Fogiving/non-toxic/durable wipe-on finish - am I asking too much?

[Guy Dotan]

So far, in the very short time I have been woodworking, I have used Watco's Danish oil, sometimes adding a couple of coats of Minwax wipe-on satin poly (for surfaces like benches or desks.) I really like the warm color I get from the Danish oil and while not tested over a very long time, I think I get the durability I need. I love the ease of application and how forgiving the process is. What I do not like is the lingering smell and the existence of VOCs. I am looking into building a bed and sleeping under a smelly headboard is not desirable :-)

Can anybody recommend a non-toxic, preferably wipe-on alternative? (Spraying is not an option for now.) I have come across a few threads about Tried and True, but I am now sure which of their products would give me a similar look/durability and I am not sure if lack of VOC = not smelly.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

[John TenEyck]

Have you considered shellac? It's not all that durable but does it need to be for a bed? Shellac can be padded on to a beautiful finish and has no residual odor after a day or so.

[Guy Dotan]

I did use shellac when I built a bed for my son. It is an option, but it's not as durable and dries fast, so not very forgiving...

[Michelle Rich]

Tried and True exactly what you want to use. shellac is not as durable, but is more durable than you might think. A headboard does not take much abuse.

[Jim Becker]

Unless things have changed, Tried and True has three formulas...a straight drying oil (similar to BLO without the metallic dryers), an oil/beeswax mixture and a wiping "varnish" that uses pine resins. They are all great finishes to use and impart a beautiful, low luster. They are not "durable film finishes", however. That doesn't mean they will not last...my wife's cherry desk was finished with the oil/beeswax version in 1997 and still looks brand new (when the piles of papers are cleaned off of is... )...but you cannot expect the same kind of physical durability that you'll get with types of film finishes designed for durability. T&T is my oil of choice, even as a first step in the finishing process (for color/grain enhancement since I use water borne top coats) and I have often used the oil/beeswax version for decorative items. I personally didn't prefer the "varnish" product, but I didn't spend a lot of time with it, either.

Shellac is more durable than folks tend to give it credit. It's actually a very hard finish which is both good and bad. The bad part is because it's so hard, you can "shatter" the surface with a sharp blow and it is more sensitive to abrasion than something formulated specifically to resist abrasion, such as "polyurethane" which was original intended as a floor finish. But shellac is a good compromise and once you actually learn how to apply it (you cannot brush/wipe it the same way as you do an oil based product) a wonderful looking finish can be had with good safety and no lingering odor once the alcohol flashes off. You certainly have the option of overcoating it with a water borne product to control sheen and add some abrasion resistance if you wish, but you need to use de-waxed shellac for best adhesion in that scenario.

[Scott DelPorte]

I think of shellac as being a forgiving finish because it melts into itself easily. I mostly pad it on, so its easy to blend things and make it even. Its also doesn't pick up dust because it dries so fast.

[Guy Dotan]

I think of shellac as being a forgiving finish because it melts into itself easily. I mostly pad it on, so its easy to blend things and make it even. Its also doesn't pick up dust because it dries so fast.

Agreed. I made a playset loft bed for my son and used amber shellac. I sprayed the shellac for the most part and wiped it on some parts. It is holding up very well, including the ladder and climbing wall. The only issue is water (wet feet after shower on the ladder...) but - as you said - it is easy to fix. So, in that sense, it is forgiving.

Shellac is more durable than folks tend to give it credit. ... once you actually learn how to apply it (you cannot brush/wipe it the same way as you do an oil based product)

Agreed... The not-so-forgiving part is that it dries very fast and you cannot be as sloppy as I usually am with the oil based wipe on. Fast motions and methodical patterns work. Odd shapes and curves were challenging.

Tried and True exactly what you want to use. A headboard does not take much abuse.

I think I will give the tried and true products a shot. Maybe their oil followed by their varnish.

I would really like to find a wipe-on finish that I like with lower odor and toxicity. I am not expecting a thick film... My "baseline" is Watco's Danish oil + 2 coats of Minwax wipe-on poly - no thick film there...

All - thank for the feedback and advice! I would love to hear about other options (if they exist) or more feedback.

[glenn bradley]

Agreed. I made a playset loft bed for my son and used amber shellac. I sprayed the shellac for the most part and wiped it on some parts. It is holding up very well, including the ladder and climbing wall. The only issue is water (wet feet after shower on the ladder...) but - as you said - it is easy to fix. So, in that sense, it is forgiving.

You could use a waterborne poly product on the high traffic areas. Minwax Polycrylic comes in rattle cans for example. I have also wiped it on although it is intended as a syntho-brush applied product.

Agreed... The not-so-forgiving part is that it dries very fast and you cannot be as sloppy as I usually am with the oil based wipe on. Fast motions and methodical patterns work. Odd shapes and curves were challenging.

Just an application suggestion; take something like Zinsser Seal Coat, hit the can mix 50/50 with DNA and apply 2 or 3 thin coats with a cloth pad. No runs, no over-build and each new thin coats burns in to the previous coat. curves and tight areas can by hit with the edge of the cloth or a bit of paper towel. Similar to cutting in the corners when painting a room, do the tough spots first with an even thinner mix then hit the open spaces. Even after all that you can spray Polycrylic on the ladder rungs and verticals or the whole ladder if it is not integrated.

[Jim Becker]

Shellac does have a "learning curve" for the reasons you state. Do keep practicing with it, because it's a wonderful finish in so many ways.

In the mean time, the T&T product is high quality and you'll enjoy using it. There is an odor since it's based on linseed oil, but it doesn't persist long-term. (You'll still want to shellac the "inside" of things, however, because of the nature of oil finishes to off-gas in contained spaces for a long time)

[Dave Jensen]

A product I found that I've had some success with is from Earthpaint.net. They have various non-toxic zero-VOC products that work for different applications. On a walnut crib I made for my grand daughter, I used their Bio Poly NT as a penetrating oil, followed by a few coats of their Nano Tech sealer. The sealer dries between coats fairly quickly, so over the course of a day I can easily get 3 coats of sealer applied. The finish looked great, and my grand daughter hasn't managed to damage it! The depth of the walnut really came out thanks to the penetrating oil. I'll try to remember to post a couple pictures later today. They're not the cheapest products, but they appear to go a long way, they don't stink, and they're easy to use!

I've not heard anybody else ever talk about these products, so I'd be interested to hear if anybody else has tried them.

[Nick Hicks]

Can anybody recommend a non-toxic, preferably wipe-on alternative? (Spraying is not an option for now.)

Look up Osmo's Polyx-Oil - I use it and it's great. There are a few Youtube videos on it to give you an idea - Peter Parfitt did a couple of good ones.

It does off gas a little but the smell dissipates quite quickly and is easy to apply and reapply if the surface is damaged. It doesn't have the problems polyurethane has when trying to refinish an item.

It's a little pricy but you only need a small amount - it goes a long way. I used it on some end tables and it performed very well.

[Guy Dotan]

Thanks. Looks interesting and less toxic than Watco Danish oil. I will do some more research but thanks to all I have 2 good options: Polyx and tried and True. Thanks!

[Guy Dotan]

Progress update: I have been using Polyx on my king size bed project and I am loving it!!! It is easy to apply, very forgiving, and absolutely beautiful. The bed is made of Sapele and zebrawood veneer and Polyx is giving it a very nice deep color with a matte sheen. It does smell for a few days but it is not as bad as Watco Danish oil which takes forever to cure. I am mid way in the finishing process and cannot comment on durability.

It might be the one...