I’ve got some softer wood (about like fir) that I’m making into some jewlery boxes that I sure would like to have a harder finish on.
Although shelac and poly can be finished quite nicely I would like to find something that would give me a much harder finish surface to help cut back on the “marr-ability” of the wood. Basically you can dent the surface of the wood very easily by running a fingernail across it.
Does anyone have some suggestions and locations to purchase the finished materials suggested?
Thanks
Mal
Replies
Basicly, there is no finish that makes the surface of the wood harder short of encapsulating it in plastic. For a film finish, we are talking very, very thin films.
The rule is not to put a hard finish on a soft wood. A hard finish will crack and craze when it gets dinged and the wood underneath dents. A softer more flexible finish will give and may maintain its integrity. That is the reason that exterior and spar varnishs are designed to be soft and flexible. These will give better long term protection to softer wood items.
malicair,
One can achieve a bit of success making softwood hard by soaking the piece in several applications of a penetrating oil such as Danish Oil (following directions on the can). However, this process will not totally produce the hardness you may desire and glossiness results via such a finishing method is fairly time consuming. However, I have used Minwax wipe on poly on softwoods with fair results respective to hardening and protection for softwood fibers, especially related to the denting you described.
sawick
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