Finish on Walnut

I use Boiled Linseed oil (2 day dry) followed by 6-8 coats of shellac and then a bit of furniture polish to complete.

-- Hope Never fails

You could also use Tried & True varnish oil, it is a great finish. http://www.triedandtruewoodfinish.com/products.htm

-- http://timberwerksstudio.blogspot.com/

Thanks for the input.

Mario – How do you apply the BLO? I’ve ready things such as using sandpaper to create a sort of paste, though this seemed a bit more than I was looking for. Is it a straight wipe on wipe off?

-- Dan Chiappetta, NYC, http://www.9x7woodworks.com

Dan, you simply wipe the BLO on, let is sit for 5 to 10 minutes and then wipe the excess off with a clean cloth or paper towel. Putting it on in manner you are describing is the route you would go with a open pore wood such as oak if you wanted to put a mirror sheen on the wood. This is something that I would not do with a piece that is being constructed for a chlild’s use.

In this case danish oil will work just as well. It is a mixture of BLO, varnish and mineral spirits. But an a;;ication of sanish oil or blo will darken the wood a bit. I would recommend developing a “story pole” of your finishing routine on scrap material showing each step and material used in the finishing process before launching your finishing routine on your project.

As far as the shellac giving the walnut a darker look that all depends on the shellac. It runs the gamut from blond or platinum, which are nearly colorless, to ruby or garnet which will give the wood an amber tone. But shellac can be applied over any undercoat once it has cured.

-- With God's help all things are possible- even woodworking. Woodworking is not just a hobby, it is an (expletive deleted) expensive hobby.

Thank you Scott, your info is a big help.

-- Dan Chiappetta, NYC, http://www.9x7woodworks.com

Does the BLO sort of fill the grain of oak and walnut?

-- Debt is nothing more than the 21st Century's form of slavery.

I have used Watco and shellac in the past . If your concerned about darkening use blond shellac one of the options Scott mentioned.

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon