Mb

"MB"

19/11/2005 6:15 PM

Watco vs. Wiping vs. Homebrew

>From what I've read these finishes are all just combinations of an oil,
a varnish and some mineral spirits

Watco Danish oil
Wiping poly
Homebrew of BLO, Poly and mineral spirits

The watco directions say to leave it on for 30 mins then wipe. reapply
for 15 min then wipe. The directions for the wiping poly, just say to
wipe once. So what is the recomended technique for the homebrew?

It seems to me that after the first coat has dried, It doesn't make
much sense to let the finish soak before wiping because the first coat
has essentially sealed the pores.

I'm leaning towards the homebrew. I've experimented with various ratios
and techniques on some scraps Not a great deal of difference until poly
amounts to >50% of the brew). I'm wondering if anyone else has any tips
or experience.

BTW, the piece I'm finishing is cherry veneer and canary wood
(Arariba?).

Thanks, Mitch


This topic has 11 replies

GG

"George"

in reply to "MB" on 19/11/2005 6:15 PM

20/11/2005 7:58 AM


"MB" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> >From what I've read these finishes are all just combinations of an oil,
> a varnish and some mineral spirits
>
> Watco Danish oil
> Wiping poly
> Homebrew of BLO, Poly and mineral spirits
>
> The watco directions say to leave it on for 30 mins then wipe. reapply
> for 15 min then wipe. The directions for the wiping poly, just say to
> wipe once. So what is the recomended technique for the homebrew?
>
> It seems to me that after the first coat has dried, It doesn't make
> much sense to let the finish soak before wiping because the first coat
> has essentially sealed the pores.
>
> I'm leaning towards the homebrew. I've experimented with various ratios
> and techniques on some scraps Not a great deal of difference until poly
> amounts to >50% of the brew). I'm wondering if anyone else has any tips
> or experience.

Long-oil types like Watco should be wiped, or you can have long-term
gumminess.

Long solvent types like wiping poly or antique oil finish need not be.

Your home brew recipe should take this into consideration.


LJ

Larry Jaques

in reply to "MB" on 19/11/2005 6:15 PM

20/11/2005 8:56 AM

On Sat, 19 Nov 2005 20:47:37 -0700, with neither quill nor qualm,
"Wayne" <[email protected]> quickly quoth:

>"Larry Jaques" <novalidaddress@di\/ersify.com> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>> On 19 Nov 2005 18:15:10 -0800, with neither quill nor qualm, "MB"
>> <[email protected]> quickly quoth:
>>
>> Definitely try Waterlox. You'll be sold on it at once.

(top posting corrected, silly twit. Toppost #2 gets plonked.)

>Have you tried "Tried and True" Oil Varnish finish? I have used it alone and
>mixed with Watco (for color) and it seems to work nicely.
>
>How does it compare with Waterlox?

It's OK. It doesn't build nearly as quickly, acting more like Watco.
It smells better than Watco, though. I bought the varnish oil and will
probably use it on carvings or display items rather than something
like a table or desk.


-----------------------------------------------------------
-- This post conscientiously crafted from 100% Recycled Pixels --
http://diversify.com Websites: PHP Programming, MySQL databases
==================================================================

JC

"James \"Cubby\" Culbertson"

in reply to "MB" on 19/11/2005 6:15 PM

19/11/2005 8:23 PM


"Larry Jaques" <novalidaddress@di\/ersify.com> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> Poly is self-hardening and ugly as sin. Toss it or face the karma.
>

Couldn't agree more!

>
> Give Waterlox a try. It's a combination of linseed and tung oils plus
> varnish. Wipe on, let dry, repeat until happy. This is GREAT stuff!
>
>
> Definitely try Waterlox. You'll be sold on it at once.
>

and again, couldn't agree more. I've used Waterlox a few times and it does
turn out very nice.
Cheers,
cc


NP

Nate Perkins

in reply to "MB" on 19/11/2005 6:15 PM

21/11/2005 4:23 AM

"MB" <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:

>>From what I've read these finishes are all just combinations of an
>>oil,
> a varnish and some mineral spirits
>
> Watco Danish oil
> Wiping poly
> Homebrew of BLO, Poly and mineral spirits
>
> The watco directions say to leave it on for 30 mins then wipe. reapply
> for 15 min then wipe. The directions for the wiping poly, just say to
> wipe once. So what is the recomended technique for the homebrew?
>
> It seems to me that after the first coat has dried, It doesn't make
> much sense to let the finish soak before wiping because the first coat
> has essentially sealed the pores.
>
> I'm leaning towards the homebrew. I've experimented with various
> ratios and techniques on some scraps Not a great deal of difference
> until poly amounts to >50% of the brew). I'm wondering if anyone else
> has any tips or experience.
>
> BTW, the piece I'm finishing is cherry veneer and canary wood
> (Arariba?).


