Recently, I asked Guild members to help me select a finish for my new wall-hanging tool chest. We had the standard options including water-based poly, shellac, lacquer, oil-based poly, and oil & wax. Although water-based poly won with 27% of the votes, there was a very vocal minority (you know who you are lol) who wanted to see the oil & wax finish. So this resulted in a number of discussions about oil & wax and what kind of value this finish has to a woodworker. Personally, I am not a fan. An oil and wax finish is time-consuming to apply and offers very little in the way of protection. Yes its better than nothing, but just barely.
Now if you read just about any finishing book, you’ll come across one of those handy charts that compares the key properties of different finishes (usually abrasion, heat, and moisture resistance). These charts can be incredibly helpful, but nothing is more eye opening than a simple, practical, home-brewed test! Am I crazy for disliking the oil & wax finish??? To answer that question, I decided to make up a few sample boards and run a little experiment of my own.
I took 4 scrap pieces of baltic birch plywood and finished each one with different materials. My assumption is that if you are considering oil & wax as a finish, you are probably a fan of that “close to the wood” look. So the film finishes were applied very lightly in an effort to keep everything consistent. Here’s how I treated the samples:
BLO (boiled linseed oil) Only – I sanded the board to 320 (for oils, I like to go a little higher than usual to help promote even absorption). I flooded the board with BLO and let it soak in for an hour. I then wiped off the excess with a clean cotton rag and let the board dry in the warm Arizona air for the entire day and overnight. The next day, I repeated the application process. I did this for a total of three applications.
BLO/Wax – I treated this board exactly as above, only after waiting about 4 days after the final oil application, I applied two coats of paste wax and buffed it to a very pleasant sheen.
BLO/Shellac – I gave this board the same BLO treatment, but instead of wax after 4 days, I gave it two coats of Bullseye SealCoat (2lb cut).
Varnish Only – Sanded to 180. This board received three light coats of Arm-R-Seal satin with sanding in between.
When it was all said and done, each board (with the exception of the BLO-only), had a nice, natural-looking satin appearance. The BLO-only board was dull, as one would expect.
So now for my not-so-scientific test. I wanted to simulate a spill of some kind. In this case, I used a fairly concentrated solution of Transtint Dark Mission Brown in water. I placed a quarter-sized puddle of dye on each board, and let it soak. Let’s pretend this is soda, coffee, wine, or maybe even some delicious hot cocoa (we ARE entering the holiday season you know). After 5 minutes, I wiped away the excess dye and then scrubbed the surface with a damp rag. Here are the results:
The BLO-only sample looks………well……it looks like a bird took a poo on it. The dye seeped into the grain and through capillary action, traveled well beyond the original location of the dye. A stain like this would be very difficult to repair. And if the project is made from plywood, you’ll most likely burn through the veneer before you completely clean up that stain.
The BLO/wax board clearly fared better. The wax does a decent job of preventing complete absorption of the dye and the spread was fairly limited when compared to the BLO-only board.
The BLO/shellac proved to be reasonably protective. A small amount of staining is present but it doesn’t seem like the dye penetrated far enough to travel through the grain. The staining is generally limited to the shellac film, and never really touches the wood. This would be a very easy repair.
And finally, we have the varnished board. Boring right? Honestly, there just isn’t anything to look at. The varnish completely blocked the dye from absorbing into the wood fibers.
Really there was nothing surprising here. Film finishes simply protect the wood better than non-film finishes. But deciding what finish to use on your next project depends on a number of factors, and protection from spills is only one of them. So try to pick the finish that suits the project at hand as well as your personal tastes.
What is my take on this? Personally, I am a big fan of the wiping varnish finish. Just take a look at my DVD, *wink wink*. You can apply just a coat or two to get that close to the wood look and feel, or you can slap on six or seven coats for the ultimate in protection. If you like the deep amber hue that BLO brings to the party, why not start with a single coat of BLO, and finish by top-coating with your favorite varnish? Or maybe compromise and use a Danish Oil or even a home-brewed oil/varnish blend. But when it comes to my projects, the time it takes to produce a BLO finish, coupled with the overall lack of protection, puts it smack dab at the bottom of my preferred finishes list.
