I recently got some new carriage doors for a studio and want to oil the interior surface. The exterior will be painted white to match the rest of the house.
It’s straight-grain douglas fir, and beautiful. I oiled the test
block with Watco, natural color, hoping to let the inherent glow of
the wood come through, but with two coats so far, it looks a little
flat. Does anyone have any suggestions about a finish, preferably oil, that will
give it a nice, natural lustre?
I’ve noticed before how oil finishes don’t always pop the figure in some woods. I’m thinking maybe just plain shellac, dewaxed or regular, over the oil, will help. Or just shellac alone. I’m guessing that shellac under the oil will defeat the purpose of the hand-oiled finish.
Thanks, John
Replies
John,
The two key words you've said is "flat" and "lustrous"
As you noticed the oil alone will not give you the look you are after. You may consider using a wiping varnish such as Waterlox Original . It will give you more body of finish than Watco alone, but will still be fairly thin. It also has a pleasing amber cast to it that might just be what you are after.
Shellac can be applied over an oiled surface after it has dried well. It doesn't matter which one you use as the topcoat. It will add a glow to the finish. If you use shellac as a sealer, use the SealCoat which is de waxed shellac. You can then top coat with a varnish if you'd like.
Don't try and put a very thin oil like watco etc. over the shellac as it won't be able to penetrate the sealed surface.
If you are looking to keep the oiled look but want a little more body, both texturally and visually, try the Waterlox.
Peter
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