Jfitz Posted January 30, 2012 Report Share Posted January 30, 2012 Hi - I built a new assembly outfeed table this weekend and decided to try an oil/varnish mix - 1 part thinner, 1 part BLO, and 1 part GF Arm-R-Seal. The table top is birch ply with hard maple edges. For how many coats can I expect this finish to add/deepen the color? I don't want or need it really dark (I would have used stain for that) but since this is my first time using this finish, I'm unsure how many oil/varnish applications are really worthwhile. I do plan on switching to all varnish (maybe thinned a little for wiping) for the final few coats, for durability. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morton Posted January 30, 2012 Report Share Posted January 30, 2012 I use this homemade blend all the time and typically increase the varnish % with successive coats. Although I use epifanes varnish which may be darker than Arm-R-Seal, I'm not sure. It's easy to apply a coat-a-day once the initial ones are done (which soak in and take longer to dry). Typically 3-4 coats starts yielding a nice dark color, but by increasing the Varnish % and doing a couple more coats, you can keep going. I just used this on some walnut and was surprised how much darker the 3rd coat was relative to the second. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jfitz Posted January 30, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2012 Interesting. Thanks for the feedback. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CessnaPilotBarry Posted January 31, 2012 Report Share Posted January 31, 2012 The later coats take a looooong time to dry w/ 33% oil... As Morton points out, decrease the oil as you add coats. Once the wood is sealed, the oil doesn't add much more. Not to mention that Arm-R-Seal has a portion of oil as part of it's formula. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bombarde16 Posted January 31, 2012 Report Share Posted January 31, 2012 Shop furniture being a great way to experiment, why not demonstrate a progression of coats on different parts of the table. Top gets two coats (really all that's needed), one leg gets a single coat, next leg gets three, etc...Then you'll have a reference right there when time comes to finish the next project. Barry and Morton correctly point out that the oil doesn't help as you add coats. For wiping on the first coat, it eases application and brings some color to the party. But, once the wood is sealed, it just slows things down. That's the point to switch over to thinned out varnish only (aka a "wiping" varnish) as you get into building a film. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jfitz Posted January 31, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2012 Thanks guys. I did a light sanding with 320 and then another application of 1:1:1. I like the little bit more color it added, and I think I will give this a few days to dry - as you said, it can take a while - but I'll switch to just varnish for the next coats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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