Drench the board several times. If not, use shellac, or a thinned mix of your top coat as the sealer. The mixture should have the consistancy of heavy cream. What purpose does finis actually maloof finish validation It dries quickly thus you can apply multiple coats in one day. Recent Posts At All Forums.

This helps smooth the surface by knocking off microscopic fibers. Some say it fills the pores--I disagree to large extent. Again, to achieve a protective, durable finish with depth, you will need many coats. Is there a downside to BLO finishes? Unless you select a recipe that includes varnish, you will find it necessary to reapply the finish--it will dry out. There used to be a saying that is not far from the truth in regareds to BLO finishes: Apply every hour for a day, every day for a week, every week for a month, every month for a year, and every year for the rest of your life!

This is why I tend to include varnish in my recipes, or go with a finish like Waterlox Tung Oil Products. I like Waterlox because it includes tung oil, resins, and the thinner already mixed. The resins provide the additional durability and protection that makes recoating unnecessary in most applications. The Tried and True line of finishes, though not new, are getting lots of press as of late.

I have not used them but defer to the experiences of many who claim they are truly excellent finishes. The consistency is rather thick and I have read they require a high level of effort elbow grease to apply.

The products are claimed to be environmentally safe, solvent free - zero VOC, food safe, and contain no heavy metal driers. We use 18th century varnishmaking techniques and the best natural ingredients to make environmentally safe wood finishes that make no compromise for beauty, durability,or safety. Our products are easy and economical to use.

Remember: A little bit goes a long way! Target Coatings. Target Coatings is also receiveing rave reviews from pros and homeshop users alike. They offer an expanding line of water-based spray finishes that perform like their traditional solvent-based counterparts.

Their Oxford Spray Lacquer again, water-based , performs like traditional lacquer. It burns-in, dries quickly, and provides a hard, clear finish.

Target Coatings claims that their Oxford Premium Spray Lacquer out performs conventional nitro-lacquers and CAB Acrylic systems without the environmental and safety issues associated with solvent based products. After each coat of polyurethane, you should knock down the inevitable dust nibs with sandpaper. You can smooth the final coat surface using steel wool and some kind of lubricant. I generally use TreWax or Johnsons paste wax. After smoothing the surface with paste wax, I "rubout" the finish using a thick terrycloth towel and lots of elbow grease.

However, if you plan to rubout poly using any of these methods, it is critical that you use gloss if you want to achieve any degree of sheen because the rubout stages will diminish the level of sheen.

However, if done correctly, rubbing out a finish should not affect the clarity and perhaps enhance it. I spray finished a cabinet that is made from solid oak face frames and oak plywood sides and back.

The solid areas finished smooth with few nibs. The plywood areas seemed to sprout dust and lint from every pore. Before I apply another coat, I'll need to sand all the plywood areas thoroughly.

What can be done to these areas to prevent this from happening? It doesn't happen on subsequent coats, so should I be sealing the plywood before the first coat? Any help you can offer will be appreciated. Been there, done that! Indeed hardwood veneer plywood will sprout fuzz as you mentioned, especially if you are applying a "water-based" finish.

There are a couple of fixes:. Regarding your project, you should be okay, just sand down the fuzz and apply another coat of finish. Certain woods like soft pine, maple, and birch often absorb stains unevenly.

To help overcome this problem on soft woods and end grains, first apply a coat of Gel Varnish, wipe it nearly dry, arid then follow immediately with a coat of gel stain. In this case, the varnish acts as a conditioner and eliminates much of the blotchiness. A second or third coat of stain may be necessary to get the desired color. On the hardest woods, using a medium grit rather than very fine paper before staining usually obtains even results. For the most difficult woods to stain, dampen the wood surface with water from an atomizer and allow it to dry for one to two hours.

Then sand lightly, without polishing the surface, and stain. Remember, always test-stain a hidden area before proceeding with the entire piece. I stole some of this from another web site I have tried three water-based finishes: Amity, Hydrocote, and Crystalac. None have performed like I expected. I am not saying that they are bad finishes, simply that with my equipment professional HVLP , environmental conditions, and so forth, these finishes did not provide satisfactory results.

