# Unhappy with BLO finish on Cedar - Can I sand and apply something else?



## mcg1990 (Nov 11, 2014)

I just applied one coat of BLO on a Cedar picnic table.

I'd carefully chosen the most attractive boards for the seats and top (lots of brown tones, one board even a little pink), but after applying BLO it has all turned a murky yellowish tint. I had hoped for increased depth.

I had lower expectations for the legs, so I'm happy with them, but really would like to try and 'fix' the top.

After one coat of BLO, how deep will it have penetrated? Will it be feasible to orbital sand the top and seats, and try again with a different oil? Any recommendations for said oil?

The picture actually looks nicer than it does in person. It's not terrible, I had just hoped for more.


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## bobasaurus (Sep 6, 2009)

Most oil-based finishes will add a yellow-ish hue to wood. On some woods it looks nice, on others it can be a bit muddy. It's good to test finish a small non-visible portion of your project or some scrap to see how it will look before committing.

You can probably sand it off, though it may take some time as BLO can penetrate into soft woods like cedar. Make sure you get it all off if changing to a non-oil-based finish, or they will interact poorly (or you could put down a coat of dewaxed shellac to separate the layers).


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