Now one other thing that I must mention is repairability. Unfortunately, varnishes are not as easy to repair as other finishes. Shellac, lacquer, and BLO can all be sanded down and re-coated with excellent results. But with varnish, sanding too much can result in witness lines if you burn through one layer and expose the one beneath. So if you are repairing a varnished surface, you really have to take it easy. Fortunately, the increased durability of a varnished surface means you are a lot less likely to damage it.
So like many things in woodworking, its a balance and a compromise. But ultimately, its your project and your shop, and you are the boss. So choose whatever finish tickles your fancy. But if you want a truly durable surface, you should definitely give a film finish strong consideration. And of course, clean spills quickly and encourage the use of coasters!!
46 Responses to “The Difference a Film Makes”
Great article Marc. Arm R Seal is Varnish and Oil tho isn’t it?
I’ve just started using Arm R Seal and I love it! ;)
Nope. Despite the labeling, its really what we know of as a straight varnish.
“straight” varnish? Well, it’s a wiping varnish, so it’s a varnish with alot of extra solvent added (you can turn an oil-based non-wiping varnish into a wiping varnish by mixing it ~50/50 with mineral spirits).
WiZeR, as for Oil and Varnish mixes, that’s essentially what “danish oil” is; usually BLO mixed with varnish (and extra solvent to make it easy to wipe on) and maybe some pigments.
Mark’s results ain’t surprising; a good film finish is going to provide the best protection. Varnishes, no matter what the resins used, will start to look “plastic” as they are built up, but for most purposes a thin coating works fine. Most furniture doesn’t need the same protection as a hardwood floor.
It just so happens that I’m beginning to research a finish for a bathroom vanity that I’m working on. I had considered using Danish oil, but I think I might try your wiping varnish recipe and see how I like it.
You will like it a lot better. Especially a year or two from now.
DD
Great entry Marc. It’s the little things like this that make you and your site stand out. Just to add my 2 cents, If I have a piece to hang on the wall and it wont get touched very often then an oil finish fits the bill. If on the other hand it’ll get used and maybe abused, then varnish would be my choice. I made a simple mirror with a small shelf for my wife about 2 years ago and all I did was rub wax on it. It doesn’t get touched (except when dusting), so far it seems to have held up well. I probably should put another application on sometime though.
Thanks C-ya
My new go-to finish for almost everything gives the best of both worlds. I use 1/4 pure tung oil, 1/4 varnish and 1/2 mineral spirits. You get the look of oil, the durability of varnish quick drying. The only problem is it goes on VERY thin, so you need a LOT of coats. But with the addition of a capfull of Japan Drier doing 2 coats a day is no problem. You also get that close to the wood feeling that we all love!!
I love an Oil/Varnish mix also, that’s generally what I use. I tend to start the first layer pretty thin (50% Turpentine) and then bump on the Varnish % with successive coats. Most recently I used Epifanes and BLO. It gives a really nice/protective finish, but you do need a lot of coats when you soak/wipe-off (*very* thin coats).
For my bathroom vanity I’m using water-based polyacrylic urethane. Maybe 4 or 5 coats. Hoping it holds up well in bathroom environment — high humidity, toothpaste, water, soap, hair spray, all kinds of splatters…
Keep us posted on that one Jim. I am curious how it holds up.
My bathroom vanity, now six months old:
http://www.thinshavings.com/wp.....y_1000.jpg
It was 5 coats (on the front, only 3 on the inside) of wipe-on poly. The wipe-on is thinner, so I can still see the pores in the Mahogany. Water beads up on it, though.
Oh man! Now that is one heck of a vanity! Nicely done.
Looks great. If it were an oil-only finish, it would probably be all water-spotted by now.
DD
As you say, there is nothing new to demonstrating that a film finish will hold up to staining better than an oil finish. Personally, all my shop stuff gets shellaced because it’s easily rejuvenated. Anything that needs stain resistance or requires waterproofing,gets a wiping polyurethane treatment.
