poly to darken watco finish

[Mike in Mystic]

In my experience, no.

That's why they make the tinted version of the danish oil - so you have options in terms of what hue you wish to achieve. I just finished a cherry high chair to which I applied 5 coats of natural Watco danish oil. To the high chair tray I applied 3 coats of satin wipe on poly and the color changed imperceptably (at least IMO). This was a good thing, for me, as I loved the color I achieved with the natural oil.

I have used dark walnut and cherry watco before, and I know they have a lot of other shades. You might want to get a few of those and try them out to see if you can get what you're looking for.

Mike

[Mitch]

I recently posted asking if Watco Danish Oil is meant to be applied as a final finish. The reason I asked is that I am not entirely pleased with the darkness of this finish. I applied 3 coats to 3/4" Birch ply. I'd like to get it a little darker. Will a coat of poly achieve this?

Thanks for reading.

[Father Haskell]

You can also mix in artist's oils, sparing amounts or you'll kill the finish's transparency. "Earth tones" such as raw and baked umber and sienna match wood tones well.

[Mitch]

I tried the cherry Watco on a piece of scrap, and I didn't like the way it looked. It turned out to be closer to a deep burgundy color than cherry. I might just try applying a few more coats of the Watco natural.

Thanks for the help.

[Mike G]

Most likely not