First time finishing. Help needed.

For walnut, I’m a big fan of Watco Danish Oil. I usually put a top coat of polyurathane on top if it needs to resist water, otherwise some paste wax makes it look amazing.

If you plan on setting drinks down without coasters, plan on a nice hard, protective finish.

-- Dan, Rochester, NY

Any way of sending pics? I don’t have a prob with sap wood in walnut, but that’s just me. If ya want to even the color, I’d use a wash coat of de-waxed shellac (Zinsser Seal coat cut 50/50 with denatured alcohol), use a wiping stain of you choice to achieve the color ya want-sample color testing piece required-then a wiping varnish to finish off the piece. You might have to apply several coats for final finish. One coat ain’t gonna get it.
Having said that, we didn’t even talk about sanding. I would sand to about a 220 grit, wipe with a damp rag (water) to raise the grain, seal coat, scuff sand with the 220 to knock off the nibs, stain, finish coats.
Just a hint:
I start with a gloss finish ‘cause it will keep the depth, then I will rub it down with 0000 steel wool or a non-woven pad to the sheen I want.
Bill

-- bill@magraphics.us

Rodda stains are my favorite for covering sap wood. They have a higher solid content than most stains, and that really makes the difference with sapwood.
Lacquer is my choice for a topcoat.

-- Willie, Washington "If You Choose Not To Decide, You Still Have Made a Choice" - Rush

I am with Stretch on the Watco. It is the only thing I have used on the few walnut projects I have done and I think it really brings out the beauty of the wood. It will darken the walnut considerably in my opinion.

-- Measure once, cut twice.

I’m with Dan, Watco Danish Oil. I will often use BLO after it, or if I want it to not be as dark as the Watco Danish Oil I have, I’ll do a coat of BLO first.

-- There is nothing like the sound of a well tuned hand plane. - http://timetestedtools.wordpress.com (timetestedtools at hotmail dot c0m)

Danish Oil isn’t so much an oil by itself.. It usually consists of mineral spirits, an oil of some sort, and a varnish/poly part. That’s why I like it as a finish in and of itself.. You can also make it yourself and save quite a bit of money (and by using better ingredients than a store-bought brand might have)

Personally, I love a heartwood/sapwood mix if the piece is going to be solely walnut. It adds a nice contrast. If you’re mixing in other woods (like maple or oak), either trim off or dye the sapwood.

-- Dan, Rochester, NY

I used Arm R Seal on my End Table (see projects) the Gloss came out so nice.

-- Ken, USAF MSgt, Ret.