But the thing that an oil/wax finish brings to the party is a natural look and feel. There isn’t a film finish on earth that provides this and I sometimes use it for the same reason folks like James Krenov favored oil/wax finishes.
Cheers — Larry
However, the wax IS a film finish. Just a very thin, soft film. But it protects from moisture by sitting on top of the wood. Doesn’t protect much from abrasion, though.
DD
I worked in a furniture refinishing shop for several years in the 1980′s and the pieces we hated to see the most were pieces that had polyurethane on them due to the fact that they were really hard to strip. Since it has been several years I’m not sure if there have been changes to urethanes that make the removal any easier. Does anyone know? Also is it correct to use the terms varnish and urethane interchangeably? The removal aspect might be a consideration for me if I had a piece that I thought I might refinish at some point in the future like the top of a kitchen table.
Varnish contains a drying agent (oil or water) and a resin (typically urethane). There are some varnishes that aren’t urethane, they are made of acrylic, or earlier in time from natural resins.
Today, there is no reason to use anything but urethane as the resin, as it is the strongest, best, and most cost efficient. That’s why they are almost used interchangeably. Technically, you could have a varnish that does not include urethane, but there is no real benefit to those thanks to overall superiority of urethane.
Also, technically, once you add the alcohol to shellac, it is also a “varnish”.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varnish
I’m afraid I have to disagree here.
Polyurethane is a plastic film, as opposed to oil varnish being a oil base. Where looks are important (such as in stringed musical instruments) oil varnish is greatly superior to poly in appearance. The poly coatings look cold and dead in comparison, as they don’t refract the light in the same way as an oil varnish. A good cabinet varnish has a visual and tactile quality that is completely different than the synthetics.
A second, and very important point is that the urethane finishes dry too quickly for proper leveling of the finish. If you are after a “piano” finish, you need your varnish to self-level after each coat. So such a finish needs at least three or four hours time before drying to the touch. Poly finishes dry far to quickly for proper leveling.
A third point is that oil varnish finishes are easy to strip if you need to replace a damaged finish. Many of the plastic finishes are completely resistant to strippers and refinishers and have to be abraded off in the event of a refinish. On an item that isn’t subject to being damaged, this is not a problem. But in the case where a finish will need to be regularly replaced–such as on the exterior wood surfaces of a boat–strip-ability is extremely important.
Finally, for durability, most plastic finishes tend to dry too hard and inflexible for outdoor use. Going back to boats–which have to face the most difficult conditions possible for a wood surface–the finish of choice is always an oil spar varnish, which provides not only protection from the sun, wind and abrasion, but has the flexibility needed to move with the wood during extreme humidity variations, and not crack or craze. The only finish I know of that is more durable than a spar varnish in extreme exterior conditions, is a wood surface that has been sealed and filled with epoxy, and then coated with spar varnish. The epoxy makes the wood completely moisture proof and the spar varnish protects the epoxy from UV rays. This kind of finish, however, is no longer easy to remove. For most exterior wood spar varnish alone is probably best.
But spar varnish is too soft to rub out. For hard indoor use where looks are important, there is nothing more beautiful and durable than a short-oil cabinet varnish, like Behlen’s Rock Hard Tabletop varnish. It’s not as flexible as spar varnish, but it’s hard enough to be rubbed out to a mirror finish that greatly exceeds the look of any of the urethanes.
While the plastics have their place, and are quick and easy to use, I don’t think they have made good oil varnishes obsolete at all. At least not for special jobs.
I’ll get off my soap box now. :->
DD
Dan,
I am not going to argue with your experience and expertise on finishes. I will just mention that when I say varnish, I am referring to the technical term of a drying agent + resin. “Oil Varnish” is an old “woodworking term”, and isn’t actually a varnish.
Also, I agree that urethane’s do not give the ultimate appearance in many situations. I didn’t mean to infer that. I simply meant that of true varnishes (again, drying agent + resin, not “varnish oils”) urethane is the clear standout. There used to be organic resins (hundreds of years ago), then shellacs, then akyllyd acrylics, and now urethanes. When comparing acrylics with natural resins with urethanes, all which create a fairly noticeable glossy buildup, urethane is the clear winner.