You are right that they are all variants on the same theme. They only
differ in the ratios of solvent/oil/resin. Some are fairly dilute (like
the Watco), and therefore build pretty slowly.

The homebrew is a pretty good way to go ... if you don't want it to
darken as much over time, you can use tung oil (pure, like Hope's)
instead of BLO. More solvent gives better penetration but slower build.
More oil gives depth, but reduces the finish hardness and extends the
cure time.

The reason that some manufacturers recommend the second wipe is in case
you have finish bleeding out of the pores as it dries (not usually a
problem as long as the piece isn't cooling a lot while it's drying). If
the pores did bleed, you'd just need to spend more time smoothing it
before the next coat.

JC

"James \"Cubby\" Culbertson"

in reply to "MB" on 19/11/2005 6:15 PM

20/11/2005 8:45 AM


"Wayne" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Have you tried "Tried and True" Oil Varnish finish? I have used it alone
> and mixed with Watco (for color) and it seems to work nicely.
>
> How does it compare with Waterlox?
>
> Wayne
>
I'm one of those that never seemed to get Tried and True to work very well.
I tried it on some maple along with many other finishes to try to decide
which finish I wanted to use for the entire project. I found it obscurred
the grain and generally washed out the wood. Other's swear by the stuff so
I would imagine it was either my situation or application but nevertheless,
I haven't tried it again.
Cheers,
cc

dd

"dadiOH"

in reply to "MB" on 19/11/2005 6:15 PM

20/11/2005 3:28 PM

MB wrote:
>> From what I've read these finishes are all just combinations of an
>> oil,
> a varnish and some mineral spirits
>
> Watco Danish oil
> Wiping poly
> Homebrew of BLO, Poly and mineral spirits
>
> The watco directions say to leave it on for 30 mins then wipe. reapply
> for 15 min then wipe. The directions for the wiping poly, just say to
> wipe once. So what is the recomended technique for the homebrew?
>
> It seems to me that after the first coat has dried, It doesn't make
> much sense to let the finish soak before wiping because the first coat
> has essentially sealed the pores.
>
> I'm leaning towards the homebrew. I've experimented with various
> ratios and techniques on some scraps Not a great deal of difference
> until poly amounts to >50% of the brew). I'm wondering if anyone else
> has any tips or experience.

The only comment I can offer is to point out that BLO ultimately gets
pretty dark. That may be good, may be bad depending on what you want.
If bad for you use tung oil instead.

Moreover, the degree of BLO darkening can vary considerably in a given
piece of wood depending upon how much was absorbed in a particular area
(due either to wood characteristics or difference in sanding) or trapped
in pores. It can get splotchy looking.

Personally, I find the darkening useful in some cases. For example, I
made numerous kitchen gizmos (knife racks and the like) out of poplar.
Not a pretty color wood IMO but a couple of years after BLO application
they are about the color of teak. Much prettier :)


--
dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
...a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

DD

David

in reply to "MB" on 19/11/2005 6:15 PM

19/11/2005 6:21 PM

MB wrote:

>>From what I've read these finishes are all just combinations of an oil,
> a varnish and some mineral spirits
>
> Watco Danish oil
> Wiping poly
> Homebrew of BLO, Poly and mineral spirits
>
> The watco directions say to leave it on for 30 mins then wipe. reapply
> for 15 min then wipe. The directions for the wiping poly, just say to
> wipe once. So what is the recomended technique for the homebrew?
>
> It seems to me that after the first coat has dried, It doesn't make
> much sense to let the finish soak before wiping because the first coat
> has essentially sealed the pores.
>
> I'm leaning towards the homebrew. I've experimented with various ratios
> and techniques on some scraps Not a great deal of difference until poly
> amounts to >50% of the brew). I'm wondering if anyone else has any tips
> or experience.
>
> BTW, the piece I'm finishing is cherry veneer and canary wood
> (Arariba?).
>
> Thanks, Mitch
>
I don't use either of those currently. I'm curious--did you try just
thinning poly with MS and wiping it on?

Dave

Wn

"Wayne"

in reply to "MB" on 19/11/2005 6:15 PM

19/11/2005 8:47 PM

Have you tried "Tried and True" Oil Varnish finish? I have used it alone and
mixed with Watco (for color) and it seems to work nicely.

How does it compare with Waterlox?

