# Minwax Antique Oil Finish



## pwoller (Dec 12, 2010)

I'm having a hard time finding how far to sand oak before applying this finish. I have sanded to 180 grit but am unsure what grit to sand it to. Help please.


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## Ozrob (Apr 21, 2008)

In general, the more effort you put into preparing your project fot it's final finish, the better the end result will be.
I would suggest sanding yo 400grit, then wiping down with turps and applying your finish, If you can, maybe even 800g would be good.:yes:

Regards,

Rob


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

Minwax Antique Oil Finish is very similar to other "Oil Finishes", that aren't actually an "Oil" finish, but rather a varnish/oil/solvent mix that can be a stand alone wipe on finish...also called "Danish Oil Finish", etc. Depending on the species, I would sand with the grain with an open coat sandpaper to 180x but not smoother than 220x.










 







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## bob sacamano (Jan 24, 2012)

cabinetman said:


> Minwax Antique Oil Finish is very similar to other "Oil Finishes", that aren't actually an "Oil" finish, but rather a varnish/oil/solvent mix that can be a stand alone wipe on finish...also called "Danish Oil Finish", etc. Depending on the species, I would sand with the grain with an open coat sandpaper to 180x but not smoother than 220x.
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> ...


 
+1 on cabinetman. i go to 240. i take a piece of beat up 320 or 400 to sand between coats


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## Midlandbob (Sep 5, 2011)

An oil finish really is best for projects that have been sanded at least or the 400 mentioned for the show parts. The finish is the surface of the wood with most oil finishes so scratches will show.
Oak is very ring porous so as long as you sand with the grain to remove all marks, it would look pretty good at 220 . 
Surface finishes like varnish lacquer, shellac any polyurethane build on the surface so the 180 or 220 is plenty far enough to sand. The surface you see is the top coat of the finish which is where you consider sanding or buffing to the shine you want.
The min wax antique oil finish will build a surface film in 3-5 coats so the 220 may be all you need. Try a sample pieces to see what suits you. 
I often start a few test finishes while the project is being built so by the time it's ready to finish the choices have been made.


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## Just Bill (Dec 29, 2008)

What the others said. You can overdo it with sandpaper and burnish the wood, then it is hard for any finish to penetrate.

If you are trying to get oak 'smooth, no grain differences', forget it. To do that requires a filler and/or MANY coats of finish.


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## bob sacamano (Jan 24, 2012)

Midlandbob said:


> An oil finish really is best for projects that have been sanded at least or the 400 mentioned for the show parts..


 
bob has a point. it depends if you want the finish to look like a polished piano or arts and crafts style furniture. ive gone to 400 / 800 with both walnut and mahogany. ill never go there again. i stop at 220 or 240 and then finish. knocking down the nibs with some old 320 then re-apply


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## BruceJ (Mar 9, 2012)

pwoller said:


> I'm having a hard time finding how far to sand oak before applying this finish. I have sanded to 180 grit but am unsure what grit to sand it to. Help please.


For coarse grained woods like mahogany and oak, #180 may be far enough. For fine grained woods like cherry and hard maple, I step up to #220-grit before apply Minwax Antique Oil, Tung Oil, or Wipe-On Poly. I also use #600-grit wet-dry sandpaper dipped in the oil as my applicator, but make sure you still only wet-sand in the direction of the grain. Wait five minutes, then wipe off the excess oil with a soft cloth. Hope this helps - Bruce Johnson (Minwax Spokesperson)


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## Midlandbob (Sep 5, 2011)

I did a poor job of making the point.
With a film finish the light reflects of the film so the quality of the film gives the smooth look. Sanding to 220 is enough. It may even detract from the finish to sand too far.
For an in the wood oil finish the light reflects of the wood so ANY scratches will show a lot more. For a non- film oil finish sanding farther to at least 320 or higher for the show areas is better.
A finish like Minwax Antique oil can be used as an oil finish or if you put enough coats will build a film. It seems to build well if that's what you want.


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