BlackdogGS
Well-known member
I need to finish up these projects. I’m looking for an easy finish, maybe tongue oil or bees wax? Cabinets are pine, pipe rack is mahogany and oak. I like a satin finish. Thanks
Recommend a wood finish for me
- Thread starter BlackdogGS
- Start date
Firebrick43
Well-known member
The mahogany/oak I would say arm-r-seal. Will really pop the color. Would work well on the pine as well in my opinion but if you want it to be blond maybe some de waxed shellac such as seal coat.
generalfinishes.com
If you want the process to be the easiest and fastest Deft spray can lacquer can be had in satin. My boy won with his woodworking project at the county fair and blue ribbon at the state last year with many comments on how good the finish was. Crazy easy if it was a 12 year old applying 3 coats the day before the fair.
Arm-R-Seal Urethane Topcoat | General Finishes
Made with the highest-quality urethane, extremely durable and long-lasting. Wipe on or brush; ambering finish penetrates to provide deep protection.
If you want the process to be the easiest and fastest Deft spray can lacquer can be had in satin. My boy won with his woodworking project at the county fair and blue ribbon at the state last year with many comments on how good the finish was. Crazy easy if it was a 12 year old applying 3 coats the day before the fair.
"Tung oil", not "tongue oil". 
What do you want the finish to do?
Change the color of the items, or not change the color? Some finishes will change the color of wood items to some extent, even without using any sort of wood stain.
How much 'protection' do you want the finish to offer? Not much, not show fingerprints, resist some mild liquid spills, resist most liquids, etc.
Note, even if you want a Satin finish you usually do NOT apply multiple coats of a Satin finish. That can lead to a cloudy or murky finish result. Generally you use multiple thin coats of the finish in a gloss formulation, and then apply just the final coat of finish in your desired gloss level of Satin. This applies mostly to film forming finishes such as lacquer or polyurethane or varnish types of finishes.
Or you can apply multiple thin coats of gloss finish and then rub/sand/buff the finish to end up with the desired gloss level of Satin. You use a variety of abrasives and rubbing compounds to get to the final desired result.
Finishes are all about various trade-offs. Time, drying time, protection, ease of application and recoat, protection level, durability, liquid and solvent resistance, cost, hazards during application and clean up, etc.
What do you want the finish to do?
Change the color of the items, or not change the color? Some finishes will change the color of wood items to some extent, even without using any sort of wood stain.
How much 'protection' do you want the finish to offer? Not much, not show fingerprints, resist some mild liquid spills, resist most liquids, etc.
Note, even if you want a Satin finish you usually do NOT apply multiple coats of a Satin finish. That can lead to a cloudy or murky finish result. Generally you use multiple thin coats of the finish in a gloss formulation, and then apply just the final coat of finish in your desired gloss level of Satin. This applies mostly to film forming finishes such as lacquer or polyurethane or varnish types of finishes.
Or you can apply multiple thin coats of gloss finish and then rub/sand/buff the finish to end up with the desired gloss level of Satin. You use a variety of abrasives and rubbing compounds to get to the final desired result.
Finishes are all about various trade-offs. Time, drying time, protection, ease of application and recoat, protection level, durability, liquid and solvent resistance, cost, hazards during application and clean up, etc.
OP
BlackdogGS
Well-known member
That Arm-R-Seal look promising. I’ll give it a try. ThanksThe mahogany/oak I would say arm-r-seal. Will really pop the color. Would work well on the pine as well in my opinion but if you want it to be blond maybe some de waxed shellac such as seal coat.
Arm-R-Seal Urethane Topcoat | General Finishes
Made with the highest-quality urethane, extremely durable and long-lasting. Wipe on or brush; ambering finish penetrates to provide deep protection.
If you want the process to be the easiest and fastest Deft spray can lacquer can be had in satin. My boy won with his woodworking project at the county fair and blue ribbon at the state last year with many comments on how good the finish was. Crazy easy if it was a 12 year old applying 3 coats the day before the fair.
paulsomlo
Well-known member
If you want easy, use an oil finish: https://www.leevalley.com/en-us/sho...7ljLVa1H7n8USQ85M7Qld7CKZ4WBLZMoaAsaeEALw_wcB
Either that, or something like Waterlox, which is a fairly thin wipeable varnish. They'll both look good and they'll both go on with a rag.
Either that, or something like Waterlox, which is a fairly thin wipeable varnish. They'll both look good and they'll both go on with a rag.
OP
BlackdogGS
Well-known member
I found a store that sells Arm-R-Seal. The label on mine says “oil based topcoat” not the suggested “Oil based” one.
gahrajmahal
Well-known member
You will like the Arm-r-seal. It is a bulletproof coating but will be smelly for a while.
Test the finish on some scrap pieces of the wood type/species before using it on the actual items.
Just to evaluate how it looks and applies and behaves on the specific wood(s).
And the usual reminder about oil finishes and spontaneous combustion. Safety matters!
My dad once used some oil finish (varnish of some type, but oil based) and a rag. I found it a little while later and the bunched up rag was just charring on the inside. I open it up and spread it out so that there was no more trapped heat from the varnish curing. And doused it with water thoroughly.