Wayne

"Larry Jaques" <novalidaddress@di\/ersify.com> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On 19 Nov 2005 18:15:10 -0800, with neither quill nor qualm, "MB"
> <[email protected]> quickly quoth:
>
>
> Definitely try Waterlox. You'll be sold on it at once.
>
>
> -----------------------------------------------------------
> -- This post conscientiously crafted from 100% Recycled Pixels --
> http://diversify.com Websites: PHP Programming, MySQL databases
> ==================================================================

LJ

Larry Jaques

in reply to "MB" on 19/11/2005 6:15 PM

19/11/2005 6:48 PM

On 19 Nov 2005 18:15:10 -0800, with neither quill nor qualm, "MB"
<[email protected]> quickly quoth:

>>From what I've read these finishes are all just combinations of an oil,
>a varnish and some mineral spirits
>
>Watco Danish oil
>Wiping poly
>Homebrew of BLO, Poly and mineral spirits
>
>The watco directions say to leave it on for 30 mins then wipe. reapply
>for 15 min then wipe. The directions for the wiping poly, just say to
>wipe once. So what is the recomended technique for the homebrew?
>
>It seems to me that after the first coat has dried, It doesn't make
>much sense to let the finish soak before wiping because the first coat
>has essentially sealed the pores.

If you want the watco to polymerize, let it sit. It builds slowly
through polymerization and a little bit of varnish.

Poly is self-hardening and ugly as sin. Toss it or face the karma.

The advantage of homebrew is price. The advantage of using a
commercial homebrew (like Watco or Waterlox) is that they've already
been through all the possible BAD combos and found the best of all
combinations for you.


>I'm leaning towards the homebrew. I've experimented with various ratios
>and techniques on some scraps Not a great deal of difference until poly
>amounts to >50% of the brew). I'm wondering if anyone else has any tips
>or experience.

Give Waterlox a try. It's a combination of linseed and tung oils plus
varnish. Wipe on, let dry, repeat until happy. This is GREAT stuff!


>BTW, the piece I'm finishing is cherry veneer and canary wood
>(Arariba?).

Definitely try Waterlox. You'll be sold on it at once.


-----------------------------------------------------------
-- This post conscientiously crafted from 100% Recycled Pixels --
http://diversify.com Websites: PHP Programming, MySQL databases
==================================================================

b

in reply to "MB" on 19/11/2005 6:15 PM

20/11/2005 1:43 AM

On 19 Nov 2005 18:15:10 -0800, "MB" <[email protected]> wrote:

>>From what I've read these finishes are all just combinations of an oil,
>a varnish and some mineral spirits
>
>Watco Danish oil
>Wiping poly
>Homebrew of BLO, Poly and mineral spirits
>
>The watco directions say to leave it on for 30 mins then wipe. reapply
>for 15 min then wipe. The directions for the wiping poly, just say to
>wipe once. So what is the recomended technique for the homebrew?
>
>It seems to me that after the first coat has dried, It doesn't make
>much sense to let the finish soak before wiping because the first coat
>has essentially sealed the pores.

nah. the high portion of thinners means that it shrinks as it dries,
so more can soak in. depending on the mix it might keep absorbing for
3 or 5 applications o5 so...



>
>I'm leaning towards the homebrew. I've experimented with various ratios
>and techniques on some scraps Not a great deal of difference until poly
>amounts to >50% of the brew). I'm wondering if anyone else has any tips
>or experience.

classic approach is start with high thinners and oils content and add
a little resins (varnish or poly) each time until the last coat is
pretty much straight varnish.



>
>BTW, the piece I'm finishing is cherry veneer and canary wood
>(Arariba?).
>
>Thanks, Mitch

TT

"Toller"

in reply to "MB" on 19/11/2005 6:15 PM

20/11/2005 3:00 AM


"MB" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> >From what I've read these finishes are all just combinations of an oil,
> a varnish and some mineral spirits
>
> Watco Danish oil

Danish oil is a combination of a oil, mineral spirits, and varnish. Well,
thats what it is usually. It can be whatever they feel like putting in it,
as the name itself means nothing.

> Wiping poly

Wiping poly is something more than thinned poly. I used to thin poly
myself, but it simply didn't apply as well as commercial; so there must be
more to it than that. I have gone back to Minwax; it is not worth trying to
save a dollar the hard way.

> Homebrew of BLO, Poly and mineral spirits

Probably cheaper; I hope you have better luck than I did.
>
> The watco directions say to leave it on for 30 mins then wipe. reapply
> for 15 min then wipe. The directions for the wiping poly, just say to
> wipe once. So what is the recomended technique for the homebrew?
>
Probably like watco

> It seems to me that after the first coat has dried, It doesn't make
> much sense to let the finish soak before wiping because the first coat
> has essentially sealed the pores.
>
I must not have read the instructions, I never wipe poly.
Watco is wiped to remove excess oil, which as you point out, has no place to
go.

> I'm leaning towards the homebrew. I've experimented with various ratios
> and techniques on some scraps Not a great deal of difference until poly
> amounts to >50% of the brew). I'm wondering if anyone else has any tips
> or experience.
>
> BTW, the piece I'm finishing is cherry veneer and canary wood
> (Arariba?).
>
> Thanks, Mitch
>


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