Replies

1. 
   BG | Jan 25, 2003 03:22am | #1

   Loren,

   How many coats?  I used it for the first time about 2 months ago...followed the directions...two coats...and it came out just okay.  thanks

1. 
   forestgirl | Jan 25, 2003 07:28pm | #7

   BG, I'm in the wet-sanding camp for the Watco.  "Following the directions" doesn't, IMO, produce the greatest finish.  I had an awful finishing disaster with some oak awhile back trying to use filler.  When I did "Take 2" I wet-sanded with Watco instead (chose 220 grit) and it worked fantastically.  The finish is exactly what I wanted.

   I doubt that Watco is going to work in every situation, but it sure is nice for some.  And, you can always top-coat it with varnish or poly after it's cured if you need a more durable finish.

   PS:  I can't remember if I used 2 or 3 coats, but whatever.  I've read of some Knotheads using twice that many, sanding through various grits.  One technique I'm going to try is laying down a sealer coat of shellac, then a thin coat of Watco without sanding, and then wet-sand a couple of coats after that, followed (after curing, which takes several days) with a coat of varnish.

   forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)

   Edited 1/25/2003 11:33:00 AM ET by forestgirl

1. 
   BG | Jan 25, 2003 08:01pm | #9

   FG,

   I compared the Watco with the Waterlox and I felt the Waterlox was a bit better.  However, with the Waterlox I applied 6 coats...and hand rubbed each coat till a bit tacky.  The Watco was very simple no where near the same amount of work...now what would have happened if I applied more coats, sanded, etc...I may take some scraps and play a bit.

   When I asked the guys at Woodcraft about a wash coat of shellac before the Watco they gave me a strange look.....coulda been gas(lol), not sure, but I decided they may not work together.

   To tell the truth, I'm getting a bit perturbed at the price of all these concoctions...I wanna get back to basics and mix my own stuff...  

1. 
   forestgirl | Jan 25, 2003 08:41pm | #10

   BG, shellac as a washcoat should work just fine with Watco, as it's compatible with just about everything.  Must have been gas, I guess.  Or, consider the possibility that they only know what they read on the backs of the cans.  Maybe to be safe, using the dewaxed seal coat stuff.

   I'll pass along my details on the wet-sanding drill, and if you do a search for "Watco sand" over the last month, you should find another thread that gives various rituals.

   I put the Watco in a small dish, cut up the paper (220 or finer) to appropriate size, and dipped it into the Watco.  Then put enough on the wood surface that I got a bit of drag, but not too much.  Sanded up a slurry, adding more Watco if the drag got more than light-to-moderate.  On red oak, I wiped it off as soon as the whole surface was done, because I was aiming to not get bleed-out.  With a tighter-pored wood, might leave it one for 15 minutes or so, then wipe thoroughly.  Wait 12 to 24 hours, do it again.  Same for coat 3.  Then let cure until no Watco smell, applied clear finish.

   Have you spent any time of Jeff Jewitt's site?  If you like to mix your own, that's a great place for sure.

   forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)

   Edited 1/25/2003 12:44:50 PM ET by forestgirl

1. 
   BG | Jan 26, 2003 03:50am | #11

   FG,

   Thanks for the recipe for your Watco solution. I have not taken a serious look at JJ's site and I need to do that.  I used to do a lot of refinishing many, many moons ago when things were a bit less complicated (ie. fewer products on the market).  I'm going to need a new notebook that details specific product protocols and outcomes achieved on popular woods....so much to learn..ugh !  Thanks for your help

2. 
   forestgirl | Jan 26, 2003 05:53am | #12

   The whole finishing thing has got me pretty intimidated, but I'm starting to come out of it.  Jeff's "Greatest Finishes" book has helped, and there are a couple others I'll buy this year probably.  There are just too many options out there!  But, I'm sure trying a few out will help get the mental processes organized.  Wood Mag has a good article on finishing pine this month.  I like it when the magazines do "Finishing Cherry," "Finishing Pine," and such.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)

3. 
   BG | Jan 26, 2003 05:26pm | #13

   FG,

   One of my pet peeves is to look under the kitchen cabinet and see 15 different cleaners for the house.  There are cleaners for every surface and all kinds soils...with or without fruit.

   Now, take a look at my finishing cabinet, five different kinds of waxes just for starters...not such a good start....lol

2. 
   AikidokaPa | Jan 25, 2003 06:21am | #2

   I use Watco a lot, and I always feel slightly guilty because it's so easy.  But I really do think it's a good product for a lot of the pieces we produce.   While it's true that it doesn't resist wear terribly well, the other side of the coin is that it's terrifically easy to repair or restore when it gets worn.  I just restored a complete set of kitchen cabinets (originally finished with a home-brewed equivalent to Watco), using Watco for the restoration, and the whole job took about 6 hours, including some regluing.

   Wet-sanding the second or later coats with Watco fills the pores nicely, for a somewhat higher gloss level.  Watco's Satin Wax is also a nice product.

1. 
   forestgirl | Jan 25, 2003 07:30pm | #8

   Don, I'm curious as to why you said "second or later coats."  When working on the red oak piece mentioned above, I wet-sanded all of them, worked great.  Is there something I'm missing?  Seemed like that was the best way to counteract the pooling-and-bleeding problem that Watco often presents, and fill the pores slightly at the same time.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)

3. 
   stancalow | Jan 25, 2003 06:41am | #3

   Loren

   I don't think some woods don't look good with just the thin film finish - cherry or mahogany for example.  Sometimes you need the higher gloss of shellac or other built-up finsihes.  I sometimes use the colored Watco in lieu of stain to add color, but just plain BLO if the wood if I don't need protection.

4. 
   wrick2003 | Jan 25, 2003 07:55am | #4

   i used watco for the first time yesterday, on some custom cherry shelves. i can't believe how easy it is to develop an excellent finish. and it comes tinted.

   my customer says that watco was the only finish her dad ever used. she has an oak armchair he made, that has a beautiful patina after ( i think)  30 or 40 years.

   does anyone here have any info on historical finishing techniques?

1. 
   noone51 | Jan 25, 2003 10:20am | #5

   Q1. Watco is an oil finish that will laquer over after a period of time..Usually about 72 hours but sometimes longer. The trick is to sand to at least 220 ( hand sand ) then lay down a good heavy coat of Watco... and I do mean heavy.. After about 30 minutes. wipe it off and let it dry... 24 to 48 hours is not uncommon.

   When you are sure the first coat is dry, knock it down with some 000 or 00 steel wool. Just raise a dust, don't try to take it down to the wood.

   Now, lay a reallly wet and heavy coat of Watco  on it and leave it be for at least 72 hours. It will be ready for wax when you can run your finger over it without a skip. Don't worry, if you test it early, the skip marks will level themselves

1. 
   wrick2003 | Jan 25, 2003 04:29pm | #6

   thanks.