[OP]
Member
My "most important client" commissioned a mirror frame to lay over the mirror in a half-bath. What would be the best finish? Humidity won't be an issue, but the bottom bit is likely to see some light splashing from time to time.
Will any of the oil finishes do (e.g., Danish Oil) or do I need to go with a poly (or both)?
Walnut Bathroom Mirror Frame.jpg
Member
Too vague a question, and not enough options. Why not varnish, shellac, lacquer or wax?
Best finish for what? Repairing? Resisting water? Best looks? Best sanding? Best penetrating? Best applied with a brush? Best applied with a rag? Best to show the grain? Best to compliment existing colors in the bathroom?
[OP]
Member
Gotcha. Other options and suggestions are welcome. Best, in this case, would be best looking and still appropriately water-resistent. And to further describe best looking, ideally, it will help the grain pop, bring out the rich warm color of the walnut, and won't look too heavy (thick).Originally Posted by Todd Burch
Maybe asked another way: How would you finish this frame for use in a half-bath environment? Limitations: no paint or stain.
Member
OK!! Now we're getting somewhere.
I would use boiled linseed oil (warms the wood, pops the grain), and topcoat with a modern spray-finish lacquer (occasional bathroom splashing = no big deal, coats are thin, sheens are numerous to pick from).
Let us know what you decide on, and be certain to post final pictures.
Todd
Moderator
A mirror isn't going to require crazy protection. What kind of look do you want (in the wood or glossy)?
In general walnut benefits from some amber coloring. If you're comfortable with shellac, I'd use amber or garnet shellac followed by a wiping varnish. That's relatively easy and will provide decent water protection should you choose to splash it with impunity.
Member
Waterlox... LOL!!!
I have a thread going on now on how to apply Waterlox you might want to look at. All i know about applying it is what I've learned from the advice i received here. What drew me to it, was it has the properties you too are looking for. Anyway, just a thought
In Memoriam
Any good polyurethane should work fine. Minwax is my favorite. Make sure you do both sides of the mirror so the moisture in the air doesn't get in throough the back.
Quinn
Contributor
The most impressive grain popping I've ever achieved in walnut is from first dying it with Transtint dye and then applying a wiping varnish. I've never used Waterlox, but Arm-R-Seal looks very impressive on walnut, and was unaffected by water and many chemicals in my own recent testing.
John
[OP]
Member
What color of Transtint?
Has anyone used General Finishes' Dark Walnut Danish Oil? It has a nice look on my test scrap. The local shop is pushing the GF Enduro water-based poly as a top coat. Thoughts?
Contributor
Depends upon what color you want. Medium Brown gets rid of the blue and gives a slightly warm (red) tint depending upon what concentration you use and the color of your wood. Reddish Brown can make walnut look almost like aged cherry if you make a strong enough solution. Those are the two I've used on walnut, but I think any of them will make the grain pop after you put on your clearcoat.
Danish oil would be a poor choice in a bathroom environment, IMO. You need resin, not oil, to provide an impervious film. GF Enduro is a nice WB film former, and should work very well. Even though it is marketed as a WB that looks like a solvent based, it is pretty pale. I really can't tell much difference between it and their Hi Perf. Poly, in terms of color. That's another good reason to use the Transtint dye under it. If you go that route, keep in mind that both are water soluble, so you should spray and not brush the Enduro on or it will pull up some of the dye and make a muddy mess. Personally, I like the look of wiping varnish and how you can still see the subtle pores. And with those you don't need to worry about any problems with the Transtint redissolving. But either route will work.
John
Member
Danny,
I received a similar commission from a "distinguished client" as well. She wanted new mirror frames made for all the bathrooms to replace the large plate glass mirrors we had. I made frames in a similar style to yours, but used cherry. For the finish I used Blush Control followed by General Finish's EnduroVar poly. The new Enduro Var has a nice amber tint. I sprayed everything with a LVLP gun. It was my first time to spray anything and I must say, it came out really nicely. The clean up was a breeze and there was almost no overspray. The drying time was nice and quick. I sprayed in my shop by constructing a "spray booth" according to Jeff Jewitt's instructions and using 1" foam insulation boards. I do have a garage door that I put the booth in. Everything worked. I too was tired of wiping all the projects. Prior to this I used Waterlox. It produces a nice result, but takes days to build a finish. I'm hooked on spraying now. Let me know if you have any questions.
Tom
Member
Might as well post some before and after pics of what I did.
Walnut has a red mahogany stain, followed by satin lacquer.
Todd
Contributor
OK, here's a photo of walnut with Transtint Reddish Brown (15 drops/ounce of DNA) under Arm-R-Seal Satin.
IMG_8659.JPG
John
Last edited by John TenEyck; 02-21-2013 at 10:01 PM. Reason: Correct dye concentration
Moderator
Just about any finish you like will work fine...just don't use harsh cleaners on it.
--
The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...
[OP]
Member
Very nice work, Todd and John.
TransTint was going to put the project on hold for a few days, so I went with what I had. Out of a half-dozen test pieces, the interior decorator chose one with General Finishes Dark Walnut Gel Stain. So that went on, this evening. The topcoat is still an open question.
Our one HVLP experiment did not go well. I don't know if it was a faulty sprayer (from Lowes) or an underpowered compressor (DEWALT D55146 4-1/2-Gallon 200-PSI Hand Carry Compressor
with Wheels), but the paint came out furry/grainy. We've been reluctant to give it another try with our present equipment. Should these be adequate to the EnduroVar task?
The leading alternatives are Arm-R-Seal or MinWax Wipe-on Poly, which has always served me well.
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