I also one time smoldered and melted the hard plastic 'foam' dust collection canister on my random orbit sander when I sanded some dry but obviously not fully cured floor polyurethane varnish the next day after application. That was a puzzle trying to figure out where the burning smell was coming from as I was scuff sanding the varnish and then the pucker factor when I found the GLOWING red smoldering 'coal' of packed sawdust and varnish inside the dust collection cannister. The dust collection cannister was promptly taken out of the building and dunked into a bucket of water and left in there while I collected myself and calmed down.
Just to evaluate how it looks and applies and behaves on the specific wood(s).
And the usual reminder about oil finishes and spontaneous combustion. Safety matters!
My dad once used some oil finish (varnish of some type, but oil based) and a rag. I found it a little while later and the bunched up rag was just charring on the inside. I open it up and spread it out so that there was no more trapped heat from the varnish curing. And doused it with water thoroughly.
I also one time smoldered and melted the hard plastic 'foam' dust collection canister on my random orbit sander when I sanded some dry but obviously not fully cured floor polyurethane varnish the next day after application. That was a puzzle trying to figure out where the burning smell was coming from as I was scuff sanding the varnish and then the pucker factor when I found the GLOWING red smoldering 'coal' of packed sawdust and varnish inside the dust collection cannister. The dust collection cannister was promptly taken out of the building and dunked into a bucket of water and left in there while I collected myself and calmed down.
RTM
Well-known member
This is great information that many people miss the first time. It was drilled into me on my first project, and I really appreciated it
Also, make sure your scraps are finished (planed or sanded to the same level) as your final project. The amount of sheen, or murkiness you get, will change if they don't match.
Also, a good idea to wipe it down with paint thinner first, make sure you've picked up irregularities in the surface prep.
cherrybomb
Well-known member
Anytime you make a project,keep some scrap,sand it to the same grit,finish it with the info on the back and save it.Now the record of it,will help future projects moving forward
Notgrownup
Well-known member
I love Tung oil finish.
OP
BlackdogGS
Well-known member
A little update: I went with the Arm-R-Seal, pretty easy to apply with a rag. I let it dry 24 hours and reapplied. I did 3 coats. Very satisfied however its time consuming, I’ll try Deft next.
RivennHewn
Well-known member
By far the easiest finish I’ve ever used.
Finished 7 coats in a cedar skiff.
Came out wonderfully
Finished 7 coats in a cedar skiff.
Came out wonderfully
My Old Tools
Well-known member
Tried and True varnish oil or linseed oil. Also, Jeff Jewitt at Homestead Finishing has some good articles and great supplies.
OP
BlackdogGS
Well-known member
Do linseed and tung oil require sanding between coats? Or are they a 1 coat product?
Firebrick43
Well-known member
They are multiple coat finishes that need very long dry time between coats. Every finish needs some sanding especially in the early coats to knock the fibers off that are raised during the first coats. After that linseed oil usually doesn't need sanding except any runs which if not well rubbed out are typical. Although they can/are a maintenance type finish that you can keep adding to.
The old saying is once a day for a week, once a week for a year, and then once a year.
If you think Arm-r-seal is too slow you don't want to use them.
OP
BlackdogGS
Well-known member
Here’s mahogany and oak with three coats of Arm-R-Seal. 
Firebrick43
Well-known member
Beautiful, I always loved how it makes mahogany pop as well as other darker woods like cherry and walnut. Doesn't do to bad on the white oak either.Here’s mahogany and oak with three coats of Arm-R-Seal.
strutaeng
Well-known member
Tongue oil: 12 coats, let dry 48 hours between coats. Reapply every 3-4 months.
Try " tung oil" instead.
Easier to get than tongue oil.
Old school application schedule for oil finishes is once a day for a week, then once a week for a month, then once a month for a year, then once a year for life. Subject to adjustment for use cases., handling and wear, etc.
And the reminder again about oil based finishes and safe handling and spontaneous combustion hazards. Yeah, that's a real hazard. See my post above.
strutaeng
Well-known member
It was a joke...Try " tung oil" instead.
Easier to get than tongue oil.
Old school application schedule for oil finishes is once a day for a week, then once a week for a month, then once a month for a year, then once a year for life. Subject to adjustment for use cases., handling and wear, etc.
And the reminder again about oil based finishes and safe handling and spontaneous combustion hazards. Yeah, that's a real hazard. See my post above.
Yeah, that combustion hazard is scary. I'll do oil stain every now and then (and do keep in mind the combustion hazards). For the last 6-8 years, I've doing dye in denatured alcohol solvent. Spray it and get it dialed in as fine as you like, takes like 2 minutes to dry. Done. I love it. It's like a magic wand. Forget about waiting 4 hours for your next coat of oil stain.
And for topcoats, I've been doing almost exclusively waterbornes. 15-20 minutes per coat in the summer months, 3-4 coats. Done. Brush, roll or spray, they level out so nicely.
For those other projects that require a more durable finish, you can't beat conversion varnish or a 2k urethane. Those are more for professional use, not DIY-friendly.