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Wilser and Shawn at SDB guitars are two among others who know what they're talking about. May 1, Hickory NC. I'm using a mix of poly, linseed, tung, and naptha for my bass. Has a very durable finish but still looks like oil.

I love it Greg. I've used with great results a product here in Australia made by Feast Watson Oct 16, May 17, Mixing oils and varnishes by do it yourselfers has been done for a long time. Various combinations have been used.

No one formula is a magic finish. Adding a drying oil, such as tung or linseed oil to a varnish which contains a resin such as alkyd or polyurethane, makes the resulting dried finish more flexible. It also soaks into the wood more before hardening. Using a thinner like mineral spirits Varsol or naptha thins it out so it is absorbed into the wood more and will wipe on in thinner coats.

I've mixed boiled linseed oil, alkyd varnish and paint thinner in equal amounts and got a nice Watco like finish. You can't build it up to a thick film because it's much softer than the varnish alone.

I've also substituted polyurethane varnish such as Minwax for the alkyd varnish. They both work about the same. I like the look of the alkyd varnish better. Minwax Wipe On Polyurethane is not a mixture of oil and polyurethane. It's Minwax polyurethane varnish thinned out with solvent to allow it to be wiped on with a cloth in thin coats rather than thick with a brush.

It dries faster because of the solvent used and the fact it's thinned out so you get less dust contamination. When fully hardened, say 3 weeks or so, it looks identical to brushed on, full strength Minwax polyurethane varnish. It's easier for a novice to apply.

I've used oils alone without any varnish. Boiled linseed oil by itself produces an interesting finish but it's way too soft to build up above the surface. It takes a long time to dry too.

And it darkens wood a lot. Tung oil alone dries a bit harder than linseed, is more water resistant, can be built up a bit on the wood and can be buffed shiny. It's a bit harder than linseed oil and doesn't darken with age as much as linseed. It's still not a hard finish like an alkyd or polyurethane varnish. It's fun to mix these things together and see what happens but it's unlikely you'll find any magic finish with beauty surpassing everything else, waterproof, hard and scratch resistant and easy to apply.

If you want a nice traditional, water resistant finish that's pretty tough and can be buffed to a mirror shine then a good alkyd varnish is best. So is nitro lacquer. It's even harder but is less water resistant and doesn't stand up to alcohol or ammonia. And it's best sprayed on. But Minwax Wipe On Polyurethane gives a decent, glossy tough finish and just about anyone can apply it. Minwax Tung Oil, a mixture of oils, varnish and solvent is a nice, fairly durable finish that's also easy to apply.

Not as tough as varnish but it's okay. It will mark easily. All the other formulations are just home brew variations that can work well if you know when and how to use them. Oct 17, I've also dabbled with mixing my own finishes with great success, but it got old after awhile.

The formulations of the off the counter stuff I use now works great for me without all the hassle. Here are some related products that TB members are talking about.

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