Finish for Quilt Rack

[nospambob]

[Jake]

I'm making a quilt rack, probably out of walnut but I haven't decided. I might use oak and stain it. Any ideas on what finish to use? I'm concerned about the finish coming off on the quilt over time even though it will be well cured (at least a month of drying before it will be used.

[RonB]

I have built several of these and finished them with Danish Oil, Tung Oil or Wipe on Poly over the stain. Color transfer to the quilt or afghan has never been a problem.

Another approach is to stain the rack and make the hanger rods from an attractive, contrasting wood like Maple or Cherry and leave it unstained with the same top coat as the rest of the rack.

[bwx100]

Poly will give you the best ware. I wouldn't use oil because ... its OIL!!! Laquer would be OK too but Poly is stronger and I'd prefer it for a working piece, like a rack.

[bwx100]

..."wear"

[Stephen M]

If a finish is cured you have nothing to worry about. Oil would be the only thing that *might* concern me with only a week to cure at a decent temperature. Choose a finish for the look that you want.

Don't sweat it....

Other comments about wear???? WTF? It's a quit rack not a mudroom floor.

FWIW my swmbo is a quilter and I understand the time invested and quality of a hand-made quilt

[Bob Schmall]

If a quilt all that will be rubbing on the finish, it should last 500 years. I used General tung/poly combo for the one I made for my champion quilter sister-in-law and she was thrilled.

Bob

[max]

My friend is a quilter. At the shows, and some peoples homes, you have to wear white gloves to touch the quilt. Some of these things sell for $10,000. I would use a lacquer or other surface type finish to seal the wood. max

[Jake]

Do you think shellac would work?

[e-mail] wrote:

[Ba r r y]

Shellac will go over any stain you'd like to use, or raw wood. Dewaxed shellac is a universal barrier. If it's the top coat, you don't have to worry about getting dewaxed, the wax won't hurt anything. You can wet sand it to a high gloss using mineral spirits as a lube, or you can rub it down to lower sheens with steel wool.

Once the shellac is dry, it will _not_ come off on quilts. Shellac is also an excellent finish for the inside of drawers that need to contact clothing, towels, etc...

Dewaxed shellac is available as flakes, as Zinnser Seal Coat, and as Zinnser aerosol spray Clear (brushable clear contains wax).

Barry

[Phisherman]

Varnish, polyurethane or shellac is fine. After a month of curing you can polish it with Johnson's Wax and #0000 steel wool, allow it to dry, and buff it with a soft cotton rag.

[patriarch]

"Jake" wrote in news: [e-mail]:

I did one for my wife last year for Christmas. Oak, with walnut accents.

1 coat of Watco Natural. 6 coats of wiped on SuperBlonde shellac, Paddy- style. 2 coats Briwax clear furniture wax.

Looks as good as new, and she's happy with it.

Patriarch

[Mark & Juanita]

On the quilt racks I've made, my wife has made sleeves out of quilt lining to go over the rail before the quilt goes on. Any finish you use has the potential for getting into the quilt fibers, so a sacrificial cloth before the quilt is a good idea.

[Edward]

I'm glad this thread was created. I'm working on a walnut quilt rack myself for an Amish quilt that was made for me by some of our Amish friends in Maryland. I was concerned about using tung oil too. Thanks for everyone's comments.