By not penetrating it as much, they make the wood appear lighter in color. Evaporative finishes–such as lacquer, shellac and many water-based finishes–dry to a hard film as the solvents evaporate. My background is a professional cabinet maker who’s built over 100 kitchens from raw lumber to installed kitchens. But a light stain or oil can enhance the grain of the wood and might be worth applying. In addition, many finishes deepen or darken the wood surface. If you haven't applied finishes before, one of the most common issues with a clear finish over whiter woods is yellowing. (5) Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc, or its affiliates. And, this finish is DIY friendly. A few weeks ago Steven at Skillcult posted a video on his axe handle oiling system and wrote: “It took me many years to finally arrive at a very simple but effective system for oiling axe handles. Do i need to sealthe surface first, if so what sort of product? But, make sure you test it on a small (non-visible) area to make sure the solvents do not damage the existing coats. Key drawbacks? Boiled linseed oil is common as a wood finish, but contains some potentially hazardous drying compounds. Don’t be intimidated by all this. Dust falling onto a finish does not pose as great a problem with lacquer or shellac as it would with a slow-drying finish such as varnish. You can find different types of food, safe wood sealants in the market. And like most clear finishes you will want 3+ coats. That being said, is it possible to strip the wood to seal it, instead, with a lacquer? Shellac is neither resistant to alkalis such as ammonia nor to alcohol. Wax is surprisingly resistant to acids and alkalis. There are many finishes available on the market today, and each has its pros and cons. There’s also a learning curve with spraying, so it will likely take some practice before you get decent results. Now the hard part of making sure your wood project is ready for the finish. Minwax 40910000 Wipe-On Poly Finish Clear Satin. Maybe you should let non-members have the ability to post comments. If you want the wood to show through on your outdoor projects, you need a clear finish. Water-based finish is usually made with either an acrylic resin (sold as water-based lacquer) or an acrylic urethane mixture (sold as water-based polyurethane). It leaves a glossy finish if applied thick enough and buffed out. Varnish cures by the same process as true oils — polymerization — but the resins make this finish more durable than oil. Is it ok to mix brands of water-based finishes or am I going to run into problems? Well, I consider budget and avoiding toxic fumes first, but humidity, drying time and your skill all play into choosing a clear wood finish. Artists use a range of tools and wood types when working, and usually apply different finishing products when the burning process is complete. I used acrylic paint. The heat-treating process makes the oil a bit more durable and speeds up the drying time. Im making a coffee table with a live edged walnut top. One of the better options for a clear coat on a walking stick would be a spar varnish. Polyurethane: Polyurethane is really the best food safe wood finish as it gives superlative results. For wood finishing, you should use only boiled linseed oil. Get woodworking tips, expert advice and special offers in your inbox. When working with water-based finishes… Dampen the wood first. Waxes — I don’t consider wax an appropriate finish in and of itself. Fortunately there are solutions that have been used for 2000+ years (Tung oil) that are plant based and food safe. There are several different types of lacquer, and they exhibit different performance characteristics. And, as a spray can, it can be used for minor touch-ups of projects that may have been damaged during transport or installation. 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