Padouk Vanity top - Woodworking Talk

Weird Woody · 10-06-2009, 02:01 PM

Ok, heres my problem, Im building a floating vanity out of 6/4 Padouk.
Im a strong believer in tung oil. and i read somewhere that one should use a tung oil first coat then a couple coats of poly over the top works in a damp enviornment like a bathroom.
Im useing 100% tung oil. would several coats of that work just as well?
I have a spar polyurithane but dont like to use it ( I always end up with streaks and particals in the finish )
Any ideas? Thanks

Wood4Fun · 10-06-2009, 08:38 PM

I'd put something over the tung. Penetrating finishes don't really provide much of a water barrier.

Varnish is the slowest drying, so it tends to capture dust. As far as the streaks, thin it down 40 or 50% with Mineral Spirits and the brush strokes will self level. You will have to do a coat or two extra since it is thinned down pretty good... do the first coat 50/50, then the second coat at 70% varnish, and third if desired. This will give you a nice smooth finish (make sure to sand with 320 or so between coats). You can address the dust with some 0000 steel wool once the final coat has had a chance to cure a bit (few days I'd say... also, don't follow the can instructions if they say wait a few hours to apply second coat... wait at least a day between coats, longer if cooler temps exist)

shellac dries much quicker, so typically you don't get the dust issue... but it is the weakest of the film finishes for water protection. If you don't expect too much water ever being on the surface, you could probably get away with this... you would want to make sure to clean up any splatter right away though.

I don't have any experience with lacquer, so I can't comment on that.

edit: tung takes a loooong time before it is ready to take a top coat... like a month (keep sniffing it, once it stops smelling, it is ready)

JW_in_Indy · 10-07-2009, 02:41 AM

Wood4fun has some excellent advice. I always find that many poly's right out of the can are very thick and dry slowly. Which, unless you are in an airtight paint booth, will catch and hold airbourne dust particles. Thinning it down helps it flow out very nicely and dry quicker. You could use the dewaxed shellac (several coats would be nice) and then finish off with an oil varnish or thinned poly and have a very durable water resistant finish.

Weird Woody · 10-07-2009, 10:53 AM

Thanks guys, I will definatly try the thinned to 50% then 70% method. I will most likely do 4 or 5 coats.
And i am aware of the long cure time on the tung oil.
Ill post pictures if it works out.

Wood4Fun · 10-07-2009, 11:52 AM

Just to toss out something else. I've only really taken woodworking seriously for the last couple years, and everything I have done up until recently (with film finishes at least) as been with Minwax poly. Finishing was one of the things I hated doing the most because I NEVER got satisfactory results. I spent a lot of time experimenting with making my own wiping finishes with mixtures of poly/spirits/tung, and a variety of other things.
I'm working on something else right now and I'm using a straight varnish from Sherwin Williams. I have been following the schedule I mentioned above. I am REALLY happy with the results. This is defiantly the best film film finish work I have ever done.
I've always seen people complain about poly having a plastic quality, I'm really not sure if I am in the same boat on that or not. I've come to the conclusion that part of the problem is Minwax. That used to be my "go to" finish, and I think that has been part of my problem all along. I'm sure there are manufacturers out there that have a poly that is very good, but I doubt Mixwax does.
I've come to the conclusion that any finish available at Wal Mart and the dollar store, is probably not the best quality product..... sort of like buying Schlitz beer instead of a fine IPA from a local brewery.

So, there you go.. a lot of words that can be summed up in one statement "don't use Minwax"

Weird Woody · 10-07-2009, 01:06 PM

And I am a big IPA fan! and it looks like im going shopping.

the poly i have is minwax.
Sherwin Williams you say? Im all over it! thank you agian.

Wood4Fun · 10-07-2009, 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wierd Woody

And I am a big IPA fan! and it looks like im going shopping.

the poly i have is minwax.
Sherwin Williams you say? Im all over it! thank you agian.

the stuff I used is the "satin fast drying oil varnish". They have poly's there too, but I was looking for a straight varnish and SW is the only place I could find that didn't charge $100.00/gallon

Tony B · 10-07-2009, 05:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wood4Fun

."............I've come to the conclusion that any finish available at Wal Mart and the dollar store, is probably not the best quality product..... sort of like buying Schlitz beer instead of a fine IPA from a local brewery.

So, there you go.. a lot of words that can be summed up in one statement "don't use Minwax"

I have been preaching that for a long time now.

Weird Woody · 10-07-2009, 09:46 PM

Ok, the first pic. is the final sand at 400 grit.
the second pic is the first coat of tung oil.

The pic doesnt do it any justice! Its almost pearl essencte. The ribbons in it just pop.
The third pic isnt in focus but shows some of the true color.
I cant wait till the varnish goes on.
On the last pic i had to turn off my overhead floresant lights and use the flash on my camara to get the true color of the wood.
Ill try to get a better "in focus" pic soon.

JW_in_Indy · 10-08-2009, 11:06 AM

Damn.... that's one nice lookin' vanity top. Is that a veneer?

Weird Woody · 10-08-2009, 11:14 AM

Nope, its solid qtr sawn 6/4 Padouk.

JW_in_Indy · 10-08-2009, 11:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wierd Woody

Nope, its solid qtr sawn 6/4 Padouk.

Wow.... just stunning. It really is....