Any woodworkers?

Gee, thanks for adding more options to the overwhelming list! Maybe someday I'll try that. Quick read - looks like a much longer drying time as they don't add "dryers". I like that it has real tung oil, probably why it takes time to not only dry but cure.

 

I would avoid the Shellac. A couple of coats of the oil then some wood wax is all you need.

 

Here's some examples and why I am a Walrus Oil fan

Cutting Board

Walrus Oil Pour

Batch of boards

Maple, Cherry and Padauk

 

This looks neat, expensive but neat...

https://swissinvis.com/products/

 

expensive doesn't seem like a big enough word for that price

 

Ok this makes it look cheap

https://www.shapertools.com/en-us/origin/overview

 

Tung oil, side closest to the can looks best to me.

 

Quick question about storing wood. I have a bunch of walnut that was cut back in the 60’s. Stacked it in my garage but didn’t use stickers. Good move or should I re-stack with stickers?

 

Id store it with stickers

 

At this point it probably doesn’t matter. That being said, if you haven’t used it by now, perhaps you should send me your address so I can put it to good use!

 

Tom there's really no need to sticker them, that's for drying and they are plenty dry. I would sticker the boards for a couple weeks to reach equilibrium before using them on a project. It also wouldn't hurt to add weight to the top of the stack to keep things flat. I only sticker my wood for drying, once it's dry I flat stack it to conserve space.

 

Getting into woodworking here. What type of wood is your favorite to build with, and why? (If thats a thing) I understand different wood for different applications but just curious.
Do woodworkers ever bother going to Home Depot, or build with home depot wood? or straight to a lumberyard/mill

 

I'm also just getting into woodworking. I have only used walnut, pine and poplar (on 2 projects - a small box and a spiral staircase step stool). The pine was stuff I had laying around and decided to practice on that first before the walnut box. It's cheap and better to learn on that than more expensive walnut, and I did learn. I highly recommend this approach.

I bought the walnut for the box at Home Depot, mostly because the hardwood specialty store I was familiar with didn't sell smaller lengths. I did use them for the step stool. The issues with the HD walnut are a lot of them are bowed. I did a cursory check for the first one I bought and didn't catch it. Over a 24-inch length it's out by 1/4 inch on a 3/4 board. Not sure what I'm going to do with that. The next board I bought was reasonably straight but when I resawed it, boing!, it developed a bow. Oh well. The other issue with HD walnut is it's steamed, so the color is somewhat muted compared to non-steamed wood. Their supplier is Swaner Hardwood. You can Google them and see how they do it. On my current box project I'm experimenting with different finishes; danish oil, tung oil finish, clear and garnet shellac plus other variations on that walnut. The oils do add some warmth and depth. The clear shellac doesn't do much. I have yet to apply the garnet.

Poplar. I didn't know much about it before using it on the step stool. The friend who's shop we used graciously donated it so I was happy. I'm finding out poplar is hard to stain as the colors vary greatly and it can get blotchy. I have some samples and will try wood conditioner and various finishing techniques (like I'm doing with the walnut) to see what works. I don't think I'd choose poplar for anything going forward.

I've also searched for other wood suppliers in my region and am happy to find there are a number of options. I'll be making the rounds to see what they have to offer. Stores like Rockler and Woodcraft sell smaller amounts of wood that big box stores don't. Google search for wood suppliers in your area and see what's available.






This is the Tung Oil Finish. It's nice, but a bit "muddy" or dull.


The Danish Oil finish has depth and clarity. So far I like it better than the TOF, however it's not completely dry/cured in this pic, so it may not be as clear. This oil takes much longer the dry between coats than the TOF.

 

Can you mix coats? Like a TOF first coat and a DOF second coat then seal?

 

@Slashaar you get your computer table finished?

 

good info last few posts.
I guess depends what you are making and what you want to spend. Pine is good...for practice, it is prone to warping. Prices are up across the board so you have to hunt for decent prices.

Hard woods for furniture is better, just remember to drill pilot holes and recess otherwise it will crack. Even cheaper grade wood will crack.
You can get away with cheaper saws etc but quality cuts your work time down. The old saying buy once cry once comes into play. Router bits, saw blades, etc buy quality. If im building a wood shed it doesnt take as much attention to detail as a cutting board.

 

Yes, I'll have to remember to grab a photo when I get home tonight.

 

I don't know. I would wonder... the Tung Oil Finish in my samples is dull. If that is the first thing down I'd worry anything after isn't going to make the pores/grain stand out as it would cloud any light going through. Like putting a clear pane of glass over a frosted one; wouldn't be able to see through it. At least, that's how I picture it working but could be completely wrong as I'm new to all this.

The dry time for Danish oil isn't that bad. The first coat I flooded the sample (it was raw wood) and let it sit for 10 minutes, then lightly wiped off. It was dry the next day. For the second coat I poured some more on and wet sanded it with 400 wet/dry (to partial fill the pores) and gently wiped off most of it, but not completely. That one took 2 days to dry. I figure 1) the wood had already absorbed a fair amount of oil from the first coat, and 2) it's cold as a witch's teet here, so dry time is going to be longer. With the 3rd and last coat, also wet sanded, I wiped more so there was less left on. After 30 minutes I went back and gently wiped again. Next day it was a bit sticky, so I turned on a heat light bulb near it. Later that day, dry and good to go. I very gently went over it with a white scotch brite pad and it still looks as good as the pic I posted above. Pretty much what I was hoping for. So far, the Danish oil is the clear winner vs Tung Oil Finish.

 

I was just curious. If time is no issue, run the DOF since you seem to like it more.