I understand that pro cabinet shops are using a number of water-based finishes including ML Campbell and Sherwin Williams products. However, they can control the humidity and temperature which are pre-requisite to using water-based finishes. I have read that the Oxford product line provides an excellent water-based system. I plan to try it sometime in the future. Here is the troubleshooting guide I look forward to the day when I have enough sense cents?

A good spray booth should have at least three sides, explosion-proof ventilation that exhausts airborne particles through large surface filters, proper lighting, and so forth.

Unfortunately, I have to make do with my make-shift spray booth. I setup my make-shift spray booth by stapling 1 mil, 9 x 12, plastic sheets to the ceiling of my shop or garage, allowing the plastic to drop down to the floor.

I use the plastic to form three to four walls. I have contemplated using a shower curtain arrangement, or stapling the sheets to furring strips, which I could screw to the ceiling and reuse.

But the current system works well enough and costs almost nothing. I place several house fans, protected with furnace filters, at the open end of the spray booth to exhaust at least some of the airborne particles. I have a sacrificial banquet table with folding legs that I use to get the work piece off of the floor. I have a variety of lazy susans and blocks of wood with protruding finishing nails that I use to raise work pieces off of the table surface.

I use a variety of incandescent, fluorescent, and halogen work lamps to provide lighting. The system works pretty good. It's not perfect, but is adequate. Of course I cannot spray highly volatile finishes like lacquer and I wear protective clothing and I breathe through a dual filter respirator. I received numerous questions regarding finishing butcher blocks.

Most of us are concerned about whether a finish is safe or not for food preparation. However, once these finish have cured, they appear to be safe. There are alternatives.

The following are a few finishes typically recommended for butcher blocks:. Finish 1: Polyurethane, 2-Part Urethanes, Conversion Varnishes You can brush on two - three coats of oil-based polyurethane and it will look good and resist water. Of course 2-part urethanes and conversion varnishes are probably better, but must be mixed and require spray equipment. If the top is to be used for food preparation cutting, lots of water, etc. The knife cut marks will scar the surface, water will enter, and after awhile it will lose its fine finish look.

Finish 2: Tried and True Varnish This varnish and their oils penetrate and are completely safe to use. They have been around awhile, but have just recently entered the lime light so to speak. Finish 3: Mineral Oil The safest oil to use to condition butcher-blocks and cutting boards is mineral oil. It's safe, effective and non-toxic, Sam Maloof Finish 3d and unlike the vegetable oils, there's no chance it will turn rancid. A couple of mineral oil-based finishes exist.

Drench the board several times. One trick I have read about is to drench it several times, sand it wet, drench it, and iron yes iron the top. See Links Below. Raw wood provides one of the best food preparation surfaces known to man. The correct finish if there is such a thing for guitar fretboards depends in part on the type of wood used for the fretboard: Generally solid hard hard rock maple fretboards are finished with a catalyzed lacquer or urethane varnish.

However, the constant fingering, fretting, Sam Maloof Finish Difference and string abrasion will wear through any such surface finish. Rosewood and ebony fingerboards are often left unfinished. Several guitar builders I have contacted suggest that the fretboard be sanded to at least grit and then finished with a hard paste wax.

Others recommended a special fretboard oil or pure lemon oil. A number of people have asked me about applying topcoats varnish, polyurethane, lacquer, etc.

The manufacturers of most clear finishes discourage using their products over shellac. However, the term shellac in such warnings typically refers to natural waxy shellac, not dewaxed shellac. In most cases, dewaxed shellac makes for a near perfect sealer or base coat for topcoat finishes such as varnish, polyurethane, and lacquer. Until recently, it was necessary to mix your own dewaxed shellac from flakes and alcohol.

Formulated using a patented shellac process, SealCoat is guaranteed to be compatible over and under all clear finishes and guaranteed to remain fresh and dry to a hard film for at least 3 years after the date of manufacture. Was this article helpful? Do you have any questions? E-Mail Us! We would love to hear from Sam Maloof Finish Zip you! Homeshop Finishes That Work! Introduction Welcome to our web page regarding finishing woodworking projects. However, before I do that, let's look at a conventional finishing process used by pro cabinet shops: Sand Bare wood with through grit paper.

