Wipe on varnish formula

[John Reimers]

I've used wipe on varnish with a 50 50 mix of varnish and mineral spirits. I've read that you can also add boiled linseed oil, equal portions of each element. What are the advantages or drawbacks of this mix?

Thanks, John

[Prashun Patel]

Mixing in BLO makes an oil-varnish which is intended to be wiped on and then wiped off. The oil makes it dry soft and it's not intended to be a film forming finish but rather inthewood. It offers more protection than a pure oil finish because some of the resin dries in and on the wood.

A wiping varnish can be built up because each layer dries hard. It is intended to be wiped on in thin layers.

It depends on the type of look and amt of protection you want.

While you CAN get an inthewood finish with a strait wiping varnish it is tricker than with some component of oil because it starts to tack up quicker, which makes it hard to buff all the way off, which means you will start to buil pretty quickly.

[Thomas Canfield]

Danish oil is supposed to be equal parts of varnish, mineral spirits, and BLO. Elmer Adams, Big Island HI woodturner now deceased, gave me his recipe for a wipe on/off finish which was 4 parts of Deft Danish Oil and 1 part of Deft Polyurethane varnish. I was never able to get both components, but have made a similar brew with Watco Danish Oil and a polyurethane varnish and even the brew I am now using using 4 parts MS, 4 parts BLO, and 5 parts polyurethane varnish made from some leftover supplies from a painter. The Watco Danish Oil mix has worked better than my home brew, but with 4 or 5 coats their both produce a nice feeling finish when buffed with Tripoli before first coat, between coats, and after last coat and then a coat of Renaissance Wax.