How to Get a Beautiful Wood Finish Every Time!
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Published 2024-05-19
To me, the perfect woodworking finish is easy to apply, doesn’t take forever to dry, and doesn’t look like a film is covering the project. Woodworking is about the beauty of the wood and the finish should highlight the figure as much as possible. In this video, I used shellac on walnut and cherry, but I also included a secret ingredient. I added walnut oil. Most woodworking finishes that involve oil call for boiled linseed oil or tung oil. I like the color walnut oil imparts on the wood. It’s completely natural and can be purchased at the grocery store. Walnut oil works great for a shellac finish because it provides character to the wood and it is a drying oil, unlike some other types of oils.
While this is my secret ingredient, some may want to stay away from walnut oil because they are afraid of nut allergies. Peanut and tree nut allergies are not the same thing. I recommend researching scientific studies so you can make the best decision for you, your family, and your workshop.
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Here’s a list of tools and materials that I used to make this project. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
•• Tools & Materials ••
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Shellac: amzn.to/4bpugwT
Denatured alcohol: amzn.to/4bIwcQS
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Cotton rags: amzn.to/44Q0Ghj
All Comments (21)
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Great looking finish! At 81, I can't imagine doing that to a piece of furniture. I'd be in the ground before I got all of the coats on. Always enjoy the content. JimE
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I smack my leg with the sandpaper too. You're not alone
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You have become my go-to for finishing. My last project was a small end table, and your process on the boxes turned out amazing!
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Great tip thanks for sharing. It looks amazing definitely going to try this
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Thanks for the tip with the sand paper now I'm gonna that all the time
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Really beautiful finish, Billy! 😃 Thanks a bunch for all the tips! Stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊
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Swap out the walnut oil with boiled linseed oil and you have shine juice. Also called friction polish. Used by wood turners, but not with the dust. Apply while spinning the lathe and with the friction of the cloth it dries really fast too. Apply several coats and it comes out nice and smooth.
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By the way, I like your technique for French polish. Kind of takes some of the mystery out of it makes it more straightforward.
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Great video. 🎉
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Hi Good Polishing Tip Great VIDEO
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Nice take on french polish. The criticism of shellac is often that it is not protective enough. I have used it on my dining room table and after a year it still looks great. The good thing is that if it does need some refurbishing you just have to sand it lightly with 320 and apply another coat. As far as the work applying the dining room table is 9 feet by 3 feet and it only took about a half an hour for each coat (top, edges, bottom and legs). The great bonus is that this stuff is totally natural and does not harm to the environment. Food products are coated with shellac and the alcohol evaporates without the environmental damage of most finish solvents. I have moved to using hot hide glue and shellac for almost all my shop projects as I try to reduce my carbon footprint.
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I'm sure you've tried tung oil (my go to). What do you like about Walnut over (pure) Tung? or Linseed fot that matter?
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Nice
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Would this work on rattan? Looking for a good finish for a bar stool.
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For the last forty years I have used French Polish. I prefer Raw Linseed oil as my lubricant. Try it and you’ll see why!
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What is the total cure time of walnut oil? Seems like a lot of work for the “perfect” finish. Shellac alone is perfect for certain surfaces.
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Also, each time you apply, the alcohol dissolves some of the previous application, shellac does layer one in another, it becomes part of the previous layer
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Fortune teller...foresees the future!
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🌲🍀🐾yeah, I liked the hesitation moment right after you dropped the cherry board, before you looked up at the camera 🤣 I know this moment too well😎. Nice finish. Not too shiny. But if it were, you could just go over it lightly with an S.O.S. pad, to make it a more satin like look😉🐾🍀🌲.
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Is there a reason that you like walnut oil over something like tung oil? I find that walnut oil is kind of soft when it hardens.
