Wipe-On Varnish Re-Think

[Glen Evans]

I've been reading about rubbing out varnish finishes and getting concerned about my schedule to complete a built in fireplace mantle/entertainment unit before Christmas. (I'd like to have the room painted after installation i.e early December). The 3 to 4 week curing time for the varnish could be a problem.

Currently I have most of the pieces with one coat of thinned polymerized tung oil. I've been planning on making a varnish wipe-on I bought PL 38 gloss to do it. Now I'm wondering if I'm making a lot of extra work for myself--building a finish that is maybe overkill for the application.

Would you guys stick with a couple more coats of tung oil and then wax or would you go with the wipe on and rub out??

(Maybe I've been smelling too many fumes--but this is getting confusing!)

Any advice?

Thanks
Glen

[Prashun Patel]

Varnish (wiped or brushed) will offer more longterm protection than the oil/wax.

You might be a good candidate for an oil/varnish blend. A basic mix would be 1/3 of each mineral spirits, varnish, and oil. Sam Malouf used to nix the spirits in favor of another 1/3 oil.

You flood the surface, let it sit for a few minutes, and keep flooding the parts that abosorb quickly. After 15 mins, wipe dry - just as you would with a straight oil. Let it dry for a day, and repeat a few times. Keep doing it until the surface has an even sheen when dry.

[Howard Acheson]

See my comments in your prior post.