Thread: finishing vic ash

Originally Posted by qwertyu

Did you skip grits when sanding the top initially? Any rougher areas I find Osmo looks more dull (as more oil+wax is absorbed). I found that it is super important to ensure all areas are sanded well before moving to the next grit.

Another reason can be applying too much and uneven. It can look dull as the areas of too much finish will have more wax = looks dull.

If this happens I just use 240grit with ROS to remove most of it (not all as it is unnecessary). Then apply a couple more coats VERY thinly. If you are unsure, after you apply, you can essentially wipe off excess with a cotton rag. In fact, when I'm lazy thats how I've been using it - wipe on a large amount to get it spread with a rag and then waiting a few mins and then wiping all the excess off. After you wipe it off it basically needs to look like the timber is wet without any shiny spots/spots of oil sitting on the surface or streaks. Wipe it ALL off.

My process is essentially:
1. sand to 180 or 240
2. compress air surface to remove dust
3. apply osmo THINLY (except if I'm lazy then I do the above). Large areas I use a 5mm nap roller. Complex areas I use a small square of an old T shirt. Important to apply thinly or to wipe off excess if too much is applied.
4. let dry overnight, in the morning denib with 600grit by hand - just wiping over surface with the grain like you would if you were wiping down a table with a wet tea towel
5. there will be white dust after the 600grit, wipe off with rag. ok to leave the small amount left as it dissolves into second coat. Apply second coat
6. Next day denib with 1200grit if necessary. Compress air to remove white dust

2 coats is generally enough

I've used quite a few litres of the stuff and definitely had to fix application/finishing mistakes as I became more familiar with it.

Thanks for this i was actually thinking about this as i've now finished the top off it came out ok for sure, room for a lot of improvement and i came to some of the same conclusions maybe this will have absolute beginners like me.

I wish i had read this before along with the other advice before starting! i have another table top so i'll get to that one with 'lessons learned"

1. You reallllly need to make sure the surface is very evenly sanded especially with boards that are joined / not matched perfectly or as you said the if 1 board area is sanded even slightly differently the absorption rate is different and has a slightly different "sheen"

2. I used a 5mm Monarch microfiber roller, i found this to be much more even for something like a table top
3. Applying equal pressure is really important or you end up with "holidays" when rolling. I noticed this after about 20 minutes of drying when it combines with it not being sanded even enough across the entire surface
4. Black epoxy is much better looking imo
5. Make sure its sanded flat all over as any height differences 2-3 mm up and down or small depressions show up badly when you add a slight sheen and its a huge area like a table top.
6. 2 coats i think would have been enough i had to do 3 as i had a tear out when lightly sanding between 1st and 2nd coat so needed a 3rd to even it out (Lesson learn sand more carefully and not as hard)
7. I need a better ROS!

Here are some pic's i used OSMO raw as i wanted it to be close to natural as possible, i'm still in two minds if i sand back a fair bit with 240 / 180 and apply another coat to try get the sheen more even as at a very low angle you can see some "holidays" in what painters would call it? or perhaps if i wet sand back with 1200 grit it will even everything out.


1st coat about 30 minutes in drying

1stcoat.jpg

After 1st coat drying

after1stcoatdries2.jpg

2nd coat wet

2ndcoatwet.jpg 2ndcoat2.jpg

3rd Coat Dry where its at now

after3rdcoatdries.jpg3rdcoatdone.jpg