Wood Counters - switching from tung to waterlox?

Wendy · Jan 4th, 07, 11:25 pm

I did a test counter piece with tung oil and after many many coats I am not really happy with the finish. I was thinking of using waterlox. Does anyone know how I would need to prep my already tung oiled counter?

Wendy

**Tigratrus** · Jan 5th, 07, 9:31 pm

I think waterlox is a tung oil based finish, so I imagine it should adhere to a prior tung oil finish ok. A good place to check for details might be with Woodcraft, they tend to have fairly decent info on the products they sell, they have a number (1-800-535-4486) that you can call Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. - 9 p.m. EST . From a quick check on on the waterlox site, their application procedure is:

Preparation: Sand the surface with 100 or 150 grit sandpaper. If the surface was previously finished with mineral or vegetable oil, wipe it down with mineral spirits or lacquer thinner and scuff sand.
Application:

Apply the first coat of Waterlox Sealer/Finish liberally with a natural bristle brush. Do not wipe off. This brush application method is recommended because it will provide maximum film build, which is needed for adequate water protection. (application via rag results in 1/3 to 1/2 as much film build as does brushing).
Let the first coat dry overnight.
Apply a second coat of Sealer/Finish as specified in #1 and let dry overnight. After overnight dry, lightly sand with 220-grit sandpaper to smooth if necessary. Tack surface with a lint-free rag dampened with mineral spirits.
Apply first coat of your topcoat of choice--Sealer/Finish, Satin, or High Gloss. Let dry overnight; again, lightly sand if needed. Tack with mineral spirits and apply last coat of topcoat.
For softer woods like pine and Douglas fir, apply 3 coats of Sealer/Finish before applying the 2 final topcoats.
Allow the surface to cure for at least 48 to 72 hrs.

Hope that helps!

James

gwen · Jan 7th, 07, 5:49 pm

Wendy,

We used Waterlox along with a stain product to darken the wood a bit on a piece we used for our island.

Tigratrus gives great tips. We did 3 coats of Waterlox and the finish is incredibly strong. I think you will be really happy with the product. There are fumes so make sure you have ventilation in the area you are working.

We applied each coat with a small piece of lint free cloth and then wiped it down. I sanded between the 1st and 2nd coat because of some rough spots but didn't find the need to between the 2nd and 3rd.

Gwen

Wendy · Jan 7th, 07, 10:25 pm

Thanks, Gwen do you have any pic's of your counter. I am going back and forth between tung and waterlox. Wendy

kisaacs · Jan 8th, 07, 11:06 am

Wendy,

I'm not Gwen, but I have pics of a waterlox counter. We did the sealer, then the finish - 3 coats of sealer, 2 coats of finish. We love it. It's been almost a year, and the counters are still great. You can leave water on there forever, it's not getting in.

My pics and how I did it are in this thread:http://www.ikeafans.com/forums/photo...er-photos.html

I think the instructions are on page 3.

Kristen

**Tigratrus** · Jan 8th, 07, 1:07 pm

Hey Kristen,

I'm really glad to hear that. You haven't seen *any* moisture penetration around the sink/counter joint? I REALLY love the look of the wood counters, but living on a wooden boat for a few years has made me permanantly paranoid about moisture penetration. It'd be really nice though... I particularly love the kind of iridescent depth you get with certain woods when you use a clear finsh that soaks well into the wood.

James

kisaacs · Jan 8th, 07, 2:54 pm

James,

Nope - zero, nada, none. We've left spills on the counter over night and they evaporate before they soak in. We wash dishes occasionally by hand, and don't have a drying rack, so we just put them on a towel on the counter and leave them there - no problems at all. We do not baby this counter at all. It's performing perfectly. Plus, it's soft, so when I drop a glass on it, it doesn't break! I like a lot of the granites out there, but I'm so glad we went with wood. To me, it's got all of the great things about wood (softness, grain pattern, just plain beauty, etc), and with the waterlox finish, none of the bad stuff. I think it's perfect

Kristen

gwen · Jan 9th, 07, 2:21 pm

Wendy,

I just realized I do have pictures! They are a bit old and more has been done to the kitchen since then, but it will give you an idea. Please ignore the constuction mess and unsightly objects like the garbage can. Now that the kitchen is getting nearer to completion items like that have been hidden away in our great IKEA pullouts. We also have a few additional cabinets to the left of the vent hood and a white subway tile backsplash.

The Oak Numerar countertop we have on our island looks a little lighter in the pics than it is . . . it's a dark medium tone a few shades darker probably than Kristen's *beautiful* countertops!

And with spills - we've had the same experience as Kristen. Waterlox is great! Water, glasses of milk/juice, and even damp towels have been left on it overnight (ugg!) with no ill effects.

Everytime I see Kristen's kitchen I get a little pang. We love our black granite countertops but her wood one's are so *dang* pretty! Hubby and I just worried the wood couldn't hold up with all the seams we would need in place because of our kitchen size.

Island Countertop Close-Up:

Fuzzy Pic looking into Kitchen from Living Room:
(We knocked down a wall here so the rooms would be open to each other.)

Looking into our attached breakfast dining area:
(Refrig cabinets used to modify what was a 1980's low plant shelf into a little benchseat.)

Gwen

knutter · Apr 30th, 07, 7:34 am

Ok, so I just spent 20 minutes on the phone with the guy from Rockler debating finishes for my butcher block. He seemed pretty knowledgable, (and ended up suggesting something they don't even carry) so I thought I would post his comments here.

Here is why they do NOT recommend Tung Oil or Linseed Oil (including 100%Pure Tung Oil and Pure Linseed Oil) for butcher block: Actually he said it's fine to use as long as you don't use it to cut on - duh - it's butcher block. The reason is that those two finishes, while they may be natural, non-toxic, and foodsafe - are what he calls "barrier" finishes. They create an barrier that can not be penetrated - except when cut by a knife. This means that any time the finish is cut, bacteria can grow there in the cut. Then it's very hard to clean the bacteria out since soap and water and cleaners can't penetrate the finish. So he recommends using a cutting board if using tung oil or linseed oil.

His recommendations for cutting surfaces include Mineral Oil, Walnut Oil (warning to those with NUT ALLERGIES) - both of which Rockler carries - or Carnuba or thinned/melted beezwax which they do not carry. Those finishes are pervious enough to be cleaned thoroughly.

Here's my opinion - you're probably fine with any of these options. For me - I'll have both butcher block and soapstone. Mineral Oil is the recommended finish on soapstone, so to keep things easy, and I'll probably just use mineral oil on both.

Why are there no easy decisions?????????

Wendy · Apr 30th, 07, 9:30 am

We ended up using Tung oil and really like it. I think for us it's the best choice. I'm not sure about mineral oil but my understanding is that it's not a drying oil and it doesn't impart any warm color like tung. We don't cut on our counters but lot's of scratches and drops (my three year old is so good at that). Just a quick sand and reoil and they look great. With the Waterlox I would have had to worry more about keeping the kids away for the reapplying and drying)