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| Leave it to the pro. Michael Dresdner, a nationally known wood finishing and woodworking expert, has answered hundreds of common wood finishing questions in Varathane’s Q&A library to help you successfully complete your project. Click on a link to the left for help and solid advice. |
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| Q: Is it ok to allow the conditioner to dry before coating with Watco finish? If not, what do I do?
A: Wood conditioner is designed to be used prior to staining wood, not prior to finishing it, and no, you cannot let it dry first. You flood it on, wipe it off and stain while the wood is still wet. Since Watco does not make stains (only tinted and clear finishes) I am not sure how you got the idea that you should be using wood conditioner under it. At this point, in order to prevent uneven coloration due to the dried conditioner on the wood, I would seal the wood with clear Watco finish, then add color in the subsequent coats either with tinted Watco Danish Oil or with One-Step Stain and Poly in an aerosol can. |  | |
| Q: I am storing interior fir veneer windows for later installation. I was told to seal the windows to prevent moisture absorption. I used a waterbased sanding sealer on some. I want to use a clear stain but get a rich amber look. How can I finish those with sanding sealer and those I have not sealed yet?
A: If you want them all to look the same, you must go through the same finishing steps on all of them. Thus, you will either have to strip the ones that are sealed in order to start over with raw wood, or seal the ones that are not. Assuming you choose the latter option, which is certainly the simpler one, you will want to add color over the finish, since sealing pretty much omits staining, a process done to raw wood. The easiest way to add color is with One-Step Stain and Poly in an aerosol can, a spray on tinted finish that comes in a wide range of colors. Add as many coats as you need, with sufficient drying time in between, to get the color and intensity you want. For a light amber, it should not take much. Incidentally, that comes in a waterbased version also, and you can use either over waterbased sealer. | | |
| Q: I am building a workbench with a hard-maple top. I have heard so many theories and ideas for the finish that I am thoroughly overwhelmed with information. I want a reasonably easy finish to reapply, with some waterproof capability, so oil and its associated finishes are out. Other than the price, is there that much difference in the end result of wiping on one brand of polyurethane over another?
A: To answer your specific question, yes, there are measurable differences between one brand of polyurethane and another. However, that may be a moot point; it may very well be the case that even the cheapest of the lot will do the job for you.
A better question, for someone who does not want to buy more than is needed, is: “What, exactly, do I need?” That’s something you have to answer based on exactly what you require of the finish, but I will tell you that just about any Danish oil or oil based wipe on polyurethane is easy to apply, reasonably inexpensive, can be easily renewed and offers some degree of waterproofing. Whether that is what you want for a bench top is another question entirely, and depends on what you expect to do on the bench. My cutting bench, the one with built in vises, has no finish on it whatsoever, and it routinely gets sanded and surfaced. My assembly bench, on which I do glue up, has a multi-coat wipe on polyurethane topped with paste wax, a combination that prevents glue from sticking to it. See what I mean? Finishes get chosen, at least in part, based on what, exactly, you expect them to do.
By the way, your comment about oil struck me as a bit odd. Danish oil, oil based polyurethane, and wipe on oil based polyurethanes are all simply modified natural oils, and all add some degree of waterproofing to wood. How much depends more on how much finish has been applied than which one was applied. The real differences from one brand to another are not related to how waterproof they are, but by how much abrasion resistance they offer. I hope this helps you wend you way through the confusion. | | |
| Q: I lost the day job a while back and am going to take the time to paint the interior of the house. We have some plain wood interior doors in some finish, possibly oil or Danish oil, and they have become a little rough. I was thinking of giving them a light sanding and then putting a flat or satin sheen top coat on them; just enough to seal them and allow them to be cleaned. Not knowing what is there already, do you think a wipe on finish would be okay or would you suggest something else?
A: Clean the surface first by scrubbing with mineral spirits or TSP on fine nylon abrasive pads. The solvent will remove any surface grease or oil while the pad lightly abrades the surface, preparing it for your finish. Any Wipe-on Poly, spray on or brush on oil based varnish or oil based polyurethane will work fine, but do add one coat of Zinsser SealCoat, a clear primer, if you plan to use waterbased polyurethane instead of oil based. |
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