# of Coats of Witches Brew?

[Todd Mason-Darnell]

So this is my first time trying witches brew. I am using it as the first coat on a couple of jewelry boxes that have lingering around my shop since January (new job and other tasks have kept me from any quality shop time)

For those of you who use it regularly, how many coats do you usual put on?

I am thinking about doing a wiping poly for the top coat.

[Steve Schoene]

Witches Brew??? I assume you mean a oil/varnish mixture. Made with tung oil, I would apply as much as 5 coats, spaced about 3 or 4 days apart. Made with BLO coats could be applied after overnight curing and fewer coats would be needed to achieve an even sheen. Oil/varnish or Danish Oil is applied primarily to enhance the color and figure of the wood. If it will be topcoated with varnish, then it only needs the minimum of coats that achieve a uniform sheen. It never should be allowed to build anything approximating a film since after penetrating a short time all excess on the surface should be vigorously wiped away.

Top coats of an oil based finish will give a total finish almost indistinquishable from the finish achieved with initial coats of oil/varnish mix. if the top coat is waterborne the oil/varnish will make a big difference in final appearance, but waterborne finishes don't always adhere well to oil based finishes. In that case I'd apply a thin coat of dewaxed shellac between oil based and waterborne. For minimal color change use either Zinsser Seal Coat which I would call blonde. Even better mixing dewaxed blonde (super- or ultra-) shellac flakes gives a very good tie coat between different finishes.