Hey all,
I’m a beginner woodworker and have started building the “sturdy footstool” featured
in the projects section in FWW. The author doesn’t make mention of the finish that he
uses for the stool. I’d like to find a nice durable finish for the african mahogany
footstool. Any help would be appreciated. I searched finishes for stools here and
found that one user finished theirs with a wipe-on-poly ontop of shellac. Is this a
good idea? I thought that I read that shellac isn’t very scratch or water resistant. Let
me know, thanks.
Replies
Shellac is moderately resistant to liquid water, but it is highly resistant to passage of water vapor. In combination with the varnish top coat, the varnish will deal with the liquid water so the shellac only "sees" the water vapor. The overall schedule will be more water resistant than either material alone. Though frankly I don't quite see that water resistance is of much importance for a footstool, so I see the shellac as a purely optional choice.
You have to decide on the appearance you want based on the test boards from the same material you will make before starting to finish the footstool. Always make test boards.
Shellac is being used in this schedule because of the color it provides, or possibly it is being used to help fill pores by applying multiple coats and sanding smooth. It is much faster to do this with shellac than with varnish, but using a commercial pore filler is faster. Whether you fill pores or not is purely an aesthetic question. I like to fill pores with fill finishes--especially glossy finishes, but with satin finishes it's not needed so much.
If shellac is used under polyurethane varnish, then it must be DEWAXED shellac to ensure good adhesion.
I don't think shellac would be the best choice for a foot stool, especially with poly over it (incompatibility issues). While I'm not usually an advocate for oil finishes, this seem the best for your project, since it will be easy to repair and looks very good.
I would apply several coats of boiled linseed oil. The first coat should be applied thickly and allowed to soak in and then completely wiped off ( I heat the oil and add some Japan drier, to help it penetrate better and cure more quickly). Subsequent coats should be applied thinly and well rubbed in and again wiped completely dry. I think 4 coats with a few days (3-5) between coats would give a nice luster that will accentuate the grain very well and will age nicely. A coat of wax after the oil has fully cured will also help. When the finish starts to show its age, an application of hot oil will restore its appearance. Of course this finish offers little if any protection from water.
Be sure to post some photos when it is done.
Rob Millard
http://www.americanfederalperiod.com
Wow, Thanks for the quick replies. After reading Steve's reply, I don't see the need for the water resistant finish either. I think that I'm going to go with a satin finish, so I'm not going to fill the pores with a pore filler. This time I'll go with the oil finish under a wax top. Like I said before, I'm a WW newbie so I'll definitely use a test board. Thanks so much, I'll post some pictures when I'm done.
There isn't a real need for wax in this, especially on a footstool. Wipe on varnish would nicely fill the bill.Gretchen
Hmm... Maybe I'll try Varnish instead. Would I have to apply anything under or over the varnish? I just got done rough cutting the stretcher and everything is fitting nicely. It's so easy to want to rush through things. But I know that if I take my time the project will come out better.
I'd take Rob's (R Millard) advice. A footstool will be subject to constant abrasion of any film finish, be it shellac, laquer or polyurethane (which is a type of varnish, by the way). There really aren't any film finishes available to the average woodworker that will stand up over the years to this kind of abrasion, and where the film finish wears away, the wood underneath will accumulate dirt and grime. The result is really unattractive, in my opinion.
The advantage of an oil finish is that there is no surface film to abrade away. The wood will accumulate dirt and grime, but it will be a relatively even accumulation on the used surfaces ( the top, in this case). The result is the patina of age and use, but in my opinion it will be an attractive result.
Looks like I've got a winner then. I heard that oil is pretty easy to apply too, so that's always a plus.
Yep, no question about ease of application, and it's inexpensive as well. I personally prefer pure Tung oil because it seems to cure a bit faster and dry a bit harder, but that's just a personal preference.
I would really question what it is that tung oil dries faster than (only raw linseed oil that I know of), and if tung oil dries harder than linseed oil it is still pretty much irrelevant, since just about any oil/varnish mix will dry harder, and have virtually the same appearance. Besides with pure tung there is at least some risk that you develop a "frosty" appearance whose only solution is stripping and starting over. In my opinion neither linseed oil nor pure tung oil should be considered as wood finishes--they are just a coloring, figure enhancing step in a more appropriate finish system.
