Waterlox satin on reclaimed Douglas fir dining table?

[Steve Van Kirk]

Hi folks,

I'm in the process of applying finish to a reclaimed Douglas fir dining table. It's an heirloom piece I'm building for my wife/family. The surface is very irregular & uneven, having lots of nail holes, splits, powder-post beetle tunnels, etc. My plan was to first apply several coats of Waterlox original sealer (already underway) and end with a couple coats or so of Waterlox satin.

Why apply satin finish rather than rubbing the original sealer - which is semi-gloss - down to satin? My thinking was that rubbing might result in shiny spots where the wood imperfections prevent the steel wool, sandpaper, or medium of choice from making contact with the finish during rubbing (e.g. inside a beetle tunnel). Please correct me if I'm wrong here.

After researching a bit, however, it looks like satin Waterlox can be kind of hit or miss - even the Waterlox website says it can sometimes appear streaky on large surfaces like floors, tables, etc. Does anyone have a foolproof method for applying it so it looks nice? If I just wipe it on in thin coats that are tipped-off along the grain, should I be OK? I don't mind taking my time - I'm not in this for the money.

Thanks for the help!

Steve

[Scott Holmes]

You should be fine with that approach. You can probably brush on a coat of two of satin without thinning it.

You MUST make sure you thoroughly mix the varnish before you apply it. Leaving it under mixed; you will end up with streaks and an uneven finish.
Contrary to advice many give; I ALWAYS shake my varnish to ensure it is well mixed. Tipping off after you apply it will pop any bubbles induced by shaking the varnish.

[Kent A Bathurst]

You MUST make sure you thoroughly mix the varnish before you apply it. Leaving it under mixed; you will end up with streaks and an uneven finish.

I may be over-driving my headlights, but I always leave a stir stick in the cup, and frequently remix as I am applying it.

[Mike Gresham]

I recently built an entertainment center. The top is a little over 5 feet by about 21 inches. It is finished with 3 coats of Waterlox original and 3 coats of Waterlox satin (the whole thing, not just the top). The first coat of satin was streaky, but by the third coat it was even.

I wiped the original and brushed the satin. Maybe just my ignorance, but I'm not sure wiping satin will carry the flattening agent to the surface as it should. As Scott mentioned, mixing is critical. I stir every 5 minutes or so during application.

[Steve Van Kirk]

Thanks, guys - I really appreciate the advice. Point taken regarding thorough mixing (& keeping it thoroughly mixed during application). Also good to know that shaking isn't strictly forbidden - so long as I'm tipping off to remove the bubbles.

At this point I'm probably going to wait a month or two and see how the original sealer tones down before deciding whether to apply the satin.

Thanks again!

Steve