Need some direction on wood finishing

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Need some direction on wood finishing

Posted: 6/24/2022 12:09:08 PM EDT

I’m in the process of making a flag staff out of a closet rod I bought at Lowes. I’ve stained and finished stuff before, but I wanted to try something a little different with this.

I’ve never gotten into using tung/linseed oil or using waxes to polish the wood afterward. I’d like to make it somewhat weather resistant as I’ll be carrying outside, rain or shine.

Should I just stain it and seal it with something? Will the oils give it any sort of color?

Posted: 6/24/2022 12:36:23 PM EDT

[#1]

Tru-oil gunstock finish. You could use a tung oil type but true oil will give a durable issue free finish. Polyurethane could also be an option. Tru-oil is easiest to repair. Use about four coats. If you want to seal the pores of the wood it may take more. Lots of tube vids to show you how.

Posted: 6/24/2022 12:48:11 PM EDT

[#2]

Posted: 6/24/2022 3:17:32 PM EDT

[#3]

Will the oil bring any color to it or just seal the pores? I had read that using oil after staining isn’t a great idea.

Posted: 6/24/2022 3:38:33 PM EDT

[#4]

Tung oil will make it look just like it does if water was on it.

Danish oil will do the same and be easier to apply for a noob. Only need one coat. Soak it into the wood for 10-15 minutes and wipe off the excess. Follow up with some simple carnuba wax. After a day or so. A non colored car wax will work just fine.

Posted: 6/25/2022 3:11:45 PM EDT

[#5]

What about a marine spar varnish since it is going to be outside?

I suppose you could check out fence stains and exterior stains as well.

Posted: 6/25/2022 3:35:30 PM EDT

[#6]

Varathane Spar Urethane or Polyurethane is gtg. Flows and levels (dont work it too much), easy to use and urethane cure and get very hard. Full cure can take weeks but you'll be ready to use in a day.
Fwiw, I've been in the coatings business for 20 years.

Posted: 6/27/2022 10:19:37 PM EDT

[#7]

If you are going for that aged look one of my favorite methods has become using iron acetate. This is nothing more than shredded steel wool that you put in vinegar and let is dissolve for a couple days. When brushed or wiped onto the wood it causes a chemical reaction with the tannins in the wood and gives a very natural aged look. How much it changes the color will depend on the amount of tannins in the wood and can vary a lot by species. You can increase the tannins in the wood by brushing on a dark coffee if needed.

Posted: 8/20/2022 8:06:51 PM EDT

[#8]

Something that took me tooooo long to learn is that when you are trying something new, experiment on a piece of scrap - never experiment on your finished product.

Between coats of finish, rub it down with 600 wet/dry sand paper or 0000 steel wool.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Need some direction on wood finishing

General » Woodworking

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