Choosing the Right Interior Finish

There are many approaches to wood finishes. Nearly all of them are correct if applied and executed properly. It comes down to the appearance, quality, repeatability, affordability, availability, and usage of the finish for the item in question. Finishes get grouped into 2 main categories. Penetrating and Surface finishes. Without the right finish your project will likely crack, dry out, warp, twist, and be unattractive.

Penetrating Finishes (all oils take a long time to dry)- • Tung Oil- adds depth and beauty to wood. Will not darken wood as much as other options. Great on boat decks, floors, and bringing out beauty of wood. Figured woods especially thrive with Tung and Linseed Oil. A little pricier but worth every penny. • Boiled Linseed Oil (BLO)- most common oil finish. Very affordable. Creates a natural warm yellow glow that will darken or amber with age. Works great on workbenches, tools, tabletops (before a topcoat), anything that you want to enhance the beauty of. • Danish Oil- typically a mix of oils and a colorant. Some brands will include a varnish component to it. Offers better surface protection than plain Tung or BLO. Can be buffed to various levels of sheen. • Teak Oil- Used most often in marine finishes. It does not come from teak trees. It is a type of oil mixture of components in certain ratios to create a reasonable water-resistant finish that will hydrate your teak without losing its natural look and resistance to weathering. Not all teak oils are the same. There are many to choose from. You can find the higher end Teak Oils at boat stores. Marine finishes will get their own guide. • Mineral Oil (food grade finishes straddle both penetrating and surface finishes)- The purist in cutting boards insists on using a mineral oil bath so that the wood is full of mineral oil. This helps keep other things out. It is a non-drying food safe finish. Very affordable. Notes: FIRE HAZARD! Treat ALL OIL Finishes as a fire hazard. Boiled Linseed Oil is well documented to spontaneously combust on rags. This happens when the rags are thrown away without being rinsed with water. It is a good idea to take all rags and brushes that have been used with oil-based finishes and rinse them in water and put them in a safe place overnight (my grill is my favorite place to put them after rinsing them out). Many oil finishes contain high BLO contents or are based on it. For that reason, caution is advised when working with any oil-based product. One exception is that food grade mineral oil is always mineral oil and will not combust. Surface Finishes- They create a surface finish that creates a protective layer. This type of finish makes an excellent choice for furniture that needs a long-lasting durable finish.

Oil Base (stains, polyurethanes, varnishes, spar will get its own discussion)- • Appearance- Oil base stains and topcoats are typically much prettier than their counterparts (water based for example). They typically add a very nice warm amber glow to the wood. This can have a very pleasing effect to finishes but may not be consistent across large projects. • Quality- Clean-up is harder requiring mineral spirits or a good cleaning agent. Oil based looks great on furniture or non-enclosed spaces (kitchen cabinets are enclosed or example). • Affordability- These are very affordable. The price for all finishes goes up when you move from a big box store brand to a high-end professional grade finish. The difference is found in the resins used as a binder. Once you use a high-end finish you will immediately understand the value they offer. • Usage- Ideal on kitchen tables, end tables, chairs, decorations, outdoor finishes, etc. They take longer to dry and have more fumes. Due to fumes, I don’t use them in kitchen cabinets. I may use an alcohol dye, oil base stain for color, but I won’t use an oil base topcoat. These gases can get trapped in cabinets and last a very long time. Oil finishes have slower dry times compared to water or alcohol-based finishes. • Repeatability- You can repeat this finish and produce identical colors and finishes for future projects. They are easy or at least forgiving to apply. Many light coats are better than a few heavy ones. This is true for nearly all but especially here. They are durable or at least wear well. Application is straightforward with a stain pad, natural bristle brush, or roll and tip. They are difficult to repair when damaged.

