| | | |
| 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. |
| |
| | | |
| Q: Can you put lacquer over Danish Oil?
A: Yes, you certainly can, though do wait until the Danish Oil dries before you move on to the lacquer. |  | |
| Q: I am making maple dining room chairs and would like to know the best way to finish them either in natural finish or stained in mahogany or walnut stain.
A: Best is a lot like the best shoe size; it depends in the individual. Do you have a preferred method of application, such as spray, wipe or brush, or a preferred gloss or dullness level, or a preferred durability level? Answering questions like these will help you decide which finish is right for you. Since I don’t know that in your case, I will suggest a very easy and durable finish that requires no special application equipment.
Sand the chairs through the grits from 80 through 220 without skipping any. If you decide to use stain, test it first on sanded scrap maple to see how it behaves. If it blotches, use wood conditioner prior to staining. Flood it on, wipe it off, stain while it is still wet, then stain the same way, flooding on and wiping off to leave only what the wood has absorbed. The simplest topcoat to apply is probably either Danish Oil, or for a bit more durability, Wipe-on Poly. Both get wiped on and wiped off. Add one coat per day until you get the look you want. | | |
| Q: I am looking at a stripper that is biodegradable, non-flammable, and contains no methylene chloride or caustic, and it’s fast! I’ve used this stuff for a couple years and wouldn’t use anything else again.
A: If you find something you like, by all means use it. However, not to put too fine a point on it, methylene chloride (DCM) stripper can also be biodegradable, non-flammable, non-caustic and fast. Such claims are a bit like putting a label that says “calorie free, no trans fats” on bottled water; it can be a bit misleading.
Of course, one red herring here is that both biodegradable DCM and non-DCM strippers are biodegradable only until they are used. Once you actually use them to strip coatings, they become mixed with old paint that may or may not be biodegradable, and usually not. The bottom line is that there is more to choosing the right stripper than simply reading what the maker chooses to brag about on the label. Still, in your case, that’s moot, since you’ve found one you like. | | |
| Q: What type of wood filler is good for filling small holes in different woods? I’ve used one brand and in less than a year, the filler starts to come out of the hole, even though the piece is sealed. Is there anything or any method that would prevent this?
A: There are two types of putty or hole filler. One type is what is called drying filler. It goes onto raw wood and is sanded flush before the finish is applied. It is permanent and will not come out. The other type is flexible filler, sometimes called oil putty. It is designed to fill holes, such as nail holes, after the finish is on the wood. It adheres well and stays flexible indefinitely. Using drying filler atop a finish may indeed cause it to come loose, so it is possible you’ve chosen the wrong filler. Since you named only a brand and not a type (most companies sell both types) I could not say for sure. For whatever reason, most companies package their oil putty, the one made to go in holes on an already finished surface, in clear containers, while most drying wood filler is packaged in opaque ones. Click on the two links above to see an example of each. |
| |
| | |  | | Page | | 7 | |  |
| |
|
|
