discarded in regular trash as it will not self-ignite.

Danish Oil

Danish Oil used on a small Koa box

A blend of linseed oil and phenolic resin/varnish (sometimes with a small amount of tung oil) diluted with mineral spirit - often with a metallic drying agent. Gives a satin sheen, and a light, nutty smell. Hardens in the pores of the wood. It is considered safe for food contact when dry and hardened.

The oil has chemical "drying agents" added to make it dry faster by an exothermic oxidation process ("gives of heat when in contact with air"), so rags soaked with danish oil can cause spontaneous combustion and must be disposed of safely. I don't use this finish for items that are supposed to be in contact with food. Though the finish is considered safe when dry, the metallic drying agents do not evaporate, so they are present in the finish and can little by little be abraded off during use, and end up in the food. The drying agents used in modern oils are FDA approved, but it does not guarantee they are safe - in my opinion. They are only "safe" until some scientist find out that the opposite is true... There seems to be some controversy about this among woodworkers. I have chosen to err on the safe side...

I use this finish mainly for boxes, containers and other items that unlikely will be used for food. I use the Watco® brand of Danish Oil.

Maintenance

Simply just wipe the surface with a dry or moist cloth. Paste- or furniture wax can also be used. Avoid using furniture polish if you have used wax on the surface - the polish will actually remove the wax! (It contains solvents that will dissolve wax.)

Tru-Oil® Gun Stock Finish

This is a polymerized ("cooked" without oxygen) oil blend (proprietary blend of linseed oil and other oils) diluted with mineral spirits. Tru-Oil® is made by Birchwood-Casey. Similar characteristics as Danish Oil, except it does not yellow. Rags soaked with Tru-Oil® can cause spontaneous combustion. Thicker in consistency than Danish Oil. Wear resistant, water resistant - a hard finish - and the choice finish for gunstocks. I have just started trying this finish out, same use as Danish Oil. I like the fact that it dries clear and seems to yield better protection than Danish Oil.

Maintenance

Simply just wipe the surface with a dry or moist cloth. Paste- or furniture wax can also be used.

Boiled Linseed Oil

Boiled linseed oil on pine box. This color has had time to develop over many years.

This is flax oil that is mixed with a petroleum based (mineral spirit) solvent and with metallic driers. It can also be polymerized by "cooking" (heating up) without oxygen (NEVER try this at home! Very dangerous!). Besides making the linseed oil inedible, the metallic driers or polymerization by cooking will cause the oil to oxidize and dry faster than plain linseed oil. Since the oxidation process is an exothermic (heat producing) reaction, rags soaked with boiled linseed oil can cause spontaneous combustion and must be disposed of safely.

Gives a satin, but yellowish sheen. Not water nor wear resistant. Will help pine turn a golden color after several years. I use this oil only for tool handles, workbench tops where I re-apply the finish on a regular basis - and for pine where I want a golden color to develop over time. If you want extra protection, you could use a polyurethane finish on top of the linseed oil after it has started to yellow.

Maintenance

Re-apply oil on a regular basis. Paste- or furniture wax can also be used over dry finish.

Tung Oil

I have just started trying out this oil finish. Thick, smells good, but takes a long time to dry. Does not darken with age. I am tempted to try a polymerized version of this oil again. It can be bought from Sutherland Welles Ltd in Vermont. I have used their Medium Luster Tung Oil Wiping Varnish for my tool cabinet, and was very happy with the result.

Wax Finishes

Beeswax: I mostly use beeswax I have obtained locally. I shredd it in a plastic container and add a little lemon oil so it gets the consistency of butter. Applied with a soft cloth and buffed off. (Lemon oil is usually made from mineral oil with petroleum solvents and with lemon scent added). Can be reapplied and buffed. A soft wax finish, and therefore not very protective. Food safe wax in its pure form.
Paste - or furniture wax: A blend of several waxes, usually carnuba wax (made from the leaves of the carnuba palm), beeswax and paraffin wax. Don't use furniture polish on wax finishes - it will dissolve and remove the wax finish. Maintain by wiping/polishing with a soft, dry cloth.

Varnishes

Polyurethane

Small plum tree bowl with poly finish

Made by mixing an oil with a resin and adding driers to decrease drying time. A tough varnish, but with a slight cloudy apperance. Might peel if exposed to sunlight for a longer time. Resistance to water is very good. I use this finish when I want a higher luster than obtained by oil finish.

Maintenance

Simply just wipe the surface with a dry or moist cloth. Paste- or furniture wax can also be used.

Wipe-on Poly

A thin polyurethane finish that can easily be wiped on the item. Same characteristics and maintenance as polyurethane.

Other finishes

HUT Crystal Coat™

HUT Crystal Coat™ used on a Koa pencil.

HUT's Crystal Coat™ is a shellac+Carnuba wax mix. It is a "friction" finish giving a glass-like finish when applied correctly. This is one of my favorite finishes for pens and smaller turnings where I want a high gloss finish that also add depth to the wood. It is quick and easy to apply. However - since alcohol will dissolve the shellac, this can be a disadvantage when using it on pens in our modern day germ-killing society - hand sanitizers contains ethanol (alcohol) and if you touch a pen with this stuff - you could damage the finish.

Maintenance

Wipe with dry cloth, or with a cloth with a small amount of Carnuba wax