And that’s why when you want a nice shine on your wood (excluding exterior applications), you should always look to either a french polish shellac, or for most durability, polyurethane.
Well, I’m afraid we’ll simply have to disagree on this topic.
The definition of “varnish” varies depending on what group of craftsmen you happen to be talking to. Varnish was around long before the urethanes were invented, and was called by that name for centuries. A varnish actually consists of three components. Resin, oil and solvent. When you apply varnish (either oil varnish or poly) the only thing that actually evaporates is the solvent. The oil doesn’t evaporate, but polymerizes. That takes time. More time for a true oil varnish than for a urethane. Shellac, on the other hand, has only resin and solvent. When the alcohol vehicle evaporates, the finish hardens. That’s why shellac dries so quickly.
The only advantage of urethane over oil varnish is the speed of drying. It is more “convenient” to use than an oil varnish. But it doesn’t look better or wear better. And it won’t rub out to as brilliant a shine as oil varnish. That’s why many craftsmen are returning to oil varnishes if they have the luxury of added production time. The only problem is that most hardware stores don’t carry it anymore, so you have to order it. Hopefully that will change. Like the comeback that shellac is currently making. The claims by the manufacturers and the paint store clerks are pure salesmanship, in my opinion. You can buy the sales pitch (no pun intended) if you like, but that doesn’t make it fact.
French polish can be the most beautiful of all finishes, but the method of application is beyond the ability of most home craftsmen, and takes far too long for professional cabinet makers. Plus, it’s far too fragile a finish for anything that is subject to hard use. It’s a popular finish with some classical guitar makers, but many feel it’s too fragile even for finishing a guitar.
In the final analysis, it’s much like whether you prefer driving a stick shift or an automatic. While I agree that a polyurethane is probably the most practical “varnish” finish for the commercial cabinet maker and the casual home craftsman, for issues of speed and convenience, I don’t agree that it’s inherently superior to traditional varnish. Sorry.
DD
“The definition of “varnish†varies depending on what group of craftsmen you happen to be talking to.”
And that is my point. “Oil varnish” isn’t varnish. It is a misnomer. Sometimes, as with “Danish Oil” “Tung Oil Finish” and a billion other brand names they are oil and varnish blends. Sometimes blended with alkyl resins, sometimes with urethane. Sometimes it’s even just oil!
I was merely trying to respond to the original comment by Jim of “is varnish and urethane interchangeable”. I suppose I will have to change my answer.
Are they interchangeable?
Almost – If you are talking about the technically correct answer. A true varnish is a drying agent plus a resin, either an alkyl/acrylic, or urethane. alkyl’s make great hardeners for outdoor varnishes like epifanes.
No – If you are talking to anyone who uses the term varnish to mean anything that has a can with varnish on the label. As Marc points out in one of his other comments, you have to look at the label. Often things are sold as “oil varnishes” or varnishes that are actually blends with other stuff.
And that is where I will have to leave it. I am a very technical person, and if I say varnish, I mean a true varnish. If I say a wiping varnish or oil varnish, it is thinned or a blend. and with a few exceptions, urethane makes the best true varnish.
If you want a natural look to your wood, don’t use varnish!
I’m sorry Charles, but from your last comment it’s clear to me that you don’t know what I’m referring to when I say “Oil Varnish”. Not surprising. It hasn’t been on the shelves of most paint or hardware stores for quite a few years. Probably long before you began woodworking. You’ve probably never actually seen a can of it. Not your fault.
You say that oil varnish is not a true varnish. What do you think Stradivarius finished his violins with? It was oil varnish. He would be surprised to find out that his varnish was not a “true” varnish. :->
Anyway, best of luck.
