Better than your average Tung Oil by miles...

mickinziedrums,
Thanks for the tip. I just started using tung oil and love the appearance of it. I will try it when I open the garage next spring. Now I’m just trying to keep warm.
What’s a good source ?

-- Government does not solve problems; it subsidizes them.

My default finishing strategy is one coat of waterlox followed by 4 – 5 coats of Minwax hand rubbed polyurethane (which I brush on with a foam brush). There are several situations where I deviate from my default but I will not go into that here.

I think the base coat of waterlox really brings out the beauty and penetrates and protects well.

-- Rich, Cedar Rapids, IA - I'm a woodworker. I don't create beauty, I reveal it.

Exactly Rich… I use it under my water based stuff all the time. It gets a touch darker once I put the shellac on top of it but not much.

Jim: I have yet to find a source that’s terrible economical… Woodcraft keeps it in stock around here though so I typically just run by there and grab it. It keeps decently well sealed up but don’t expect an open qt to last more than a couple months. I’ve not tried using Bloxygen but that could help from what I’ve heard.

They have a lower VOC formula but you need to look for it.

-- "They who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night." ~ Edgar Allan Poe

I have used Waterlox products a number of times to finish lathe Projects and other items. I have always had great success with both the Original and High Gloss.

-- "Everything that is great and inspiring is created by the individual who labors in freedom" -- Albert Einstein

you would be hard pressed to find a better product than Waterlox, I use it all the time ,as stated here under water based topcoats as well as solvent , it dries fast has all the right resins and just isnt broke, of course it hasnt been for about 100 years , family business and made in the good old USA.. nuff said

I have it on some of my floors.. works great and as simple as it gets

i am trying it on my latest projetc, another jewlry box. how would you compare it to BLO or WATCO finishes? and how many coats do you need?

-- the journy of a thousand miles begins with a single step " Lou-Tzu"

And I currently have my third coat of it drying on MY current project.

First time using it. So far … I agree with everything you said.

I’m headed for four coats, and then will see if it needs anything else.

But it really does get universally rave reviews, and … if Charles Neil likes it … well … that’s about all I needed to know :-)

-- -- Neil

Well, I don’t know a whole lot about finishing but what you say sure makes me want to give it a try. Thanks

-- If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away. Henry David Thoreau

There is no right number of coats in finishing… It’s about achieving the look you want, period. I think it’s definitely superior to the BLO product in regards to being a durable high resin finish and I’d wager it’s a little better than Watco but I’m guessing as I have only limited experience with Watco. (Mostly with their exterior stuff…)

It always amazes me how people neglect finishes on such beautiful wood work! Spend some time learning how to finish off the beautiful pieces of art you make and you won’t regret it.

i read that somewhere that it resists water marks better than tung oil or watco???? so far it looks verry similar to the watco danish oil. i was thinking of making my own blend with BLO laquer and thinner and though that id try this first

-- the journy of a thousand miles begins with a single step " Lou-Tzu"

Question – I used waterlox to finish a maple butcherblock counter top. Stained the countertop first, wanted it a bit darker. Then applied the basic waterlox, then the matte finish version of waterlox (according to their directions). I can’t remember exact coats, but was 3 or 4 I think. I am extremely unhappy with it. Was ok at first, but finish has not held up. The countertop is sticky feeling, and appears the finish is wearing off. This is my island, and we use it a lot – so big problem. I will have to re-do, but any ideas what went wrong? I am very hesitant about using this product again, if I will have to re-coat it every year. Counters take a fair amount of abuse, and besides the sticky feeling and signs the finish is wearing off (actual stain is showing wear, so bit obvious), you could see cloudy areas in finish after few months, and even “dents” where my kids sat doing homework (like from their pencils!).
Help! Or better finish suggestion?

I would never use Waterlox for a counter… it’s not food safe by any stretch of the imagination. For a butcher block top I’d use a penetrating oil that won’t necessarily leave a high gloss finish but won’t ever chip because it soaks into the wood. Of course, I wouldn’t be doing homework on a butcher block top either. If you need a surface that holds up well to all kinds of use one of the stone surfaces would be better honestly.

But yea… any type of butcher block finish would be my go to for this. Most of them will include a food safe oil along with waxes to help get it smooth and polished.

Thanks for input on my counter top – to clarify – I do not chop on this. It’s my island, and I do food prep (and kids do do homework! :). Wanted look of big table, not a big fan of granite, and too late now anyway. Love the look, now need to address finish issues.
I assumed that I’d have to have some sort of sealer on there since I had stained it a darker color. Waterlox says “Waterlox Original Tung oil finishes are water resistant, stand up to household spills and are non-toxic1 and food-safe when dry.” And – I called them yesterday and seems that several of my issues are related to what I was using to clean it (my dummy mistake).
That said – since I’ve a bit of a project ahead to fix the counter – would this penetrating oil be ok on top of the stain? And any suggestions on a specific oil would be greatly appreciated.