Bevans Posted April 23, 2016 Report Share Posted April 23, 2016 Well,I am coming down the home stretch of my bookcase project using cherry ply for the sides and shelves and cherry boards for the top that is trimmed in walnut. I used Danish oil as the customer request a oil finish. After the third coat I am not happy with the uneven sheen of the sides and shelves but can live with the top. I do not want to apply anymore Danish oil as I don't think it is going to ever get a uniform sheen type of finish. Not sure how to fix the problem but am leaning toward spraying on a couple coats of ARS or even wipe on polyp about a week or so. Do you think that a spray or wipe on film finish will even out the uneven finish look? I attached a couple pics, one before/after of the top and another of the shelves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted April 23, 2016 Report Share Posted April 23, 2016 Yep, that's one reason I don't really care for Danish oil...takes forever to dry, and once it does it leaves a fairly inconsistent sheen, in my experience. I don't know what makes you want to spray ARS...I'd wipe on a coat or two of satin after the Danish oil has thoroughly dried...give it a few weeks...that stuff can take a really long time. I hope you considered wood movement when you framed that cherry with the walnut... FYI...Danish oil isn't really an "oil finish." It's an oil/varnish blend. ARS is varnish. Boiled linseed oil and tung oil are true oils. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted April 23, 2016 Report Share Posted April 23, 2016 You are supposed to wipe off the excess Danish oil before you let it dry. I rub it off with a circular motion using a clean cotton rag. If you leave it sitting on the surface you get that uneven sheen. But it is not a very high sheen so applying a wipe on poly may be the best solution . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob493 Posted April 23, 2016 Report Share Posted April 23, 2016 If you have sufficient depth of product, you can use a wax to introduce a more even sheen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bevans Posted April 23, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 23, 2016 I have never been able to get ARS or wipe on poly applied to large areas without streaks. Spraying it on is the only way I can get even coating. I have tried, believe me I have tried....even sanded down 4 coats of ARS twice on the same project because I could see streaks when looking at the surface at a particular angle. I seem to be able to do a good job sanding but not applying finish or top coats well unless I spray. I flooded the wood the first coat and kept it wet for 10-15 minutes. Applied less the second coat but kept it wet for 10 minutes. Third and final coat applied less and wiped it off within 5 minutes. It looks a little better each time but feel like I am losing the battle. I will try wipe on poly after a week or so to the sides and likely spray the top because I know I will screw up trying to finish a 6' section by hand. Thanks for the input. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted April 23, 2016 Report Share Posted April 23, 2016 1 hour ago, Bevans said: wiped it off There's your problem. ARS is not supposed to be wiped off. Just lay down a nice, thin, consistent coat and walk away. Not sure why this is such a common misunderstanding...I'm fairly certain the directions say nothing about wiping off excess...aside from maybe on the first coat. It's not oil and should not be treated as such. Wiping off ARS makes as much sense as wiping off full strength poly. It's a waste of finish, first of all, and it's not how the finish is designed to be used. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bevans Posted April 23, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 23, 2016 Sorry, left a confusing post. I did not try to wipe off ARS, I went back taking about my Danish oil application steps in the post. I am still struggling with how I screwed up an easy to use product like Danish oil and how I can try to use a top coat to try to even out the look of the finish look. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted April 23, 2016 Report Share Posted April 23, 2016 I've had the same experience with Danish oil enough that I've given up on it. Give what you have ample time to dry, then do a couple coats of ARS. The sheen will even out. Then ditch the Danish oil for good unless you're finishing a work bench. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted April 24, 2016 Report Share Posted April 24, 2016 Or apply one (or three) more coats of DO, using some 600 grit wet/dry paper to rub it in before wiping it back. DO can produce a wonderful luster, but I've never had it even out in less than 6 applications. It IS some pretty this stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coop Posted April 24, 2016 Report Share Posted April 24, 2016 9 hours ago, Eric. said: ARS is varnish. I don't know why I questioned this but I did. I thought ARS was a poly. You and Mel got me hooked on this stuff and I just assumed. So I goggled it to prove me right and that didn't happen. In doing so, I ran across a conversation Marc had with a peep back on 8/24/09 regarding applying ARS. It is a lengthy conversation via email where Marc helps resolve this guys problem. I am amazed at how much time Marc spent with this guy to help him get it right. So I'm wrong, Eric is right, Marc was cool back then and still is and ARS rules! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted April 24, 2016 Report Share Posted April 24, 2016 ARS basically is poly...it's a "urethane" top-coat, so it's in the same family, at the least. And poly is varnish. So you were right and wrong at the same time. Poly is varnish, ARS is thinned varnish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 24, 2016 Report Share Posted April 24, 2016 1 hour ago, Eric. said: ARS basically is poly...it's a "urethane" top-coat, so it's in the same family, at the least. And poly is varnish. So you were right and wrong at the same time. Poly is varnish, ARS is thinned varnish. and seal a cell is thinned arm r seal. and salad bowl finish is thinned seal a cell. At the GF factory they have a vat of varnish and a vat of naptha. they mix the two accordingly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tcarswell Posted May 7, 2016 Report Share Posted May 7, 2016 Really ? I didn't know their salad bowl finish was a thinned down seal a cell.... seems the seal a cell pops the grain better than straight arm r seal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronn W Posted May 7, 2016 Report Share Posted May 7, 2016 I have run into a similar problem with oils - long, long cure time especially on the first coats that soaks into the wood more and if the next coat is applied to soon it seems to reactivate some of the previous coat and.... and take even longer to dry. Nice finish ppossible, tho, if you live long enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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