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Thread: taking glossy varnish to satin..

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Yardley, PA
    Posts
    94

    taking glossy varnish to satin..

    I'm working on a walnut bench for a friend. I've had success using oil/varnish blends (usually Cabot Tung Oil finish 8099) in the past on many pieces, but on this bench I've run into problems achieving the final satin look I wanted. Usually I actually build it up a bit then take it back to where I want it. I'm attributing my problems to the extreme heat/humidity and probably a little over anxiousness in my wait time for rubbing out. Basically I rubbed out my finish after about 3 weeks and the results were not satisfactory. I believe the finish was not actually fully cured. My friend would really like this bench sooner rather than later. I took the bench inside, out of my sunroom (aka currently like a sauna) sanded back the finish a bit with 400 grit and wiped on a new coat of Cabot yesterday. Right now it looks pretty glossy. I do have some satin Bartley's gel varnish on hand. Aside from waiting for this to fully cure and rubbing it out to a satin, could I simply give it a gentle scuff with #0000 steel wool and apply a coat of the gel varnish? I have other things on-hand too, like micro mesh pads, or the ol' brown paper bag. Would I have to wait for a full cure before applying the gel varnish too? I'd like to get this out the door, as what was a really quick turnaround has suddenly kicked my *ss! haha.. I'm also aware that over the next month or so the gloss will naturally go down.
    Thanks in advance.
    -ps- hopefully this thread does not turn into an explanation of tung oil, tung oil varnish, supposed tung oil varnishes that don't contain any tung oil, etc...

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    SE PA - Central Bucks County
    Posts
    65,683
    You can over coat with the satin finish with proper surface prep. It's not uncommon for someone to build a finish with gloss and not have to deal with the added flattening material that requires careful mixing for consistency, and then either rub out to a "less glossy" finish or use a final coat of a satin product. That's "usually" the same finish as the other coats, but it doesn't have to be if you deal with adhesion prep. Do yourself a favor and try things out on some scrap of your project material first to be sure you like the end result.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  3. #3
    That's a lot of extra work making satin out of gloss and the result may not be what you expect. If you are spraying, there is no reason not to get a perfect satin if you follow directions and don't let the varnish sit in the gun for more than a 1/2 hour w/o stirring. If you're brushing satin, don't make the mistake of over-brushing. When using a foam brush, for me three strokes is IT.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2013
    Location
    Wayland, MA
    Posts
    3,655
    I find that gloss hand rubbed with 0000 steel wool then topped with wax gives a much nicer "satin" effect than any satin varnish I've tried or seen used. I don't regard it as "extra work" at all, but rather as a way of getting to a much nicer outcome that doesn't look like a factory spray finish.

  5. #5
    I've used Cabot's Tung Oil Finish and I believe it's more varnish than oil varnish. It built to a hard finish.

    If you are satisfied with the protection and build of your surface, and all you need to do is fix your sheen I suggest this:

    Sand your surface again, this time with 600 grit.

    Then, mix about 10% boiled linseed oil (or tung) into your Cabots. Wipe on another "just-north-of-thin" coat. Wait for a few minutes, then buff it off.

    You may need to repeat the wipe on wipe off two times, but you'll be left with a satin in-the-wood finish.

    These last two coats of oil/varnish are just to shine up the surface from the 600 grit sanding. By virtue of being wiped off, though, you prevent the surface from becoming built up and perfectly level, which is what's gives the gloss in a clear finish.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Yardley, PA
    Posts
    94
    Thanks everyone. Prashun! I'm going to give that a go. I did something similar to that on the bottom yesterday and loved the result.

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