Drying Time for Oils – Viewer Question
This week’s Email Question of the Week comes from Joan. She writes, “I need a little assistance with finishing. I, of course, am in a hurry to finish a table I am donating for a silent auction. I am wondering if I put a coat of oil on the table top (side table,not
dining), how long do I have to wait for the oil to dry before I can add another finish such as Waterlox, or varnish to protect the top??”
And here was my reply:
“Hello Joan. I assume when you say oil, you are referring to either tung oil or boiled linseed oil. In either case, I would probably feel confident putting a coat of varnish over it after 24 hrs. Basically, as soon as it no longer feels tacky, you can overcoat it. But in all honesty, I would do something completely different than that.
We have three issues to look at here: dry time, protection, and beauty.
In the finishing world, we have oils, we have varnishes and polys, and then we have mixtures. Waterlox is just such a mixture. It contains a relatively high oil to varnish ratio. General Finishes Arm-R-Seal, for instance, is straight varnish. In general, the more oil content, the longer the dry time and cure time. So a straight varnish (wipe-on) will dry easily within a day. Sometimes I can even put two coats on in a single day. The finish will be dry enough to handle within 24 hours. Now if you introduce oil into the equation, you will increase your dry time and also your full-cure time. But there are many times that I will add a few teaspoons of oil to my straight varnish just to make it easier to work with, and to add a bit of extra “color” to the mixture.
Now lets talk about protection. This follows suit with the drying time: the the higher the varnish content, the more protection you are giving the wood.
And lastly, perhaps the most misunderstood area, is beauty. Most people think they need a coat of oil on a workpiece to “pop” the grain. I pop the grain all the time and I never really bother with an oil pre-coat. For me, its an unnecessary step that just creates more work and takes more time. I encourage you to do a few tests when you have some spare time. Get three similar looking boards and prep them for finishing. Give one an oil precoat, followed by varnish the next day. Give the second a coat of varnish only. Then give the third a coat of the varnish, with a few teaspoons of tung or linseed oil in the mix. Give each board a few more coats of its respective finish over the next few days then decide for yourself which finish you like best and which one produces the results you are looking for. I can just about guarantee you will see that the extra oil step really did not help you at all. So if you can do it all in one step with faster drying time, I say why bother with the oil coat.
So to directly answer your question, I would recommend skipping the oil step and going straight to either varnish or Waterlox. Waterlox already contains plenty of oil and will be easier to work with than the varnish. The drawback is that Waterlox will not build coats as fast and takes longer to dry between coats. Waterlox will also take longer to fully cure so the recipient of the table needs to leave the surface alone for a while. So it really depends on just how much of a rush you are in. If you only have 2-3 days, I would say to use the varnish. And like I mentioned before, maybe add just a few teaspoons of oil to the mix to make it easier to work with. Also, make sure the varnish is thinned to a “wiping” formula. 50%varnish/50% mineral spirits will do the trick.
I hope that lengthy reply is helpful to you Joan. Good luck with the auction and good luck with your woodworking. Take care.”
Comments
One Response to “Drying Time for Oils – Viewer Question”Speak Your Mind and Win a Prize!
Leave a comment and you could be a winner in our Wood Whisperer Giveaway!New Here?
Keep Up With TWW!
Fun Stuff!
What’s New?
Premium Membership
Shop Our Affiliates
-
Proud To Be Sponsored By!
Support our Advertisers
Why not use Minwax polyurethane? doesn’t that provide a pretty durable finish? You can give a second coat in about four hours.
Gene