DD
http://www.rockler.com/blog/in.....D634C18C2A
DD
What Charles said. :) Whenever you go to buy a varnish (be it poly or otherwise), you should look at the ingredients list on the back of the can and also check out the MSDS. Its interesting to see how each company does something a little different with their resin composition. Some are all polyurethane, but many are actually mixtures of poly and either phenolic or alkyd resins. For instance, you guys hear me talk about Epifanes all the time. Well Epifanes is actually a mix of urethane and alkyd resin. And Arm-R-Seal is mostly urethane, but the MSDS says it could contain anywhere from 0-25% proprietary “resin”. Well, there are only so many things that can be. lol
So in general, they are all going to look and act like we generically refer to as varnish or poly. But in the most technical sense, poly is a type of varnish.
Would you please repeat this test with “soda, coffee, wine, and hot cocoa”? Just kidding. I think you’ve made your point.
…mmmm, science….
I believe with an oil finish if the piece gets abused it gains charicter .where if a lay on top finish gets abused its instanty ruined .Also i only use one coat of oil , wait an hour , wipe off , wait an hour , wipe off , wait a day , wipe off and wax a week later . theres no stress . I also sweep the floor while I am waiting for the oil to dry
I couldn’t agree more. I finish all my tool handles and butcher block with an oil finish. Easy to apply, easy to renew. Who cares about the stains and dents. As you say, they add character. Same for some styles of furniture. but not all styles.
DD
Nice and informative, thanks for doing the comparisons. If the varnish starts to look too glossy, how can it be cut back to a satin finish without looking scratched?
You know James, the standard answer to this is to use something like 0000 steel wool or abrasive pads to bring the surface down to satin. Well, I just don’t like this method. I realize that small scratches in the surface scatter light in much the same way that flatteners do, but apparently I’m not the only one who thinks it looks bad when you do it manually. So there’s two of us. :)
For me, the only solution is on final coat of satin.
I agree with Marc. Steel wool will dull the finish, but it tends to look crude–especially on large surfaces like table tops. Not only that, but with handling and wear, the surface will gradually be rubbed-out and get shiny again–in the areas of most handling. The best thing as Marc indicates is to give it a final coat of satin varnish. You do not, however want to use satin for all the coats, since it contains a dulling agent that will make your finish less transparent as it gets thicker. You want the color of the wood to show through, so use gloss varnish for all but the last coat.
DD
My first experiences in woodworking were at a custom cabinet shop and that heavily influenced the finish that I use. I’ve always sprayed on lacquer. I’ve used a few, and my absolute favorite is MagnaMax by ML Campbell. Since my addiction to The Wood Whisperer, 2 years now, I’ve been really tempted to try the Spag method. I’m working on an ash desk that it should be perfect for.
When I was doing custom work, and working in a refinishing shop, I lived on 5 gallon jugs of Sherwin Williams Pre-cat CAB Acrylic Lacquer. When time is money, there was just no better option for me. Easy to apply, easy to fix, and it looked stunning. It wasn’t until I started up the Wood Whisperer that I could afford the time to go back and play with the hand applied finishes. And the wipe-on varnish once again became my “go to” finish.
Great test! Seal-a-cell and Arm-r-seal is by far my favorite finish.
I’m new to most of this. I only use BLO for tool handles.
I never considered even using it as a final finish.
I’m interested in arm-r-seal, gonna give it a tryy.
BTW, BLO does work great for wooden tool handels
Boiled linseed oil is simply raw linseed oil with added dryers. Otherwise it would never dry at all. It’s an OK finish for your tool handles, but there are better ones. It’s best feature is that it’s cheap. It semi-seals the wood, but does nothing to repel dirt and grime or protect against abrasion. Any wiping varnish will make the wood harder and less porous than will BLO. Tru-Oil gunstock finish is infinitely superior IMHO if you like a BLO finish.
DD
Hi Marc,
Maybe I missed it, but did you do your little stain test on the water-based poly? I’m guessing you might be surprised to find its nowhere near as good as the arm-r-seal.
Thats because in the water-based poly, the resin is dispersed – and remains dispersed/suspended – because of added ‘surfactants’ – think soap. Even if the resin material cross-links when it drys – the ‘soap’ is still in there. And as soon as water hits it – the soap will start to dissolve your finish – just like your dishwasher soap dissolves grease.
A similar solvent-based resin finish will – IMHO – always be superior.
