# Minwax Natural Oil Finish on walnut



## MattAl (Feb 9, 2013)

Hey all,

My first major woodworking project is going to be building a bed for myself, and I've fallen in love with walnut, so that's what the plan is for now. I've drawn up my plans and located a local hardwood store, but the one thing I haven't yet figured out is how to finish the wood. My goal is to have the wood look as close as possible to the picture at the bottom. I talked to the man who made that bed and he said he used Minwax Natural Oil Finish, but from looking around on forums I've heard nothing good said about it. What I like about the finish that he got: the blonde and brown contrast (not too dark or light), very little red (some finished walnut takes on a slightly orange-y tint), and it's the perfect amount of gloss for me. 

Do any of you have any advice? Should I go with what looks good despite the criticism or is there a better way to get the same look? I'm also a little concerned about the protection offered by the Minwax finish, but I'm trying to avoid the shiny plastic look that you get from a poly.

Thanks!


----------



## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

I bet the finish the guy was talking about was Minwax Antique Oil Finish, Natural. The stuff in the yellow cans isn't a finish but a stain. Personally I think it's false advertising for them to put the word finish on the can. The important thing to do when using any oil finish is sand the wood to 220 grit paper. Then wipe the wood down with a damp cloth to raise the grain and sand again to 400 grit paper. Then apply a coat of the oil finish and let it thoroughly dry. Then buff out with a fine scotchbrite pad or 400 grit paper and apply another coat of the oil finish and let dry. The important thing to do is try the finish on scraps first to see if you like it before putting anything on the bed.


----------



## MattAl (Feb 9, 2013)

That makes a lot more sense. Thank you! How much of the finish do you think I would need for 20-25 sq. ft. of wood?


----------



## tcleve4911 (Dec 16, 2006)

You might want to consider Watco Danish Oil 
I've had great success and it's very easy to use.
Wipe on, let soak in, wipe off excess, let dry, repeat.


----------



## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

MattAl said:


> That makes a lot more sense. Thank you! How much of the finish do you think I would need for 20-25 sq. ft. of wood?


 I've never used the Minwax brand. If it was Watco a quart would do it so the Minwax should be about the same.


----------



## Chris Curl (Jan 1, 2013)

my WB is fir, not walnut, but this might help anyway. i just used the watco danish oil (natural) on my workbench, and it really brought out the color and grain in the wood.

watco's danish oil comes in at least 4 colors ... my home depot has these: natural, walnut, dark walnut, and golden oak. other places might have more colors, i don't know

also, it is not at all shiny or plastic looking.

then again you can mix your own danish oil to get the properties you want, and you know exactly what is in it. being a newbie, i'm not quite ready to try that yet.


----------



## HowardAcheson (Nov 25, 2011)

>>>> he said he used Minwax Natural Oil Finish,

I'm a little confused about the above. If you are referring to Minwax Wood Finsih oil based stain, you should know that it is not a complete finish. It's purely a pigment stain. It requires being over coated with some sort of finish. Without overcoating, it will not have any durability and will be easily damaged. Minwax Wood Finish does have a color called "Natural". It's nothing more than a thinned boiled linseed oil.


----------



## lacman (Mar 13, 2012)

Create your own mixture by mixing BLO, Mineral spirits, and the oil varnish of your choice. This is best applied hot or at least warm. Apply, let soak in, then wipe off the remainder. Do this about three to four times and you will have a beautiful finish on your Walnut. Mixture is 1/3,1/3,1/3.


----------



## Chris Curl (Jan 1, 2013)

lacman said:


> Create your own mixture by mixing BLO, Mineral spirits, and the oil varnish of your choice. This is best applied hot or at least warm. Apply, let soak in, then wipe off the remainder. Do this about three to four times and you will have a beautiful finish on your Walnut. Mixture is 1/3,1/3,1/3.


please elaborate ... what are the choices for the oil varnish?

some people say that lacquer is not compatible with BLO ... ?

and if you do use lacquer, would you use lacquer thinner instead of mineral spirits?


----------



## lacman (Mar 13, 2012)

For a varnish I typically use a marine varnish such as Epifanes. It is a bit pricey, but you get what you pay for. As for lacquer, it is not compatible with BLO or Mineral Spirits. Why the choice of lacquer? If you want it to dry faster you can use some Japan drier. But remember you are making an oil finish. And oil finishes take time to apply several layers. As for a Marine Varnish it has long oils and is more flexible than say a short oil alkyd varnish.


----------



## Chris Curl (Jan 1, 2013)

lacman said:


> As for lacquer, it is not compatible with BLO or Mineral Spirits. Why the choice of lacquer?


because from what i have read, the way lacquer behaves makes it good for repair work, like a workbench where you might have a section you want to replace or sand or plane for some reason, and when you re-apply the lacquer, some of the lacquer that was there before dissolves again, so you end up with a more seamless finish.

am i not understanding that correctly? or perhaps i am making too big a deal of it? are the poly or spar based varnishes as good for repair work like that?


----------



## TylerJones (Dec 4, 2011)

IMO lacquer would be a terrible finish for a bench. Damages easily and hard to repair in such a situation. theres very little reason to use anything more than tung oil on a bench, wax after if you so wish.

To the OP, I'm all about mixing your own wiping varnish or danish oil but I wouldn't recommend it for your first project. I believe General finishes makes the best store bought Danish oil and would recommend that but if you cannot find it Watco would be fine as well. Danish oil is all about building thin coats and is thus well suited for beginners wanting a "Fine Furniture" look. Just build your coats up until you have reached the sheen level you desire.


----------



## lacman (Mar 13, 2012)

Lacquer is not the best finish for a work bench is correct. It is true that nitrocellulose lacquer will redissolve into itself and then bond better than say a varnish. But an oil finish absorbs into the wood and leaves a minimal top layer of finish. It is very easy to repair. Just sand and reapply more oil finish. If you want a virtually bullet proof finish, then use a 2K Urethane, that must be sprayed and has a very harsh smell. If you want a film finish that is fairly easy to repair, then try Waterlox Original Finish. It is a polymerized tung-oil finish. It can be repaired by sanding back the problem finish and then reapplying a couple of coats. It is a great product. And spendy as well. But you get quality by paying for it.


----------

