Quote:
Originally Posted by JMT
Wow, I didn't realize that finishing these things would be so involved. I would like as nice a finish as I can manage, but understand too that I am not a woodworker and that it is unlikely that I will get a "professional" finish with my limited woodworking skills and environment.
Pig, I would appreciate your explanation. Thank you.
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This finish is do-able, and is a hybid between the beauty of oil and the durability of varnish. I recommend 6 to 8 coats so that the pores get properly filled for durability and stain resistance.
Ingredients: Equal parts of pure linseed oil, gloss spar varnish, and turpentine.
Mix enough in a sealable container for a couple of days application--one coat a day, or in your locale, you can apply a coat in the morning, and a coat in the afternoon.
The danger here is if the finish starts to go off (tack) before you finish wiping off/ evening the coat. The result will be lint being pulled off your rag--not good. Subsequent coats will go off sooner, so you must work smaller areas than with the first coat. Your cabs are seperated into panels so it is easy to work in sections.
Each subsequent coat will fill the pores more completely, and will get you closer to a finished look.
Use one rag for applying, and another rag (you may need 2) for wiping the finish off. I like to use 100% cotton tee shirts. You'll end up going through a bunch of rags for the overall process. You must let the finish sit for 5 to 12 min. (this will vary according to the humidity in your locale and the coat you are working on) to allow it to soak into the wood. Again, monitor the tackiness and the area you are working in order to avoid the lint problem mentioned above.
If you wipe the finish off after say, 5 to 7 min., you will avoid the lint problems, and you can gauge from there how much area to work at a time. Since you are thereby allowing less soak-in time, you may want to add a coat or two over all. Of course, each subsequent coat will soak in less than the one before.
Spread the first coat fairly judiciously and evenly, and wipe it off completely and evenly. Pay attention to edges and corners to avoid build up. Wipe in the direction of the grain. For the insides of the boxes, wipe along the inside (vertical/ horizontal) corners first (against the grain) then work the panels with the grain, making sure you go right up to the inside corners.
Work out a strategy for the sections that you will work to make the job easier. You will most likely be moving the cabs into different positions as you work different areas. Also, you may have to apply certain areas a couple of hours later, because access will be limited because of freshly applied finish in ajoining areas.
The first coat will see a lot of soaking into the wood, and after a few minutes you may see an unevenness in the coat because the natural grain structure of wood is itself uneven, so just apply a little more finish in those areas before the final wipe.
Work fast and accurately. Have confidence in what you are doing, as this is not too difficult.
Don't worry about your work environment--if it is relatively dust free that is good enough. You'll need decent ventilation because of the turpentine.
A while back, I posted some pics of a CD shelf I made using this finish. I only did 4 coats, and it looks great, but I wish I had applied a few more coats.
EDIT: When finished, spread your used rags flat in a safe area, and let them cure in that position to avoid the possibility of spontaneous combustion (this goes for all oil finishes).
Also, I do not like the look of stains--this finish will give you an attractive warm look to birch.
If this sounds too involved for you, I have another alternative.
