AboutGreg Scholl Expertise Questions on Woodworking, wood finishing and refinishing of all kinds, repairing furniture and wooden objects, Architectural details, Woodturning, carving, tool usage, product usage, some chemistry as it applies to woodworking and related interests,cabinet making and furniture construction/design, etc. I have experience with all manners of colorants, finishes, paints, stains, dyes, glazes, and coatings, wood species recognition and usage,tool recommendations, blade types and recommendation,techniques and methods for many Woodworking related issues, etc.
Experience Fine furniture restorer and cabinet maker for over 30 years,serving high end Antique dealers, Interior designers, Collectors in the CT area. Consulting for area Painting/Decorating and Building contractors on non painting issues..(staining, wood prep.,clear finishing, floor restoration and architectural detail restoration and repair, etc.) Sold, built, serviced, setup Home, Industrial, and Commercial stationary woodworking tools for a major tool retailer in CT. for three years, sold hand and power tools , provided knowledge, parts replacement, service, and on site service, Trade show Demo, and training as well.
Publications Published in Fine Woodworking Magazine (12/97), included on Fine Woodworkings first "Best of Fine Woodworking" CD-ROM (2002) ...("27 year compilation of expert know-how")
Education/Credentials Art School at Silvermine Guild in Norwalk, CT., 9 year apprenticeship in a European run Cabinet and Restoration shop in CT., various classes on subjects having to do with the field. Seminars from major Tool manufacturers, Skil/Bosch, Delta, Powermatic, Ritter, Porter cable, Milwaukee, Dewalt/B&Decker, Performax.
Past/Present Clients Many varied clients including work on Martha Stewarts' Westport, CT. show house, many fine Antique dealers and private collectors in and around Fairfield County and in Woodbury, CT. (the Antiques capital of CT.), Golden Age of Trucking Museum, Wilton Historical Society.
Question Hello
I work with reclaimed barn wood and have table right now I am working on made from reclaimed pine. I have given it 4 coats of tung oil 100 % 50 % mineral spirts I am getting uneven finish "frost Like" especially around the knots and darker spots on the old wood. I have lightly sanded or steel wooled between coats table is very smooth and I need it to be finished could I add varnish as my final coat so I could have a nice even finish ( my Amish neighbor would spray it on for me)I have finished about 20 or so farmhouse tables with tung oil and I have had about 6 to 8 tables do this on me.
Also for the future would you recommend for me to put on some type of conditioner first. Or should I switch to tung oil with poly in it which will get streaks I think?
I don't like high sheen I am trying to achieve a very natural satin finish like tung oil gives.
Do you know of any classes I could take too?
Thanks
Answer Hi Kelly, could you please elaborate a little on your method of application? I'm confused by your statement "4 coats of tung oil 100 % 50 % mineral spirts". Does this mean your cutting the Tung oil with 50% thinner? If so that's too high a concentration of thinner. Also, could you explaim "frost like"? I would suggest you switch from pure Tung oil to a modified Tung oil varnish product called WaterLox. The problem with old Pine, is that it's going to soak up a thinned oil like crazy, and continue to for several coats, because it's so soft and probably very dry. Anywhere the wood is harder, like around knots, the finish will build faster, meaning those areas will get glossier than the larger areas of soft wood. As I'm sure you're aware, the more coats, the more gloss you will develop as the oil cures, but if you're cutting the Tung oil 50% with thinner, it will take many coats to develop a decent finish. The other problem with pure Tung oil is that it takes 24hrs. or more to fully dry between coats, and if you're not waiting until each coat is fully dry, the next coat you apply will strip off the majority of the previous coat, especially with a lot of thinner in it. I would seriously consider the WaterLox, as I have used it for years, and it's foolproof to apply, dries predictably, and gives you the type of finish you're looking for right out of the can.....hope that helps- post back if need be- regards- Greg
I was a bit miffed that you found it necessary to score me the way you did, yet nominate me for Expert of the month. I also realize I didn't really answer the question. Yes, you could varnish over fully cured Tung oil. But that means probably 4 weeks minimum before being able to do so, and that definitely won't have the attributes you like in a penetrating oil finish....it would be helpful to me and others if you would at least post a comment when rating the answer, and if possible answer the questions posed back to you, so we could all see it through to the (hopefully) correct solution...Many people read the posted questions to get the information as well, and it saves us the time of having to answer a similar question again if they can find the question and solution completed - thanks, Kelly. - regards- Greg
