Expert: Greg Scholl - 7/11/2009

Question
I'm making cherry cabinets and I asked a friend how to finish them. I want to obtain a tan finish to really bring out the grain and no blotches. He suggested 1. Zinsser Seal Coat wax free shellac;mixed 3 parts to one part  D.alcohol. 2.Bolied Linseed oil 3. Waterlox clear urethane.  Will this give me the finish I'm looking for? Do I wipe on the the seal coat and the linseed oil? I sure could use your help prior to buying and doing test pieces. Thanks Mike

Answer
Hi Mike, once you use a dewaxed shellac sealer, the Linseed oil will not penetrate, making that step really unecessary....the Linseed oil will accentuate the grain a bit, but it has to penetrate the wood to do that, so I would reverse those two steps and start with the oil (which will have to dry at least 5 days -week)....BUT why not use a product like the WaterLox to start? It is a modified Tung oil/ varnish product that is super easy to apply and yields all of the properties you're looking for, and will develop a finish probably indistinguishable from the multi step schedule...it will also dry faster and much more predictably than Linseed oil, and also won't turn dark as the Linseed oil will over time. It's also repairable and renewable, by just cleaning and reapplying. It's a great product, that I've used for years, and especially on reddish woods like Cherry it is an easy way to finish beautifully. Cherry can look different though from board to board, (actually QUITE different), so that's another issue whn buliding with it, and the reason most cabinet manufacturers will use "toning" in their finish schedule to even out those differences and blend all the tones together. Toning is a dye based color coat that's sprayed on after the sealer, and before the clear coats...and for the ultimate in color, depth of clarity and unmatched durability, a sprayed on catalyzed finish is really the standard.....but on a Cherry kitchen, especially, the WaterLox would give you outstanding results quite easily and predictably. Hope that helps a little- post back if need be, and by all means experiment first! Before committing to the job, make sure you know where you're going and EXACTLY how you're getting there.- Greg

http://www.waterlox.com/desktopmodules/fathomecom/catalog/category.aspx?tabid=42...

Just thought I'd add that this of course is not a film finish like the Urethane your friend suggested. While the urethane would give you depth and Gloss of a film finish, you'd really need to spray a kitchen full of cabinets to get a Pro looking job, or be REALLY good with a brush, and Urethanes by nature only form a physical bond between coats, whereas other finishes form a chemical bond, or essentially, yield a single film layer. The Tung Oil/Varnish blend will develop a higher Gloss level as it builds with successive coats, and is available in differing Gloss levels, but typically will result in a Satin,or softer finish than a film type finish that lays ON the wood surface. But coming with that is repair-ability,renew-ability, and ease of application - experiment and you'll find the best route for your situation -Best of luck- Greg