What is the best wood finish to bring out the natural beauty of a piece of wood? As a wood tinker-er all I have ever known is Min Wax stains.

Even what Min Wax calls SEMI-TRANSPARENT NATURAL stain leaves a bit of yellowish tint to the wood. 

I usually finish with several coats of polyurethane to protect the wood from moisture.

There has got to be a better way........what do you say??? 

Following

Despite some people using the same finish for everything, there is no perfect finish for all applications.   It's a matter of needs, trade-offs, and competing characteristics:

• Looks (color, sheen, build-up vs. "in the wood", chatoyance)
• Protection needed from exposure (UV, water, body oils, foods, heat/cold, abrasion, chemicals)
• Material being finished (softwoods,  hardwoods, exotics)
• Surface geometry (lots of carvings, interior corners, large flat surfaces, turned surfaces, routed profiles, spindles)
• Availability
• Cost of material
• Skill level of applier
• Tools available to applier (spray booth, top level brushes, etc.)
• Location of finishing (on-site, off-site, built-ins, temperature, humidity, lighting)
• Repairability
• Time required to apply finish
• Speed/time to cure finish
• Toxicity during application and during use
• Want to enhance the wood grain or reduce it
• Trying to merge or accentuate two unlike woods (different species, heart- vs. sap-wood, solids vs veneers, inlay vs. background)

Edited February 6, 20251 yr by kmealy

What ever you apply to the wood will change the appearance.  Water based products have a lesser effect than oil based products.  I think oil based products enhance the look.  My opinion for what it's worth.

I heard someone suggest Min Wax was an inferior product so I was hoping someone here might suggest another product other than Min Wax. 

 

4 hours ago, kmealy said:

Despite some people using the same finish for everything, there is no perfect finish for all applications.   It's a matter of needs, trade-offs, and competing characteristics:

• Looks (color, sheen, build-up vs. "in the wood", chatoyance)
• Protection needed from exposure (UV, water, body oils, foods, heat/cold, abrasion, chemicals)
• Material being finished (softwoods,  hardwoods, exotics)
• Surface geometry (lots of carvings, interior corners, large flat surfaces, turned surfaces, routed profiles, spindles)
• Availability
• Cost of material
• Skill level of applier
• Tools available to applier (spray booth, top level brushes, etc.)
• Location of finishing (on-site, off-site, built-ins, temperature, humidity, lighting)
• Repairability
• Time required to apply finish
• Speed/time to cure finish
• Toxicity during application and during use
• Want to enhance the wood grain or reduce it
• Trying to merge or accentuate two unlike woods (different species, heart- vs. sap-wood, solids vs veneers, inlay vs. background)

kmealy ........... I asked what time it was and you told me how to build a watch. 

14 minutes ago, Bubba said:

I heard someone suggest Min Wax was an inferior product so I was hoping someone here might suggest another product other than Min Wax. 

 

I've heard that General Finishes from Woodcraft is well liked but have no first hand knowledge.

Bubba, checkout Sutherland Welles.   It is a Tung Oil-Resin wood finish.  Danl

Thanks lew & Danl, I'll check out both of those products.

Danl if you have used the Sutherland Welles product do you know if it will accept an acrylic clear coat or does the tung oil negate the need for a moisture barrier. 

Edited February 7, 20251 yr by Bubba
Spelling

As a rule I'll avoid Minwax, but it's more of a protest against their marketing practices than a statement about bad quality. They are the most widely available finishing line and their quality is (probably) is ta least average or better. They are owned by SW who also owns Cabot and Valspar, both generally well thought of brands. But the suggestion to try General Finishes is a good one, their products are excellent. If you specifically want a good varnish, there is one sold under the Mnwax name that I like. It used to be an SW label, and the rebranded it as Minwax. It's called a "Performance Series" finish and labeled Fast Dry Varnish. It's an alkyd resin varnish and as far as I know is only available at an SW store. I try not to use urethane varnishes so have moved over to this one. One thing about it, it's also a linseed oil formula so it does have an amber cast to it, as do almost all oil finishes. If you look at the General Finishes brand, one product worth mentioning is Arm R Seal. It's a very thin varnish that you wipe on and is a very good finish. It's easy enough to make your own (50/50 thiner/varnish) but Arm R Seal is ready to go right out of the can.

Edited February 7, 20251 yr by Fred W. Hargis Jr

23 hours ago, Bubba said:

Thanks lew & Danl, I'll check out both of those products.

Danl if you have used the Sutherland Welles product do you know if it will accept an acrylic clear coat or does the tung oil negate the need for a moisture barrier. 

