# Walnut and pecan



## RussellAP (Feb 21, 2012)

My walnut and pecan sofa table is coming along nicely. 
It should be together tomorrow.

I plan on finishing it in natural Danish oil on the walnut and Fruitwood Danish oil on the pecan. Then several coats of wax.

What would you finish it with?


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## WDHLT15 (Aug 15, 2011)

The oil will be beautiful. It really brings out the beauty of the wood. I would consider using the danish oil on all surfaces, let it dry for several days, then coat the top only with varnish as danish oil has very little protection from water. You will get a water ring if anyone sets a cup or glass on the top. You can coat over the danish oil on the top with the varnish of you choice if the oil has had plenty of time to dry. Steel wool the top before adding the varnish. That is a beautiful table and I love your choice of woods. It inspires me to make some walnut and pecan pieces as i have lots and lots of pecan.


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## bondogaposis (Dec 18, 2011)

Danish oil will be fine on this project except for the top. I would go with something a little more protective like a wiping varnish on the top. Really nice table Russell.


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## BillWhite (Jul 23, 2007)

Yep! Senior Gap has the right idea. Wiping varnish. PLEASE no polycrapithane. 
Well done feller.
Bill


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## RussellAP (Feb 21, 2012)

Just need some walnut dowels to get this finished. I may try the varnish idea after I check with Charles Neil.


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## lumberjoe (Mar 30, 2012)

Why do people hate "polycrapithane" so much? Do you not understand that is probably one of the absolute best, most protective, and nicest looking finishes available to woodworkers? I really don't understand the misdirected and misunderstood hate toward poly. When applied and finished (yes, you have to "finish your finish") correctly, it can look as natural as a completely useless and unprotective true oil does.

Toss some Arm-R-Seal over the DO on the top. I do this on most of my tables/desks etc. I'll put down 3 or 4 coats of Arm-R-Seal 5 to 7 days after the last coat of DO. Once the poly has cured for 3 days, I'll knock the gloss back with #0000 steel wool and some Minwax fine furniture paste wax. That stuff does a great job at reducing gloss and has an awesome feel when finished.

That is how I finished this table: http://lumberjocks.com/projects/86130

Note that there is no poly on the legs or aprons. There is no difference in appearance, just a big difference in protection.


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## RussellAP (Feb 21, 2012)

lumberjoe, I too like poly. However I've never used it over oil. The pecan is getting fruitwood danish oil for color, but I see no reason to use danish oil on the top if I poly it with satin.

Typically, poly needs to set up on walnut for a week or longer before you give it a final coat. I have a walunt and padauk urn that has been sitting for a month waiting for the poly to set up completely. It may take 3-4 months to do it properly.

I was hoping to finish this table more quickly than poly will allow, so I may try something different this time. IDK.


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## CharlieM1958 (Nov 7, 2006)

Looks great, Russell. I agree with lumberjoe that polyurethane would be an excellent way to provide scratch and moisture resistance to your tabletop.

I think poly gets a bad reputation sometimes because of people who have a tendency to slather it on too thickly with a brush, creating a saggy, cloudy, plastic-y looking mess. If done correctly, as Joe says, it's not that way at all.


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## RussellAP (Feb 21, 2012)

CharlieM1958, I know what you mean. I've seen some jobs that look like they used pancake syrup for poly.

I do poly slowly and with thin layers. If the wood is open grain, I'll use a filler first, then I'll do 24 hr coats until it starts to get sticky. Then I'll wait for a week to a month for it to get solid before I sand it down with 320 on a ROS and give it one or two more coats.

To do poly right, takes time. And the weather makes a big difference with it.


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## CharlieM1958 (Nov 7, 2006)

Just read your last response, Russell. I'm not sure how you are applying your poly, but I would recommend wiping. You should be able to recoat within a few hours… definitely by the next day at the latest.

The advantage to oil before the poly is strictly aesthetic. I find it adds a deeper, richer-looking finish to what you get from poly alone.


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## RussellAP (Feb 21, 2012)

CharlieM1958, I use the blue shop towels or a good quality paper towel. I try to make the coat as light as possible and keep it even. Some of the oilier woods like padauk are a bit more resistant to absorbing the poly and it gets a little gummy unless you live where it's really dry. Last time I used poly it was pretty dry weather and it still got gummy on padauk, but I've never had a problem using it on walnut. I still like the idea of a last coat well after the previous have dried. It really improves the look especially if you give it a light sanding with 320 or even 600.


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## CharlieM1958 (Nov 7, 2006)

I'll have to give that a try.


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## lumberjoe (Mar 30, 2012)

Poly is a cross-linking film building finish. If it is taking in excess of 12 hours to dry to the touch (note - it's not fully cured yet), you are definitely doing something wrong. True oils take a long time to polymerize because the reaction happens in the wood. Film building finishes bite into the wood ever so slightly, but mostly cross link on top of the piece (which is why they are so protective). So it doesn't need to "absorb" as much as you think it does. "Adhere" is a better term than absorb.

