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Favorite hand-applied finish?

Matt Meadows

Matt Meadows

Joined
May 13, 2005
Messages
172
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111
Location
Charleston SC
I'm a professional wood finisher by trade (Cabinetry) and our catalyzed varnish makes a really nice spray-only finish but I'm going to tattle on myself and admit that my favorite finish on earth is a hand rubbed tung oil finish. I love the whole process and the gorgeous final look. And no spray equipment to set up.

Usually I cut tung oil about 30-50% with mineral spirits and wet-sand it with 600 grit, buff dry, and repeat this about 3 days later. Finish off with a touch of paste wax.

I'm not a fan of high gloss, unless someone else does it. In which case I think it's wonderful lol. On my stuff I prefer the warm smooth satin Sheen made possible with hand applied finishes.

However I've done this on more flat stock than turnings. Not all turnings are simple to do this in this manner. And sometimes you don't have a week or two to pull this off. Tung oil is very slow curing.

What hand-applied (not sprayed) finishes do y'all prefer?
 
I wet sand with either d-limonene (available under various names - I get mine from Corey's Skin Boats) or walnut oil, depending on what the final finish will be. For decorative objects, I use General Finishes Seal a Cell - couple of coats. It's a pretty light oil/varnish blend, and my one concession to anything mineral spirits based. Beall buffing (no white diamond), then Ren wax (I guess the solvent here is also mineral spirits based) or Doctor's Woodshop microcrystalline wax/oil blend. For daily use, I finish with polymerized tung oil - Sutherland Welles. It's heat treated, no chemical driers. Couple of coats, then Beall buff/Doctor's. Once in a while I just go to friction (Shellawax Triple-E) or sometimes just go straight to wax, depending on the piece and the wood (small top, exotic wood, etc.) The Seal a Cell gives a little more gloss/protection. The daily use stuff is easy to market as fully non-toxic (taking into account Flexner's word on non-toxicity of fully cured solvent-based finishes). Both feel like wood, and offer a lovely glow. Works for me, and I've simplified, so I don't have tons of finish laying around and going off from disuse. Each is easy to apply, easy to explain, and works beautifully.
 
I use Watco, then buff for 90% of my pieces. On most of the others I use WOP that I make by mixing ~50/50 Minwax poly and mineral spirits if I want a little more gloss.
 
Depends on the piece. For hollow forms I'm a big fan of shellac. I use a french polishing pad and rub on 3-4 coats. Dries quick, easy to fix misses or mistakes, sticks to anything under it, easy to build up to the gloss level that fits the piece. I do sometimes spray it but most small pieces I just rub it on. For bowls I stick with walnut oil.
 
Semi gloss poly (minwax) 1:1 with ms. Apply like an oil finish, flood on, keep wet 10-30 min, wipe off. Can wet sand if desired. Usually just needs a disc buff with carnauba wax, may buff with compounds before wax.

2nd fav is Parfix 3408 ca glue. This is a long open time ca. flood on, spread around, at about 40-50 sec buff off. Works well for small to medium size stuff (~up to 6”x6”). No long cure time or smell, dries and stays water clear.
 
robo hippy said:
Anyone use the Rubio Monocote? It has been getting a lot of raves in the flat work world...

robo hippy
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I just got done making a coffee table and coated it with Rubio. Great stuff and easy to apply to larger areas. Very expensive. I Don't use it much on my turned stuff. I have been using Tried & True Original or regular old Carnuba.
 
Food-safe satin finish for utility bowls and more daily-use stuff: Either Doctor's Woodshop Oil and Wax or I've just started using Tried and True Danish Oil (polymerized linseed oil)

For a beautiful gloss finish on my best pieces that I really want to show off: Yorkshire Grit friction polish after sanding 600 to 1500ish, then 5 to8 coats of Tru Oil gunstock finish thinned with mineral spirits and burnished on on the lathe. Once fully-cured, run through the Beall buffs.

I'm always learning and experimenting with finishes, so if you ask me again in a few months it may change.
 
My favorite is a wipe on/wipe off oil/varnish blend that is now marketed under the Minwax brand. Up until about 3 years ago it was under a different label, and if anyone knows whose it was I would love to hear. I cut the oil/varnish by 50% with naphtha. A couple of coats a day for 2 days, let dry 24 hours and buff. Out the door. Very easy to repair and unless there is high humidity (like here in Louisiana) really forgiving in applying. Is not highly glossy, if you are looking for high gloss this is not for you.
 
Minwax AO. Red can. Basically it is BLO and MS and no varnish. First coat I let dry over night. Successive coats coats a day apart. 3-5 coats till I get the satin or shiney finish I want for that piece. Let it cure for several days and buff. Long shelf life and available at Ace Hardware or from Amazon.
 
robo hippy said:
Anyone use the Rubio Monocote? It has been getting a lot of raves in the flat work world...

robo hippy
Click to expand...
I've used it on two different sets of bowls. The one was given away as a popcorn bowl and so far has held up ok. The other set will get delivered this week so I will have to wait and see how it holds up, one of them is a salad serving bowl. Expensive but I like the look of two coats put on a week apart.
 
I have been using Arm R Seal Satin for a couple of years cut 10% to 15% with mineral spirits. Five to six coats. I was running low and went to Woodcraft and ended up buying a can of Waterlux. I like both.
 
Mike Peace said:
Minwax AO. Red can. Basically it is BLO and MS and no varnish. First coat I let dry over night. Successive coats coats a day apart. 3-5 coats till I get the satin or shiney finish I want for that piece. Let it cure for several days and buff. Long shelf life and available at Ace Hardware or from Amazon.
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Mike - what is Minwax AO? I did a search on Amazon and could not find anything that was a "perfect" match. Did not see anything in a red can, can you please clarify?
 
Arthur McViccar said:
Mike - what is Minwax AO? I did a search on Amazon and could not find anything that was a "perfect" match. Did not see anything in a red can, can you please clarify?
Click to expand...
So I am sitting in the recliner, listening to a baseball game on the radio and it hits me out of the blue. Minwax Antique Oil- I have seen the red can.
 
john lucas said:
We had a demo of the Rubio at our club. Looks fantastic but the price turned me off.
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It's even worse when you have to buy it with Canadian dollars.☹️..
But my experience is that the coverage and longevity is close to magical.
For example, our living room white oak parquet floor @ more than 450 SQ ft was looking very dry and dull. Used less than 1/4 litre of their "universal" top oil and after almost 3 years still looks fresh.
 
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