Yeah. I just finished the cutting the stretcher and dry fitting all of the pieces together. I cut the tennon cheecks a bit shy on one side of the stretcher, but after the wedges are installed and it's all sanded, it should'nt be noticeable. Since this is my first project, I am going to experiment on a test board with some linseed oil and maybe a thin coat of wax. Is there any wax in particular that would be good for this? I'm working with AF Mahogany, so when the oil cures it should deepen the red tone. I really dont want any tint to the wax. When applying it, should I use something like a cheese cloth or the like?
I have had a troubled relationship with wax; I was never happy with way it turned out. The wax was always sort of greasy looking, or easily smudged.
Then I read an article by Peter Gedrys, in a recent issue of FWW, and it showed me that I was applying the wax too thickly. I also found out on my own, that the surface must be completely free of oil (I use mineral oil to rub out finishes), so you'll have to let it cure for quite a while, before applying the wax. I also found that the brands really don't matter too much, but I like the Antiquax brand
Rob Millard
http://www.americanfederalperiod.com
I'll be sure to take my time and make sure that the oil cures long enough. Here's the progress so far... I just need to cut the slot/kerf for the wedges and do some finish sanding. Actually, I'm a little confused. Four coats of linseed, then let cure. Next mineral oil to make sure piece is free of oil. finally thin coat of wax. Does that sound right?
I think Rob is taling about two different situations. When you "rub out" a film finish such as shellac or laquer, you're typically using a very fine abrasive and a cloth to polish the surface. Those abrasives can take the form of powdered minerals like pumice and rottenstone (powdered limestone), and you have to add some sort of lubricant to be able to use them. Some use mineral spirits, some soapy water, some use mineral oil, and some (like me) buy the abrasive in the form of automotive polishing compound.
For an oil finish, you don't need to "rub out" with an abrasive in the way that you would to polish a film finish. From the standpoint of your project, just wipe it down liberally with boiled linseed oil, let it stand for 5-10 minutes, re-coat any dry surfaces, then wipe it off thoroughly after about 30 minutes. You can "buff" the project with a polishing cloth to get a satin sheen after about 2-4 days, depending on your shop's temperature. If you want to put on additional coats, I'd let it cure for a couple of days between the coats, then wait a week or so between the last coat and wax (and in the meantime, you can still use the stool - you can wax a piece of furniture any time after the finish has cured).
OOHHH. Gotcha. He's talking about two different situations. I can't believe all of the help that I'm getting on this. As a beginning woodworker all of this advice is very helpful and encouraging. I already cant wait to start my next project. I'm looking to build the small round table in the project area of the FWW website. I think there's a 12 part video on it. It doesn't look too daunting. But one thing at a time...
Oh - Don't sweat the "one thing at a time" deal. Most of us have two, three or 4 different projects going on at any one time in the shop. Hey, you gotta have something else to do while the finish cures on the last project, right?
I was indeed describing two different situations, but my clumsily worded post didn't make that clear.
Early on in my woodworking endeavors, I tried wax and found that the lubricant I used to rubout the finish, would interfere with the wax and leave a smeary mess, unless all the traces of oil were removed. I imagine the same thing would happen an oil finish hasn't fully cured.
Rob Millard
http://www.americanfederalperiod.com
Steve - Not sure why, but the tung oil (Behlen's 100%) I use cures in about 2 days, as judged by the absence of smell, no visible residue on the surface, and the ability to buff it out. The same criteria applied to BLO (KleenStrip, in my case) takes about 7-10 days.
I've never experienced the "frosty" appearance you describe -perhaps that has more to do with the woods I use it on, which is pretty much exclusively cherry, walnut, maple, and mahogany.
And, in this particular instance, I suspect the reason Rob advised the OP to use it (and I agree) is the specific absence of any surface film, such as would be left behind by an oil/varnish mix. One thing that these oil finishes do over the bare wood is allow for a bit of hydrophobicity (though standing water will soak in after a few minutes) and a much more cleanable surface. But, I agree that they're not very protective - I would use them on a table top. IMO, that requires a film finish (unless it's a picnic table).
You know, I have a lot of different little footstools, and have never repaired the finish on any of them. All have a wipe on non-poly varnish.Gretchen
Finally finished. Four coats of Boiled Linseed then a thin coat of wax.
Check it out. Looking back, the only thing that I would have changed is that I wanted
use a contrasting wood - maybe walnut for the tenon wedges. I forgot, oh well.
Maybe the next one that I build... Thanks for all of the help!!
Excellent job !! I really like the color & the through tenons . What are the dimemsions of this stool ? Thanks for posting .
The footstool is 10" wide by 10" tall and is 14" long.
It was a fun small project, but it still was pretty challenging since everything was cut to a 10 degree camber.
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