Water Base- • Appearance- they produce a natural sheen and look very nice. They produce almost no ambering or color enhancement. They have nearly no odor. This is very useful in kitchen and decorative applications. • Quality- They clean up easily. Produce a very nice finish. In many ways they are the reverse of oil-based finishes. They dry quickly, produce little to no color enhancement, easy clean up, and have no odors. However, they are harder to apply than oil. • Affordability- The price point on water-based finishes is extremely affordable. You can produce very nice results with big box items. As mentioned previously, with proper application techniques better quality finishes will outperform lower end products. • Usage- Decorative furniture, woodwork, cabinets, etc… • Repeatability- Water base finishes do not apply as easily. Often you will have issues if you try to work the finish or smooth a run. I have the best results when I apply a decent wet coat and leave it alone. Clean-up is a breeze. It is very affordable, dry time is fast around 20-60 mins in good conditions. Use a synthetic bristle brush, stain pad, foam roller, or sprayer.

Shellac- • Appearance- It is very attractive on most wood surfaces but especially on darker colors like walnut, mahogany, teak, monkeypod, koa, and fine veneers. It has been called the wood finish for dummies. I think that is a little unfair. But it will provide a very attractive finish from 1 can. I use it most as a universal binder and sealer. • Quality- Perhaps the oldest and most important finish in history. It produces a timeless finish that is exceptionally beautiful. This was the finish of choice in older woodworking. It dominated wood finishes in the 1800’s. Many historical buildings and furniture have a shellac finish. However, it is not durable against water and alcohol. Shellac is one of the most important finishes in history. Some of the oldest historical proof dates it back 3,000 years and it is believed to be older than that. It is considered a food-safe product derived from insects. It is used in medicine, fruit polish, cutting board finish, and many foods (candy bars and more). French Polish is a shellac finish. However, the application method is much more difficult and labor intensive but produces a finish second to none. • Affordability- Shellac is incredibly affordable. You can buy it in many places. This is one of those rare moments that nearly all shellacs are identical in quality. The separation factors are waxed vs dewaxed (nearly all are dewaxed for bonding purposes), color (clear vs amber), and weight (pound cuts). A purist may want to mix it in the shop. You can purchase shellac flakes and mix in denatured alcohol. It is measured in pound cuts. Such as 1 pound cut, 2 pound cut etc. This refers to an amount of shellac flakes mixed to a fixed amount of denatured alcohol (typically one gallon). • Usage- Can be used as a stand-alone finish. It produces a fine mellow finish that enhances the beauty of the wood. It will likely have a blonde to orange tint to it. Shellac is one of the most recommended and widely used sealers for wood projects. It will seal the wood and bond to everything while producing an added layer of beauty to your project. Wood is porous and surface finishes will seep into the grain causing air bubbles to appear during curing (epoxy, lacquer, conversion varnish, varnish, etc). Layering shellac into your finish process will seal the wood, guarantee adhesion between products, and add a beauty enhancement to your project. • Repeatability- Shellac can be difficult to apply. It does dissolve in denatured alcohol and from itself. It will melt into itself. While it is difficult to apply it does repair better than most other finishes. Especially with shellac sticks and other products. It can be applied by spraying, badger hair or foam brush, stain sponge, and cloths. Aerosol is one of the easiest ways to produce consistent results for a new user.

Lacquer- there are many kinds of lacquers. This is a brief synopsis. Make sure to consult the store at time of purchase for relevant needs (pre cat, post cat, cab acrylic, fish eye reduction, reducers, color lacquers and more) • Appearance- is a combination of different wood finishes. You can find lacquer based on shellac, nitrocellulose, and urushiol, and more. The drying process is usually solvent evaporation. It leaves behind a hard durable finish. You can get the finish sheens in matte to gloss. All lacquers will tend to yellow over time but color stabilizers control this very well. • Quality- Not all lacquers are created equal. The best lacquers I’ve used come from high end suppliers. I purchase my lacquers from Sherwin Williams or ML Campbell. I’ve heard the Sherwin Williams makes the ML Campbell product line. Lacquer will melt into itself. It produces an incredible level of finish that is second to none. • Affordability- It is not the cheapest material. A gallon is typically $50-75. However, compared to the highest end polyurethanes they are very affordable. If you can spray your finishes, you will not find a better finish that lays down quickly and produces this quality. The best lacquers require HVLP spray equipment. I personally don’t like brushing lacquers or aerosol lacquers. My best results have always come from spraying. Please see my other article on how to set up an affordable HVLP spray setup. • Usage- Lacquer is ideal for use on cabinets, furniture, high end projects. You can purchase white lacquers for cabinets and even get them tinted at some locations. However, cabinet paints have come a long way in the last 15 years. The most popular usage is clear lacquers. When used with proper finishing schedules you will produce a depth of curl and appearance that is incredibly beautiful. Lacquer can be very finnicky about humidity and temperature. You need a nice sunny day to spray the material but need a warm shaded area to rest the project as it dries for 45-60 minutes. The data sheet on the material will outline the recommended times for recoating, sanding, handling. • Repeatability- Lacquer is very repeatable. Because it melts into itself is easily repairable. One note, make sure to use a retarder or reducer and keep out of direct sunlight as it dries. Failure to do so will result in solvent pop. That is where the surface has dried but solvents still need to escape. This causes the top layer to bubble and pop.

