# Waterlox Question



## Tom5151 (Nov 21, 2008)

Hey all,

I am going to be using Waterlox Original Sealer/Finish on a wood slab (NE White Pine - 2.75 inches thick) countertop. I called the company up and they are recommending 5 or 6 coats of material which makes sense for softer wood. My question is about sanding in between coats. How much and with what grit should I sand between coats? I want to make the surface as smooth as possible. I know most of the work is going to be in the preparation of the raw stock before any finish is applied but i wondered about the "between coat" sanding. The company says it's optional but not sure I am buying that. Anyone had any experience with this product?

Thanks


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

It can be considered a stand alone finish. It's one of the packaged oil, resin, solvent composites. A light sanding between coats will give a better final coat. For flat areas use a block and 320x sandpaper. I would use the gray silicon carbide sandpaper intended for dry use. It can be called "no-fil" or "fre-cut". I would use thin applications wiped on and allowed to dry completely before sanding.










 







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## Tom5151 (Nov 21, 2008)

cabinetman said:


> It can be considered a stand alone finish. It's one of the packaged oil, resin, solvent composites. A light sanding between coats will give a better final coat. For flat areas use a block and 320x sandpaper. I would use the gray silicon carbide sandpaper intended for dry use. It can be called "no-fil" or "fre-cut". I would use thin applications wiped on and allowed to dry completely before sanding.
> 
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> ...


Thank you sir.....do you know if the that is something I can just pick up at one of the big boxes or is that something more specialized?

Thanks again


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

Tom5151 said:


> Thank you sir.....do you know if the that is something I can just pick up at one of the big boxes or is that something more specialized?
> 
> Thanks again


It's basically a danish oil finish. You can make your own if you want. Make a 3 part mix of an oil (BLO or pure Tung oil), an interior oil base varnish (or oil base polyurethane), and mineral spirits (or VM&P naptha for a faster dry).

Changing one of the components changes the characteristics of the finish. For example, the more varnish and less oil will create a harder finish. As for the oil used, pure Tung oil will create a mix that gives less of an amber tone than BLO. Pure Tung oil will dry slower than BLO.












 







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## Tom5151 (Nov 21, 2008)

cabinetman said:


> It's basically a danish oil finish. You can make your own if you want. Make a 3 part mix of an oil (BLO or pure Tung oil), an interior oil base varnish (or oil base polyurethane), and mineral spirits (or VM&P naptha for a faster dry).
> 
> Changing one of the components changes the characteristics of the finish. For example, the more varnish and less oil will create a harder finish. As for the oil used, pure Tung oil will create a mix that gives less of an amber tone than BLO. Pure Tung oil will dry slower than BLO.
> 
> ...


I apologize I should have been more clear with my question. I actually already purchased the Waterlox material direct from the company. Howevere it's good to now I can make my own next time.

I was inquiring about the sandpaper you suggested I use. I haven't seen that in the big boxes and wondered if I might need to look at more specialized places to pick it up. WWHardware has a fre cut product that I believe is what you are referring to, but it looks like they are asking about a dollar per sheet. is that about right?


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

Tom5151 said:


> I was inquiring about the sandpaper you suggested I use. I haven't seen that in the big boxes and wondered if I might need to look at more specialized places to pick it up.


I'm lookin' at a box I bought at HD. It's Norton brand. There are 25 sheet "value-packs' in a cardboard box. They are 9"x11". Item #00812. There's another number on the label (W256100). It's made in Canada. On the back of the paper is printed...NO-FIL DURITE A413, 320A.












 







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## Tom5151 (Nov 21, 2008)

cabinetman said:


> I'm lookin' at a box I bought at HD. It's Norton brand. There are 25 sheet "value-packs' in a cardboard box. They are 9"x11". Item #00812. There's another number on the label (W256100). It's made in Canada. On the back of the paper is printed...NO-FIL DURITE A413, 320A.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thank you sir.....I am not seeing on their web page. I'll run into the store and see if they have it on the shelf...thanks again


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## sawdustfactory (Jan 30, 2011)

I like to get my sandpaper from paint stores like Kelly Moore. Usually get a sleeve of 100 sheets for only slightly more than you pay for 25 sheets at the big box stores. 

And pesonally I prefer 3M over Norton, but that's just me being picky.


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## dlbraves (Jul 29, 2018)

after 3 week of brushing and sanding and trying just about every thing i could think of.i finally got a very nice top coat spaying it on with a cup gun. i wish i would have sprayed every coat on so i woundnt have had to sand out brush marks.make sure you let it dry between thin coats. wet sanding with 400 works good with no load paper(dont sand it if your sealer coats lay down nicely). you just have to clean your paper off with a wire brush often. or 3m fine finish pad work well too the kind that look like use to clean the dishes.they sell them in the paint section at depot or lowes make sure you clean off all dust nibs for best results before spraying. ventelate is a must this doesnt smell bad but is brutal on your lungs the next day


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## Quickstep (Apr 10, 2012)

I'm surprised you're getting brush marks - Waterlox takes long enough to dry, that it should level unless you're brushing in the mid-day sun. 

As far as making your own. Making your own allows you to experiment with a variety of oil/varnish/thinner combinations, but after finding my perfect mix, I discovered that what I was making was basically Waterlox. 

One thing about Waterlox, make sure you do something to displace the air in the can before putting it away, otherwise it will begin curing in the can, rendering it useless for your next project. And, as you know, the stuff ain't cheap! I put marbles in the can to raise the level of the finish to the lid.


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## Walrus Oil (Aug 4, 2018)

With Waterlox we use a very high grit Foam Sanding Pad and just give it a LIGHT hand-sand between coats. Don't put a lot of pressure down and accidentally sand out the finish, this is mainly to just brush out any bubbles or imperfections, so use barely any pressure and give it a light sand.


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