I NEVER use a water-based product on any piece of furniture/cabinetry I make.
Water-based stuff is OK for interior gypsum wallboard, and actually can – in a few circumstances – be OK as an exterior house siding finish – as long as the finish is a light color. (It will chalk, making the finish ‘cleaner looking’ plus it may be less likely to peel as it ‘breaths better’. But if the color is dark, be prepared for the finish to eventually look streaked as it chalks.)
Yes, water-based is ‘politially correct’. But solvent-based is – again IMHO – always going to be superior as a furniture finish.
And for a bathroom vanity – that is absolutely the LAST place I would ever use a water-based product..:>)
No tests were done on water-based poly. The focus was only on oil-based products. Thanks for the info.
My twelve year old kitchen table is oiled every (?) second year (when I ‘really’ need to) and daily abused with ‘soda, coffee, wine, or maybe even some delicious hot cocoa’ and red coloured yoghurt (leaves a red stain within 5-10 minutes), and grocery bags for the scratches.
But once cleaned, apart from a few deep scratches and bumps, I can’t see much damage. The red stains (E150d and E122) are probably not light fast. On the other hand, I can understand that a regularly maintained varnished surface is preferred by most people. (As for grocery bags, please don’t put anything from the floor on a table.)
Well Marc after hearing you (on numerous occassions) speak of Arm-R-Seal wipe on finish I am definitely going to give it a try. In the past I’ve used a brush on urethane always with decent results but this seems as you put it “dummy proof”.
Now I have a question for you… I am just recently setting up shop again (I have been away from it for over 10 years due to lack of space) and I would like to know the best/safest way to store finishes.
In the past I never gave it a second thought but I have been going through your site “archives” and found a very disturbing arcticle about a fire that happened to Mike Mies.
He said he believed it may have been caused by his using BLO and spreading the clothes out to dry afterwards.
Now I’m the type who will buy a gallon if I need a quart and store the rest for future use.
What do you guys think? How do you store your finishes safely? I was thinking of purchasing a special flammable cabinet but I would rather not spend $400. if I don’t have to.
Thanks,
Larry
Hey Larry. Technically, we should all be using flammable cabinets. But like you said, they are usually prohibitively expensive. So what i do is keep my cans sealed up and nicely organized in a big metal cabinet from Sams Club (less that $100). Its not going to completely prevent the spread of fire, but it should slow things down if something were to occur.
And the most important thing you can do to prevent fire, is to spread all oil rags out in a thin single layer, outside or on a concrete floor. Leave them there until they are crispy.
I can’t say that’s a complete formula for fire safety, but it works for me.
Wow, alot of this is way over my head! Where is the discussion for those of us that studied social sciences? Maybe the social construction of varnish? Anyway, I clearly have alot to learn about finishes. Thanks for all the info!
So I read some of the threads and became a little confused. For a newer woodworker, which finish should I use for furniture oil or water based? I used a water based finish for a toybox I made but just read it will get chalky. How soon and can subsequent coats of oil base finish be palced on top? What to do…what to do?
Well the decision to go water vs oil based is going to be completely up to you. If I were to make a recommendation though, I would start with something oil-based. Its easier to use, doesn’t have a big learning curve, and will protect the wood adequately for years to come.
Now applying water-based finish on interior furniture is perfectly fine. If the piece is left outside and exposed to the elements, that’s when that chalkiness will occur. But on interior pieces that won’t see any water exposure, it should be just fine. I have several pieces finished with water-based materials and they look great after several years.
And I don’t mean to confuse you further yet, but there are a number of different types of “water-based” finishes on the market with varying performance and application properties. I really wish the world of finishes was less confusing. That’s why you’ll find that when most folks find something that works, they just stick with it.
Now if you already have a water-based finish on the toybox, I would leave it as is. I don’t really see a compelling reason to topcoat with anything else.
Great test Marc. I couldn’t agree more with your findings.
No matter what the finish, it’s definitely fun to require your guests to use coasters. Now, I’ve found that although wood pulp or fiber based products may carry more ascetic appeal, coasters made of petroleum based materials offer far greater protection from a wide range of beverages.