Tool Tote - finishing ideas

[Rob Matarazzo]

I'm in the process of building a tool tote, generally following the plans I found in a magazine. I'm using red oak and maple. Looking for some suggestions for a good finish for this application.

[Lonnie Gallaher]

It depends on what you are looking for. My favorite for something like this is BLO and paste wax.

[Rob Matarazzo]

Thanks Lonnie. The magazine article recommended Waterlox and paste wax. What is the effect of the paste wax?

[Lonnie Gallaher]

Waterlox would be a great finish for a tool tote. It will provide a better seal to the wood than BLO. The paste wax just feels and looks nice. Its protection ability is minimal compared to film finishes. It is the final step in most fine finishes though.

[Prashun Patel]

Waterlox is a varnish. No matter how well you apply it, most people feel that the look and feel can be marginally improved by 'rubbing out' the finish with a lubricant and a fine abrasive. The wax functions in this capacity. It's not necessary if you don't feel like it. In fact, a well-used tote will be 'rubbed out' over the months just by using it.

Personally, I'm partial to oil-varnish blends on things that will be touched a lot, that you want to eventually look a little used, but want to be able to easily repair if necessary.

Equal parts varnish and BLO or tung and Mineral spirits. Wipe it on, wait a minute, then wipe it off just like an oil finish. Do it a bunch of times (perhaps sanding with 400,600) somewhere in between, and likely you won't even need to wax or rub out after done.

This kind of finish is a good protective middle-ground between varnish and pure oil or pure wax. It's also wicked-much easier to apply than varnish, doesn't require a dustless environment as does varnish. Aesthetically (this is your call) it's softer, and more touchable than a varnish finish. The only downside is it takes several coats to get to an even sheen.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Tool tote?

Oil finish - or varnish/oil blend.

The problem with a film finish will be damage. A tool tote is going to get beat up pretty bad. The only film finish that can take a lot of abuse and still look good is going to be an industrial grade two part epoxy or a converted urethane.

OTOH, and oil or oil/varnish blend just needs a quick swipe or a rag saturated with some of the original finish to look like brand new all over again.

[Rob Matarazzo]

Well I went with three coats of Waterlox followed by Town Talk orange wax. Happy with the result.

[Howard Acheson]

While this was originally prepared to deal with workbench finish treatments, it is very applicable to a wood tool tote.

A film finish (lacquer, shellac, varnish, poly varnish) is not the way to finish a workbench top. A workbench is going to get dinged and film finishes will crack or craze or be otherwise damaged. Once a film finish is penetrated, it looses its effectiveness and adjacent areas begin to fail. No treatment is going to make a soft wood benchtop harder. I much favor an "in the wood finish". Here are two that lots of folks find effective.

First, is an boiled linseed oil and wax finish. Sand the surface to 180 grit. Mix paraffin or bees wax into heated boiled linseed oil. USE A DOUBLE BOILER TO HEAT THE OIL. The ratio is not critical but about 5-6 parts of boiled linseed oil in a double boiler with one part paraffin or beeswax shaved in. Take it off the stove. Thin this mixture about 50/50 with mineral spirits to make a heavy cream like liquid. Apply this mixture to the benchtop liberally and allow to set overnight. Do it again the next day and again the following day if the top continues to absorb it. After a final overnight, lightly scrape off any excess wax and buff. This finish will minimize the absorbsion of any water and you can use a damp rag to wipe up any glue excess. Dried glue will pop right off the surface. Renewal or repair is easy. Just use a scraper to remove and hardened stuff, wipe down with mineral spirits using a 3/0 steel wool pad (a non-woven green or gray abrasive pad is better), wipe off the gunk and apply another coat of boiled linseed oil/wax mixture.

My personal preference is for an oil/varnish mixture treatment. Either use Minwax Tung Oil Finish, Minwax Antique oil or a homebrew of equal parts of boiled linseed oil, your favorite varnish or poly varnish and mineral spirits. Sand the benchtop up to 180 grit. Apply the mixture heavily and keep it wet for 15-30 minutes. Wipe off any excess completely. Let it dry overnight and the next day, apply another coat using a gray non-woven abrasive pad. Let it set and then wipe off any excess. Let this dry 48-72 hours. To prevent glue from sticking apply a coat of furniture paste wax and you're done. This treatment is somewhat more protective than the wax and mineral oil as the varnish component adds some protection from not only water both some other chemicals also. The waxing makes the surface a little more impervious to water so you can wipe up any liquid adhesive. It also allows hardened adhesive to be scraped off. Repair and renewal is easy. Just go throught the same scraping, wiping down with mineral spirits and reapplication of the BLO/varnish/mineral spirits mixture and an application of paste wax.

Both of the above treatments are quite protective but are easy to maintain and renew. They do not fail when the surface takes a ding.