Dye- • Appearance- Wood dyes can be used in alcohol or water. You can purchase the dyes in powder or liquid versions. The small dye particles will penetrate the wood and either mimic another species, enhance a current species, or stabilize a color from UV challenges. • Quality- Dyes will enhance the color of many projects. The color of the finish is incredible. When you combine a dye with several other steps listed above you can create finishes that people talk about for years to come. Often step panels will be used for this process to illustrate the importance of dyes. It is very important that a high-quality dye is used. A valid argument can be made that any dye can be mixed and provide adequate results. However, it is much more efficient and repeatable to purchase a high-quality dye that is easy to use. • Affordability- Aniline powder and liquid dyes can be very affordable. However, the higher end brands do become more costly. They will last a very long time and should be considered a worthy investment to buy the best products. I can highly recommend Mohawk, Keda, and TransTint dyes. • Usage- Dyes are ideal for guitar makers, furniture makers, and fine projects. Dyes can be used to make wood appear to be a different species. You can make a light word very dark by using the proper dye before staining. In addition, the proper dye will not raise the grain in your project and will provide UV stabilization for darker woods that tend to lighten over time such as Walnut. • Repeatability- Dyes are repeatable. However, they require practice. The key is learning how many coats and what concentration to use. It will take some skill but with time and practice you can perfect signature colors for your business. If you use alcohol-based wood dyes, you can remove lap marks and even out the finish by wiping the surface with a sponge or rag lightly coated with denatured alcohol. Cleaning is difficult from clothes, materials, and skin. Make sure to use gloves and PPE in this process. All materials used in dyes will be discarded if not reused.

Wax- • Appearance- Waxes are taking on a new place in the market. Years ago, the only wax used was SC Johnson Paste Wax. Now you can’t even purchase it. Now people are using Hard Wax Oils such as Osmo PolyX, Rubio Monocoat, and Odies Oil amongst others. You will need to buff the wax to a nice satin shine. Often requiring 2 or more coats. The key here is elbow grease, but electric car buffers are helping with this too. • Quality- Waxes create a very attractive finish. Hard wax oils on epoxy tables are extremely popular. What makes them so attractive is the simplicity of having a good finish from 1 can. However, they do not like water at all. It is imperative that coasters are used on projects. Some of these finishes are difficult to repair. Many people love these finishes. The purists have not been won over yet. Is there a place for them sure? Do they look great? Yes. Will the finish hold up for 100 years? Doubtful. Will the finish itself stand the test of time or are we looking at the next minwax polyshade? Time will tell. However, paste waxes as a sacrificial layer over a completed project have been around forever and will continue to stand the test of time. But we are still crying inside over the end of SC Johnson Paste Wax. How could you do this to us, SC Johnson? • Affordability- Paste waxes are incredibly affordable. There is not a garage or toolbox that didn’t have paste wax in it. Now that same can with SC Johnson on it is worth its weight in gold. The Hard Wax Oil products feel somewhat pricey. However, when you compare what they do for the coverage the price is well in line with other products. • Usage- Waxes produce a smooth finish that is protective but also very pleasing to the touch. The hard wax oils will produce a very nice finish on epoxy and wood tables. The key here is the speed of application and a finish that is quite good from a single product. Wax and oil by themselves are not very durable. The newer products are somewhat more durable. However, they are still susceptible to liquids and scratches. Most can be repaired with another coat. New topcoats are coming on the market, but this causes these materials to lose their benefit of a single can finish. This means they are competing with other multi-step finishes. For the price of entry and ease of application, they are a very attractive and nice finish for someone who is a prosumer. • Repeatability- Waxes are very repeatable. This is one of the strengths of all waxes. With proper application they will be the same way every time and will provide a very pleasing finish on natural edge furniture.

