Bill Waller wrote:
I have just finished construction on my first real piece of "fine"
furniture. It is a small chest of drawers made of solid cherry.
Now begins the part of woodworking that I really do not enjoy:
finishing.
Hell, that's the *fun* part....
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My choices a
Shellac: This is what I have the most experience with and do not
find to be extremely problematic.
So use it.
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Lacquer: I have done a little work with this medium and would apply
several coats over two coats of Sealcoat.
I like lacquer. Don't use Sealcoat though; in fact, I don't even know
what it is except relative to asphalt.
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Polyurethane: I have done a lot with Poly (brushed) and have had
mixed results . It is my least favorite finish to work with.
No reason for results to be mixed.
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BLO: I have used boiled linseed oil on a couple of projects, but
never on something that would end up I the living room. Actually, I
have never used it on finely sanded wood. I know that the medium is
rubbed on and that a number of coats are require for a decent build
up.
No reason to "build it up", it isn't a surface finish. That is
especially true on a close, small pored wood like cherry.
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But when all is said and done, what kind of finfish does BLO
provide?
A very easy one that is attractive.
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What is the proper prep for BLO?
Sand, apply oil, wipe off when wood absorbs no more, let dry 48 hours.
Repeat once in case wood still absorbs more but be sure to wipe off
ALL excess. Applying with 0000 steel wool works well.
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Does it buff out to a nice sheen?
IF the wood was well sanded, you removed all excess oil and smoothed
the wood during or after application and you then wax it when the oil
is dry, then you can buff it out to a nice sheen. Not high gloss like
a piano, more of a glow but shiny enough so that it will reflect
objects.
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How long does it take for the smell to go away?
However long it takes to completely "set". During the interim it
smells better if you have added a bit of oil of wintergreen to it.
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How durable is it?
Against what? Being beat on? Water? Alcohol? Acetone or nail polish
remover? Doesn't matter, it isn't very resistent to any of those. In
fact, *any* finish can be damaged by one or more of those things.
OTOH, this is a "small chest of drawers"...how durable does it need to
be?
What you really need to decide is if you want a smooth, slick surface
finish in whatever gloss or a "close to the wood" finish.
--
dadiOH
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