This pine cladding is too white. I want a boat look rather than a sauna look. I’m after a glowing semi gloss sheen effect but it was really difficult to find a product that would give me the image I had in my head.
Finding the right wood finishing product is confusing and finding the best method of application is difficult.
Why is the world of wood finishing so confusing?
There are too many variables to stick with just one rule so I guess its just trail and error until I find the best method and product…
A few products and experiments later I realised that water based varnish (aka quick dry varnish) is not what I want to show the depth and grain of the wood. This stuff really does dry quick; so quick in fact brush marks are easily left.
Oil wins this one!
Here is my method
I realised why the world of wood finishing is so confusing; everyone has their own method. Here’s mine:
- sanded up to 400 grade sandpaper
- applied a generous clear coat of natural danish oil
and wiped off excess after 15 minutes - applied antique pine danish oil (like the natural but with antique stain colour). I could only find this in Homebase
- buff with denim – old jeans
- repeat 3 and 4 until I got the colour I wanted
- finished with a thin clear coat for buffing
- buffed again with denim (this is technique I discovered when making my guitar)
What I learned
- oil sinks right into the wood and makes it look like better wood
- to avoid blotching when using any coloured finish, a generous clear coat should be applied first
- buffing with denim in between coats really gives the finish a smooth sheen
- I will never apply any stain based product onto bare wood with a brush ever again
- Wire wool on bare wood is the worst thing you can do. It will get right into the grain and give it a grey colour which may turn rusty if wet
- don’t listen to the back of the tin. I will always do experiments first to find my own method
I hope this helps anyone that is looking for similar results for their wood finish. It can take a lot of trial and error to get the finish you want but it’s worth it!
