What do I do now?

[Dennis McDonaugh]

I finished two walnut end tables and a coffee table with whatever Minwax is calling tung oil because LOML didn't want a "plastic" look to the wood. I don't think its pure tung oil because it dried fairly quickly. Now she's not satisfied with the durability of the finish and wants a poly topcoat.

Do I need to apply the poly to both sides? The bottoms of the table tops have the oil finish on them , but I don't think its as moisture resistant as the poly is going to be.

[Jim Becker]

There is no Tung Oil in the Minwax "Tung Oil Finish" product...it's just a wiping varnish which is also why it dried in the time it did. Check the label for the actual ingredients. Adding polyurethane varnish is just putting varnish on top of varnish. What are her concerns about "durability"??

[Dennis McDonaugh]

We are getting water spots and scratches on the tables. I tried to tell her that they needed polyurathane because of the amount of traffic in the living room. Now I'm concerned about the tops warping because the finish isn't the same on the top and bottom.

[Steve Jenkins]

Dennis, how many coats did you put on? I'd just add a few more. It will deepen the look and add more protection still without the "plastic" look.
i did a dining room table years ago with Formbys tung oil finish which is also a wiping varnish and never had any problems with water marks but I put on about a dozen coats. As for scratches, the big advantage to that type of finish is just put on another coat wet sanding it to repair.

[Jim Becker]

Polyurethane is not necessary nor does it give any more protection than other types of varnishes in most situations. And if your table is built to accomodate wood movement, you shouldn't have any issue with warping by only finishing just the top. If you are concerned, seal the bottom with Shellac which is the best moisture (not water) barrier going.

Steve's comments are also good...wiping varnishes are designed to be applied in many thin coats to build the finish. 10-12 to the 2-3 you would use for brushing, for example.

[Dennis McDonaugh]

Steve, I put on 6 coats. It looked really nice, but a drop of water makes a light spot.

[Martin Shupe]

Steve, I put on 6 coats. It looked really nice, but a drop of water makes a light spot.

Try Waterlox...www.waterlox.com

You can probably put it on top of what you already have. It is supposed to resist water rings.

I have tried several types of finishes, and I think I have settled on Waterlox as my finish of choice.

I like the "original sealer/finish" which has a medium sheen.

You can also do a search here at Sawmill for more Waterlox comments.

Woodcraft has it, Rockler does not.

[Jim Becker]

You can also order Waterlox direct if for some reason your local suppliers don't carry it. It's a nice finish...I have been using it on turnings quite a bit.

[Bob Hovde]

Once the finish is dry, you can wipe it down with lemon oil. Any spills or drops can be cleaned off with a wipe of a dry cloth.

Bob

[larry merlau]

You can also order Waterlox direct if for some reason your local suppliers don't carry it. It's a nice finish...I have been using it on turnings quite a bit.

what is the differnce between water lox and the minwax wiping finnsih??

[Jim Becker]

what is the differnce between water lox and the minwax wiping finnsih??

The formula and ingredients!!! Waterlox uses a processed tung oil as it's base as well as phenolic resins. Unless I'm mistaken, Miniwax's wipping varnish product is urethane based and just a thinned version of it, to boot. Both are "good" finishes, but I much prefer the quality of the finish that Waterlox gives, especially since I like a softer sheen which the "original" formula gives. You can learn more about Waterlox at their web site.