# Using Hardwood Floor Varnish



## clark77494 (Dec 16, 2011)

I was watching Season 2, Episode 14 of "How it's made." Video 40 on Netflix. It was showing how wooden pens are made. The person in the video used 4 coats of Hardwood Floor Varnish with a paint brush. Has anyone used this technique?


Kent


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## SDB777 (Dec 16, 2011)

Paint brush...hmmm?  Nope.

But I bet somone has cast a blank using the bristles from a paint brush.....





Scott (netflix ummmm) B


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## monophoto (Dec 16, 2011)

Not with a paint brush, but I've used floor-grade waterbourn polyurethane as a wipe-on finish.  

It initially raises the grain, so the first coat has to be viewed as a sanding sealer and followed by another round of sanding.  I dries a bit faster than ordinary WOP, and it is essentially colorless (ie, no amber tone).  And according to things that I've read, it's harder than standard polyurethane when fully cured.


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## OOPS (Dec 16, 2011)

I HAVE done it with this method, but would never do it again.  The use of the brush, combined with the thickness of the finish made it almost impossible to get an even coat, without drips, high spots, etc.  I mounted a blank on a threaded rod, put on a coat of finish, then rotated it for even as much as 8 minutes, so that it would stop running on me.  I was successful on a few attempts, but it required so much extra sanding and re-finishing on those that didn't finish properly that the whole experiment just wasn't worth all the hassle.  I ended up thinning a water-based poly and dip the pens instead.  It is MUCH easier and rarely do I have a problem with a drip or bulge.  My dipping experience with oil based poly has not been very successful either, even when trying various amounts of thinner, and various products.  Oil based has just been difficult, just plain difficult!  I am now going to try oil based WOP to see if that works for me.


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## clark77494 (Dec 16, 2011)

OOPS said:


> I HAVE done it with this method, but would never do it again.  The use of the brush, combined with the thickness of the finish made it almost impossible to get an even coat, without drips, high spots, etc.  I mounted a blank on a threaded rod, put on a coat of finish, then rotated it for even as much as 8 minutes, so that it would stop running on me.  I was successful on a few attempts, but it required so much extra sanding and re-finishing on those that didn't finish properly that the whole experiment just wasn't worth all the hassle.  I ended up thinning a water-based poly and dip the pens instead.  It is MUCH easier and rarely do I have a problem with a drip or bulge.  My dipping experience with oil based poly has not been very successful either, even when trying various amounts of thinner, and various products.  Oil based has just been difficult, just plain difficult!  I am now going to try oil based WOP to see if that works for me.



I think some of the techniques that were shown on "How it's made" were to throw an amateur off. Like cutting the wood to 2 inches on a Cigar. The type of glue he was using that takes an hour to dry (It was more like rubber cement). There was one good technique on how to make a multi color wood pen. You sandwich different woods together glue them with wood glue and then cut the wood at a 45 degree angle when it's dry. 

Kent


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## okiebugg (Dec 18, 2011)

*finish*

Waterlox is a tung oil based varnish. It is self leveling and can be applied with a brush. self leveling only if you apply one coat and let it dry. If you touch it a second time with your brush or your hand  the  mark will stay there. A second coat will fix the problem. I love it for finishing except for the wait time for drying. I usually cheat and sit the object about 15" from and in front of a small 1500 watt electric heater with blower (cuts drying time in half). I do the same with Lacquer finishing. 

Waterlox is a gymnasium floor finish that is extremely durable (using it for gym floors it would have to be)

Again, I love it for finishing both pens and flatwork.

Be warned, it does darken the object you're applying it to about 15%. This is I assume because of the tung oil


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