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About Greg 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,usage,etc.

Experience
Fine furniture restorer and cabinet maker for over 30 years,serving high end Antique dealers, Interior designers, Collectors in the CT area. 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, and offered instruction on use and care as well.I even have some Trade show Demo experience.

Organizations
none at this time.

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"), local newspapers as well

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 by Major tool manufacturers, Delta, Powermatic, Performax, Porter Cable, Skil/Bosch to name a few.

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.)
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.), local Museums and Historical Societies.

You are here: Experts > Hobbies > Woodworking > Woodworking > Finish on dining table

Woodworking - Finish on dining table

Expert: Greg Scholl - 11/7/2009

Question
Table age is 85 years, very good quality. Finish is french polish, last renewed about 15 years ago. French polish is wonderful but extremely heat sensitive and not very hard wearing; this table is used a great deal. I am considering very seriously using a varnish; is this a good idea? Which varnish? Are there other options which will look really good (table looks good now but finish is suffering) and will be reasonably hard wearing? thank you for any suggestions

Answer

Waterlox on Mahogany t

Hi Tim, I think you're on the right track, I am Varnishing a dining table right now in the shop, so your question is timely.....here in the States, we're having a lot of trouble getting a good Varnish anymore, as the Government is regulating V.O.C.'s (Volatile organic compounds), and companies that have been making Varnishes for many years, (in some case over a hundred), are being forced to reformulate their products, to much resistance and resentment on the part of Professional Restorers and others who want to use the time tested products we're used to. These reformulations do NOT exhibit the same characteristics, clarity and depth, and predictability that we're used to which is extremely unfair and frustrating...this time I decided to use a product called WaterLox, which is a modified Tung oil/varnish product that I've used forever. It's a thin, penetrating Tung oil product that adds a beautiful color to Mahogany, Walnut, Cherrys, etc. I chose it because of it's ability to build like a conventional varnish, (albeit with several more coats than a traditional varnish), it's unadulterated original formula (to this point anyway), and for that beautiful look that can only be gotten from an oil based product like this.I have been able to get a nice film and beautiful color with 6 coats, where 3 would have done it with a conventional varnish... I have no idea what products you can get there, but I'm hoping there are many more to choose from than I currently have now. I'm enclosing a picture of the table, wet with a coat of the Waterlox so you can see the color I'm talking about...but I'm pretty sure you know what I'm talking about, this is an Antique table, the two "D" ends can be seen in the background, and I NEED to be able to use these original formulated products when doing Antiques like this... Shellac (french polish) has the same ability to beautify these woods, but as you've pointed out, it just doesn't hold up.....wish I could help more, but if you find a varnish you like, you better let me know, and I'll have you send me some if we can smuggle it through Customs....lol. Regards- Greg

http://www.waterlox.com/desktopmodules/fathomecom/Catalog/ProductDetail.aspx?ct=...

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