Clean surface. Apply toner to even out differences between different boards. Do Not Sand Apply stain. Do Not Sand. Apply sanding sealer. Allow to dry. Sand with grit paper. Apply Two or more coats of a solvent-based finish, sanding lightly between each coat. Allow to cure and rub out finish. These steps seem pretty straightforward, but many homeshop finishers have difficulty making the conventional finishing process work because, typically: Homeshops have inadequate equipment.

The pros have high quality spray guns, respirators, clean and ventilated finishing rooms, waterfall or other high-tech filters, and so forth. Homeshops offer poor environmental conditions. The pros have environmentally controlled conditions. The temperature, humidity, and alignment of the moon and stars is strictly controlled.

Read the labels of most finishes. They describe environmental conditions that NASA would have a hard time meeting. Homeshops have inadequate, improper light. The pros have the proper type and amount of lighting. It is positioned to avoid shadows and to allow finishers to actually see what they're doing. Homeshop woodworkers use Home Center finishing materials.

The pros use finishing systems. Such systems include stains, sealers, and top coats. They are designed by chemists to work together well. Given the right equipment and environmental conditions they dry quickly, can be sanded and rubbed out, and last forever.

The homeshop guy fights with multiple brands of Home Center materials that are not designed to work together. Prepare the surface to be finished. Mix your Wipe On Varnish. I have tried many varieties and mix ratios. For solvents, I use thinner, mineral spirits, and naphtha. Others report that naphtha is clearer than mineral spirits.

I only mix what I will use during one day. I have had best luck with gloss varnish. Others report using semi-gloss. I and others recommend that you not use satin. I do not use semi-gloss or satin because they contain light defractors that muddy up the finish, in my humble opinion.

Plus, with gloss poly, I can control the final sheen of the surface to end up being gloss, semi-gloss, or satin. Put some of the finish on your applicator lint-free rag, t-shirt, or quality paper towel, i. A recent FWW article suggested using a squeeze bottle, which allows you to meter the amount of varnish you place on the applicator. Some finishers like to soak the applicator in the varnish. Wipe the finish on your project. There are several accepted methods: Wipe with the grain using a motion much like using a brush.

I tend to use this method. It is not necessary to wipe with the grain, and you might find some advantage in wiping against the grain of open pore woods such as oak--it tends to fill them better. Clean off the excess with a paper towel.

Use a combination of methods. There is no absolute right way to apply Wipe On varnish. Once the surface is dry 4 to 8 hours , apply another coat. If more than 12 hours passes between coats, I lightly sand grit sand paper. After applying the desired number of coats minimum 3 to 4 , I allow the surface to cure for a day or so. I then carefully apply one last coat.

After 24 hours, I apply a protective layer of paste wax using steel wool. Allow the wax to setup a bit, and buff it out with a thick cotton towel. Or if I want a near-perfect finish For a higher sheen I use a 3M automotive polishing compound I get from an auto body paint store.

Jim Kull and others suggest a white polishing compound such as Dupont or Turtlewax. Haven't used them, again, experiment. Remember, you should never attempt to rub out a satin or semi-gloss finish since they have additives to diffract the light. Apply toners and stain according to their directions and allow to cure. On open grain woods like oak, check the finish periodically for wet spots and wipe them away. These wet spots can "erupt" from the wood's pores and grain for hours!

Let the finish cure completely. This may take several days. If you wait more than hours between coats, scuff the work piece with a gray 3M pad or sandpaper. Repeat Step Five until you have the desired "build". Apply one more coat. Smooth and protect the surface with paste wax applied using steel wool, or for a near-perfect finish Allow the finish to cure for a week or so. Rub out the finish with a white 3M pad or steel wool and paste wax.

You can add a small amount of mineral spirits to thin the wax for easier spreading. Let the wax dry and buff it with terry cloth towel. Wipe off the excess oil. Re-wipe after an hour and again after several hours. Clean and dry the surface. Allow the finish to cure for about one week. Rub-out the finish with a white 3M pad or steel wool and paste wax.

