There's no getting around it. To get a proper finish that you'll be proud of, the process of applying an oil finish will take anywhere from a week or longer--especially if you live in an are of high humidity. I live in Colorado where the typical humidity year round is in the single digits or teens. I can apply and reapply finishes in a shorter amount of time that those living in, say, New Orleans. With that in mind, here's how I deal with Sam's finish. First, start with Watco Danish Oil. Follow the instructions for applying the finish until it stops soaking the stuff up. Depending upon wood type, this may take three to four applications over a two day period. Once you are satisfied that the surface won't take up any more finish, let it dry for at least 24 hours. By the way, I use 000 steel wool to apply the first application of Danish Oil after having used 320 grit wet-or-dry as a final sanding. If you find that minor sanding imperfections happened that you weren't aware of after apply this initial coat, you can get rid of these by wet sanding with 320 repeatedly to see if you can get these sanding marks to disappear. I apply Sam's finish with 0000 steel wool on the first coat. I let it stand until it feels kind of sticky and wipe the surface with a rough rag like a bath towel. The next coat is with cloth, letting it set up as before. I've found that with this process you'll need a six coat minimum--there is no maximum since I've renewed this finish from time-to-time months if not years after the initial finish process. You can finish it off with a wax if you like. If you do this and scuff marks develop over time, you can get rid of the wax by applying the oil with 000 steel wool.
- posted
10 years ago