I have not used the Sutherland Welles products, but to my knowledge, you do not add a barrier coat on top of it.  You can add a coat of wax, but not recommended if your furniture piece is a table.  Warm objects can melt the wax.   Danl

The easiest with best results and will make the wood look better after applying only one product 

and a little thinner is 100%tung oil and not tung oil finish. This is completely two different products

and the bottle or can should say 100%. Thin the tung oil with about  25 % paint thinner.... Put the coats

on with rag  or paint brush then in 5 minutes or so use a dry rag and remove everything that will come

off.. Let sit for a week or so, longer if it's not summer then do the same thing 2 more times with the extra

time in between applications.

  This is a towel rack for the bathroom. I stained the end pieces and the rod with the same thing..I then

sprayed clear lacquer on the end pieces and since there would be wet towels hanging there every night I 

always use 100% tung oil where water might affect a finish.... 

   Enlarge the picture and you will see enough difference to be confident 100% tung oil will be the best finish 

you can apply on wood. It brings the beauty out of the wood better than any thing I have ever used.

Especially when one will put the things out side.

 Also compared to putting on any finish one will end up using less tung oil than anything else.

  It does have a shelf life. So I would suggest buying one quart size jug then give us your opinion of

the outcome in a few months.

  I know it is almost water proof for the first time I ever use it I applied three coats  in about six weeks time

and I used the same bathroom wash rag.. I laid it out flat each time to dry until the next appliction but the

second time I folded it into a cup shape so after it dried in about 3 or 4 weeks I poured water in it and sit it

up so I could tell when all the water disappeared. 

 This little experiment with the water convinced me that the guy that had told me how good it was became

a very good friend. I want my friends to be honest and not give advise when they don't know squat.

100 tung oil needs no top coat.

This quilt rack was built and installed  about 15 or so years ago when I remodeled the bathroom.

And with all the wet towels that have hung there wet I would say , yes my friend tung oil will keep the wood

looking brand new.....for a long time.

Also I only use 100% tung oil directly on to wood.   If I have to put coloring on the bare wood and lots of it stays on the surface then I go another route and forget the tung oil..

 

Last post I said quilt rack and should have said towel rack..

 

Been working on another quilt rack and it is stuck in my little brain until it goes out the door.

On 2/7/2025 at 5:31 AM, Fred W. Hargis Jr said:

As a rule I'll avoid Minwax, but it's more of a protest against their marketing practices than a statement about bad quality. They are the most widely available finishing line and their quality is (probably) is ta least average or better. They are owned by SW who also owns Cabot and Valspar, both generally well thought of brands. But the suggestion to try General Finishes is a good one, their products are excellent. If you specifically want a good varnish, there is one sold under the Mnwax name that I like. It used to be an SW label, and the rebranded it as Minwax. It's called a "Performance Series" finish and labeled Fast Dry Varnish. It's an alkyd resin varnish and as far as I know is only available at an SW store. I try not to use urethane varnishes so have moved over to this one. One thing about it, it's also a linseed oil formula so it does have an amber cast to it, as do almost all oil finishes. If you look at the General Finishes brand, one product worth mentioning is Arm R Seal. It's a very thin varnish that you wipe on and is a very good finish. It's easy enough to make your own (50/50 thiner/varnish) but Arm R Seal is ready to go right out of the can.

I generally avoid Minwax, too.  Though I do like their "Golden Oak" stain that is dye-based.  I have been using General Finishes products and some Old Masters stains.  I still have some of the commercial products from Valspar, before they got bought out by S-W.   The "Performance Series" varnish by S-W, sold under the Minwax label now, I think is a non-poly (acrylic) varnish.   It's been quite a while since I bought any but Cabot 8000 series and Pratt & Lambert varnishes are also non-poly (if they are still made).

 

With the merger and acquisition of finish companies into just a few, it's hard to tell what's still out there.

 

But, I generally use shellac, lacquer, wiping varnish, brushing varnish, oil-varnish blends, boiled linseed oil, or water-borne finishes all depending on the situation.

I am all in with General Finishes. Either Arm R Seal (oil base) or Endurovar (water based).  Unless I’m trying to add to an existing piece for a customer I will usually use dye instead of stain. IMHO, dye creates a clearer, cleaner look.  Essential, stain is colored mud.  Don’t like it.

Moved topic from Finishing Tips to Finishing Forum

On 2/6/2025 at 4:52 PM, Bubba said:

kmealy ........... I asked what time it was and you told me how to build a watch. 

Most of the time I use Watco Lacquer.  This product dries quickly (scrolling dust is everywhere and unseen until I use a slow drying finish) and produces a great finish for me.