Paint (Cabinet Grade) • Appearance- Paint is probably the easiest and most forgiving finish to apply to any wood surface. Paint will cover a multitude of sins and provide a very nice finish over a poor surface. Statements like materials being paint grade are not necessarily a compliment. There are a diverse range of sheens and colors to choose from. Painting wood has never been more popular. Over the years, woodworkers have despised painting wooden projects. However, kitchens and other areas of the home have been energized by judicious use of paint. • Quality- Paint has come a long way over the years. Painting cabinets has never been more popular. Challenges such as brush strokes, hardness, and fumes are well under control today. It is very easy to purchase cabinet style paint from Sherwin Williams, PPG, & Benjamin Moore to name a few. You can purchase cabinet paint at lower prices from the big box stores. However, once you use a high-end cabinet paint you will never go back. The durability and ease of application make the cost well worth the extra expense.
• Affordability- Initial purchase of cabinet paint is higher than many may anticipate. However, when one is reminded of the lower volume of material required the price is surprisingly affordable. • Usage- Cabinet paints may be both harder and easier to apply depending on a person’s level of experience. They are slightly harder to apply than basic latex in that more care must be taken to properly roll and tip or brush out the surface. They have exceptional bridging characteristics. Some professional painters can see similarities with higher end paints used in boats and automobiles. However, paints are much easier to apply than varnish or the other methods outlined so far. Spraying is also highly recommended. Consult the data sheets for instructions on flow agents and recommended application methods. • Repeatability- Paints are highly repeatable. They can typically be touched up or recoated very easily. They are extremely durable and have short dry times compared to other products. It is no surprise that paints are thriving in the economic times we are in. You can save some funds on materials and have a very easy, forgiving, and durable finish that adds color to your room. However, a purist will still treasure a natural wood finish.

Conversion Varnish • Appearance- Conversion Varnish will feel like a very unusual subject unless you have familiarity with 2k paints. 2k paints are materials that have a hardener. Urethane primers, auto paints, marine paints and more have a mixing ratio (4:1 or 2:1). 2k materials produce a very strong finish. Conversion Varnish is the woodworking equivalent of those materials. When you look at it you might wonder if it is a varnish or an epoxy? Probably it is a conversion varnish. It is widely available to professionals and requires special spray equipment for application. It is incredibly durable and very attractive. The materials are not overly expensive, but the curing agent is acid. For that reason, special spray guns, PPE, and clean up methods are required. In some areas you may need to be a licensed business just to purchase this material. At the time of this article, we are not aware of any outdoor conversion varnishes. • Quality- Incredibly durable. This finish is durable on heavily used surfaces. Some versions of this finish are impervious to UV, water, acetone, lacquer thinner, vinegar, ink and more. It is difficult to apply. Residual materials in a spray gun or even lines can ruin the results. However, the finish and durability is beyond comparison. When combined as a topcoat for other finishes on this list you have a finish that is beautiful and bullet proof. • Affordability- It is one of the more expensive finishes coming in at around $100/gallon with the material and the catalyst. It may be difficult to obtain. However, indoor commercial surfaces may be best considered for this finish. • Usage- It is perhaps the most difficult finish to apply. Some professionals avoid this material just because of the difficulties associated with application. HVLP spray guns are recommended. Please see our other article on how to set up an HVLP sprayer for your shop. • Repeatability- Once the setup is dialed in the finish is easily repeatable. Things to consider are ambient temperature and humidity as well as spray gun setup. It will be a challenge for some woodworkers, but the finish is next level and truly unbeatable. The challenge is getting to that finish line in terms of setup, application, and skill.