For a satisfactory finish, I have used the following steps to apply Watco Danish Oil: Prepare the surface to be finished. Flood the surface with Watco. Spread the finish evenly using your applicator paper towel, lint-free cloth, old t-shirt. After a 15 minutes or so, flood the surface again. Spread the finish evenly using the applicator. After a few minutes, wipe off excess. These wet spots can "erupt" from the wood's pores and grain for hours even days!

Allow to dry, normally 24 hours. You can end up with a tacky finish if you apply a coat on top of a coat that is not adequately dry. Repeat Steps 2 through 6 until you reach desired depth and sheen you're after. Let the finish cure completely before applying a top coat or using the item. Let the finish penetrate 15 - 30 minutes. Before the first coat has dried, apply an additional coat in the same way. The wood should be saturated. Remove the excess finish with a soft cloth, wiping with the grain.

If you want a topcoat, wait 72 hours before you apply it. Use paint thinner, mineral spirits, or naptha. Feel free to use a bit less thinner and more varnish or oil.

The thinner is present to help the finish penetrate the pores of the wood, rather than lay on the surface. Virtually any quality varnish will do. I prefer a standard oil varnish rather than a fast drying varnish. Use either boiled linseed oil or raw tung oil. Again, do not use Waterlox, Daly's, or other tung oils that have added resins. Mixture 2 Recipe Mix 2 handfuls of shredded beeswax to equal parts approximately 1 pint each of boiled linseed oil and raw tung oil.

General Procedure Apply three to four coats of Mixture 1. Here are Sam Maloof's own words: " I use that on everything, tabletops and all," he said. Cons: Requires many coats to get reasonable depth and protection Lengthy application time for large surfaces I love these two finishes! General Procedure Apply liberally with a hiqh-quality viva paper towel, folded into a pad.

Let the finish sit on the surface for about 5 minutes. Work the finish into the wood with grit wet and dry sandpaper. Wipe away any excess and allow to dry about 12 hours before reapplying. When satisfied with build and after finish has cured, apply paste wax with a pad of steel wool. Buff out using clean cloth towel.

Hand-Rubbed satin sheen Cons: Requires 3 to 4 coats to get reasonable depth and protection Lengthy application time for large surfaces May not work on top of popular stains and sealers Limited protection I have used the Bartley brand of Gel Varnish with excellent results.

I stole the bulk of the following staining and varnishing instructions from the Bartley web site: Prepare the surface to be finished. With a small cloth, apply a generous coat of Bartley Gel Stain to an area no larger than 8 square feet. With a clean cloth or soft paper towel, immediately wipe off the excess with the grain until the color is uniform and free of smudges.

The newly stained surface should be nearly dry to the touch. Your first coat of stain is done! For a darker, richer tone, apply a second coat of stain. Up to three coats will add significant depth and richness of color. Allow six hours between coats. Do not sand between stain coats. Gel Varnish is tack-free in minutes, and it is not necessary to sand between coats.

Leaves a low sheen, hand-rubbed look without the plastic-look subjective Cons: Requires 3 to 4 coats to get reasonable depth and protection Lengthy application time for large surfaces Limited protection Hard to find locally Could require some owner maintenance depending on application I used this finish once and liked the results. Variety of sheens gloss, semi-gloss, satin May be rubbed out Sands better than Polyurethane varnishes Very good protection Cons: Lengthy application time for large surfaces Obnoxious, toxic, flammable, and explosive fumes, requires lots of ventilation Requires good brush technique No foam brushes A number of excellent brushing lacquers are available, including the Deft Clear Wood Finish.

Apply using the following procedure: Prepare the surface to be finished. Use a natural bristle brush to apply finish. Brush with the grain, slightly overlapping each pass. Do not overwork, as the finish dries quickly. Allow to dry approximately 1 hour before apply additional coat. Optional: Sand lightly with grit sandpaper and tack off dust.

