Hello first post. Experience with finishes is limited.
I am putting the finishing touches on a red oak, hand hewn barn wood, mantel. Dimensions are 8 x 8 x 78"
Thus far I have:
fumed it with amonia to darken it a bit and to kill what was living in it
3 to 4 coates of BLO to get that rich color
the last coat i rubbed it in with 400 grit pad (dont know why just seemed like a good idea)
Wiped with danish oil to further darket the veins and pores
scuffed with 400 grit
1 application of garnet Shellac mixed from flakes with 10 drop of red tint
My issue that i have is that the first face that i applied the shellac was really too glossy. So on the next face i applied with a brush and then wiped it with a tshirt that was a little damp with shellac that gave me the oil rubbed matt finish that i like but i am wondering if i am just rubbing it all off?
the other issue is that in the areas where there are deep axe gouges the shellac dries glossy. Is there a way to make it dry with a matt finish? or if i top caot it with something will that take care of the gloss?