It could be that:

1 - You are sanding to too fine of a grit. There may not be enough to bite into.

2 - If you stained or used an oil or oil/varnish blend, that is not ready. With danish oil, you are looking at 5 to 10 days after your last coat is dry before you can apply a finish (thanks to the BLO).

3 - You may not be waiting long enough between coats

4 - Back to adhesion. You need to scuff up the surface a bit before laying down another coat. I generally use 600 grit paper or the #0000 steel wool.

5 - What's your environment like? Temperature is less of an issue than airflow. Indirect airflow will definitely aid drying times. I use 20" box fans with furnace filters for air filtration. When I am finishing, I leave them running to keep the air in the shop moving around.


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## Loco (Aug 11, 2013)

I generally use 2 part urethane with a flattener(satin finish)


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## RussellAP (Feb 21, 2012)

lumberjoe, I don't always do the scuff between coats. Usually the poly will be a little uneven for the first three or even four coats. On hardwood, you have area's that are just not going to absorb anything, so it has to sit on the surface and dry. I've had it take as long as two weeks before it was solid enough to sand and give a final coat. 
Of course you have to realize that I tend to obsess on my finishes, so some of the things I do are purely to satisfy my OCD. lol.


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## RussellAP (Feb 21, 2012)

Loco, that is beautiful. I'm going to get an applique in a few minutes for my table. I think a shell or something in the middle, or I may turn a small piece of rosewood. I like that finish, what wood is it?


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## lumberjoe (Mar 30, 2012)

That is a problem. Like I said, poly doesn't really "absorb". It is a cross-linking finish. Basically once you have your first coat down, the rest are not even touching wood. Unlike shellac, poly does not reactivate the subsequent coats of finish and blend in with them. So all but your first one do exactly what you mention they shouldn't - sit on the top and dry.

Instead of using the blue shop towels, try a cotton rag. I actually have the best luck with applying a fairly generous coat with a wide foam brush, then gently wiping it down with a cotton rag dampened in poly.

Also I never apply poly full strength. Arm-r-seal is already thinned. But straight poly gets thinned quite a bit before I apply it.


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## CharlieM1958 (Nov 7, 2006)

Again, ditto what lumberjoe said about poly refusing to dry if you put it over a stain or oil that hasn't cured yet. I can't say as I've ever had a problem with poly taking a long time to dry on bare wood. I'm not saying it can't happen… I've just never had it happen to me.


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## RussellAP (Feb 21, 2012)

Lumberjoe, I think I'll oil it and set it up for a couple weeks, then poly it.


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## lesage (Jan 1, 2013)

I have tried poly, but never seem to get it to lay down in a smooth coat. What is the secret?


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## lumberjoe (Mar 30, 2012)

Russell, if a truly flawless finish is what you are after. I would highly suggest in investing and using an HVLP setup. It produces excellent results with little rework and opens up a broad range of new possibilities.

Waterbased lacquers from Target coating and General Finishes (their Enduro line) are amazing. Ploy is a very soft finish and it can't be rubbed out/applied to get as high of a luster as lacquer can. Waterborne lacquers are a lot safer to work with (especially spraying) but cleanup sucks.


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## Loco (Aug 11, 2013)

That's Sweetenia Macrophylla. Big leaf Mahogany.Has seeds the size of an orange.


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## helluvawreck (Jul 21, 2010)

It's a beautiful table, Russell.

helluvawreck aka Charles
http://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com


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## Loco (Aug 11, 2013)

I cheat. A buddy of mine has a body shop ;-)


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## CharlesA (Jun 24, 2013)

Before I knew to check things on this forum, I used Danish oil on a number of projects (because I liked the way it looks, natural or tinted), and then covered with wax or wiping varnish much sooner than 10 days (a day or two at the most). So far I haven't witnessed any negative consequences. What am I missing?


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## RussellAP (Feb 21, 2012)

I still have a couple more hours work on the legs with dowels and set screws, but I got the oil on to see where the sanding fell short, and amazingly it looks pretty good, no saw marks that only oil tends to show up.

After I get it oiled, it will set in a room for a couple weeks then when dry it will get a satin poly.

I love the color combo.



















Sorry about the messy shop.


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## upinflames (Jun 24, 2012)

Russell, that is a great looking table. If you're going with satin poly, please start with high gloss until you get the film thickness you want. Then you're final coat would be the satin. This is where many people have trouble with the plastic look. Try it on some scrap, straight satin, the a sample of high gloss then final satin.


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## RussellAP (Feb 21, 2012)

dustmagnet, I'll give that a try, I happen to have both.


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