Epoxy • Appearance- There are a huge number of epoxies on the market. The main difference is the depth of the pour that the product recommends. Such as 1/8”, ½”, 2”, 2-4” etc. Typically, the deeper the pour the longer the cure time. Sometimes that can stretch from hours to minutes to days. Epoxies are here to stay. They are beautiful and have rescued many a board from the fire pit already. It truly is a case of turning trash into treasure. • Quality- Epoxies are steadily improving in terms of quality. Epoxies in the 80’s had a bit of a poor reputation. However today there are many good brands on the market. Some are so clear they look nearly invisible and often excellent UV resistance. Typically, a person will find one brand and stick with that for his entire career. We highly recommend using the best brands available for your projects. It is imperative that proper ratios, mixing, and expiration dates be observed when using epoxies. • Affordability- Initial cost of epoxy can feel rather high. However, when you consider the sheer volume of material needed or the potential return on investment, they are worth every penny. Tabletop and countertop epoxies do tend to be more affordable than the deep pour alternatives. • Usage- Epoxy is being widely used for tabletops, countertops, fixing gaps in natural slab materials, river trays and tables, and more. There is a wide array of options to use epoxy today. It is imperative that the right version of epoxy be used for your project. There are a few techniques that should be considered when applying epoxy. Some manufacturers recommend thinner materials as a sealer or a couple of layers to act as a wood sealer. Others recommend shellac or another wood sealer to prevent bubbles. Bubbles should be popped with heat. Deep pours with mica colors will likely need to be stirred over the course of the curing process. Epoxies can be leveled, sanded, and buffed to a shine. In the case of damage deep pours may need to be top coated with a thinner material to element bubbles or defects. Epoxy will inherently yellow over time and will scratch. • Repeatability- Epoxy is a very repeatable material. So long as proper mixing and drying techniques are used. With proper record keeping, colors can be replicated to near identical appearances.

Homemade Finishes 321 Finish • Appearance- 321 is an oldie but goodie finish. Chances are if your father or grandfather was a carpenter they used this finish. It has the benefits of oil by soaking into the wood. It has the benefits of varnish in creating a surface coating. It is especially nice on woods with figure and on pine. It is made by mixing 3 parts mineral spirits (or turpentine), 2 parts oil based varnish (polyurethane, spar varnish, etc), 1 part boiled linseed oil (or tung oil). • Quality- It is as good as you make it. Meaning the only real variable is the varnish component. It’s a very high quality finish that produces one of the nicest finishes on pine you will ever get. • Affordability- Incredibly affordable. It has lost out because companies started producing variants of this today. If you find an oil and urethane or oil and varnish finish you essentially have this concept albeit in various unknown ratios. Old Master’s and General Finishes both make similar items to this. • Usage- For interior use it provides an incredible finish. It highlights the beauty of the wood. After several coats it will build a very nice surface finish. It likely will only receive 1 coat per day due to the dry time of the oil. After 3-5 coats you will have a very pleasing finish. However, there are other finishes today that do nearly the same thing. • Repeatability- It is highly repeatable. Decently reparable and will look similar if applied from similar batches within a reasonable time frame. Note this finish will amber over time adding a very pleasing sight to the finish. That also means that matching it after say more than 5 years is highly unlikely. Note: other variations of this concept exist. Such as 111. 1 part BLO, 1 part Mineral Spirits, 1 part varnish. Or a newer version is to use 111 with Beeswax instead of varnish. If using beeswax it is recommended to heat it in a double boiler to liquify the wax and create a very smooth consistency.

Food Grade Finishes

Mineral Oil and Board Butter It is recommended to soak your cutting boards in mineral oil until bubbles stop escaping from the wood. Typically 1 hour is sufficient. It is recommended to allow your board to dry overnight and apply your board butter the next day. Board butter is made from beeswax and mineral oil. The typical ratio is 4:1, however hotter more tropical climates may need a 3:1 or more ratio of mineral oil and beeswax. This can be made in a pot on the stove and pouring directly into storage containers. Some may wish to purchase board oils and waxes from stores etc. However, it is most economical and very easy to make your own food safe finish without any extra chemicals.