Deft and other lacquers literally melt into previous coats, thus you sand only to smooth surface imperfections. Repeat Steps 2 - 4 until you reach the desired build and depth. After the finish has cured approximately 1 week , you can rub it out using standard methods. You can apply varnish with a brush using the following process: Prepare the surface to be finished. Knock the dust and crud out of your brush, especially new bristle and foam brushes.

If using a new brush, pull on the bristles to remove any loose hairs. Stir finish before and during use. Never shake. You need to stir the semi-gloss and satin finishes during use to make sure the light-diffracting additives are evenly mixed. They tend to settle after a few minutes. Do not overwork the brush stroke as it leads to bubbles. Most bubbles will disappear if the temperature is right, the material is not too thin, and if you have moderate air flow.

An excess of bubbles is often caused by low temperature, excessively thinned varnish, too much air flow, or poor brush technique. Let dry hours. Sand entire surface lightly with grit sand-paper to remove surface imperfections and to ensure proper adhesion. Remove dust using tack rag or a rag moistened with mineral spirits or water.

Apply additional coats until you reach desired build and depth. Sand surface lightly between each coat. After final coat, allow to cure 3 to 7 days. Apply paste wax and buff out using terry cloth towel. Or, after the finish has completely cured 1 to 2 weeks , you can rub it out using common rub out methods. The basic steps are: Sand surface through grit sandpaper. Apply stain and allow to dry at least 24 hours. Apply varnish sanding sealer. Sand to grit to remove runs and dust particles and to level the sanding sealer.

Sand only enough to smooth the surface. Remove dust with a tack cloth. Apply gloss varnish, allow to dry for at least 24 hours. Lightly sand the gloss coat using grit sandpaper. Remove sanding dust. Apply a second coat of gloss varnish and allow to dry. Lightly sand the second coat using grit sandpaper. As the Comment above from keshlam rightly says, Maloof experimented until he got the effect he liked the most.

He was going for appearance, and possibly feel, over wear characteristics I promise you, because an oil finish normally would never go over a film-building finish — oil finishes are supposed to go in the wood, not on the wood for a very good reason.

If you don't wipe off the excess after using BLO on a piece and let it fully 'dry' might take a month or more you'll easily see why. I think the nature of Maloof's work should be strongly borne in mind in considering his choice of finish; even before he had a big name and became one of the brightest stars of American woodworking his work was what you might class as art furniture, or fine furniture if you prefer.

Stuff like this is, to be blunt, intended to be babied. They're not daily users in a busy household with young kids! Well not unless the pieces are safely locked in a room the kids don't have access to I think anyone who currently uses it or is tempted to either bought or made at home should think carefully about the role of the tung oil in a mixture that already contains linseed oil.

What purpose does it actually serve? No you're not wrong and I always encourage people to make this kind of thing themselves, rather than buy a commercial version which are sometimes disproportionately expensive. The cost is only part of it though, by making something yourself you get a better appreciation for the materials, you can tailor the mixture to suit your own tastes, the local conditions and other factors.

The above points are often emphasised in guides on making homemade versions of blended finishes, others being "Danish oil", "tung oil finish" and "teak oil". But a key aspect that's often not expressly stated is that it means you have all of the primary ingredients separately. They are far more useful and versatile as individual components than in a single readymade mixture. Commercial paste waxes are typically a blend of one or more waxes, e. And that's it usually.

As the simplicity of the ingredients suggest, this is also something where an equivalent is easily made at home. Sign up to join this community. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top. Stack Overflow for Teams — Collaborate and share knowledge with a private group. Create a free Team What is Teams? Learn more.

Ask Question. Asked 5 years, 4 months ago. Active 5 years, 4 months ago. Viewed 4k times. Edit: On a related note this seems really easy to make. Improve this question. Doov Doov 1, 3 3 gold badges 11 11 silver badges 23 23 bronze badges. As I understand it, Sam Maloof en. Folks who either like that exact finish or are interested in experimenting with it because he endorsed it, and who don't want to deal with trying to recreate the proportions and preparation, made it a viable commercial product.

I don't know more than that, so this is a comment rather than an answer. Right I sort of figured as much. I've also never heard of an oil wax blend with so little wax but that could just be because I'm a noobie.

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