# Best finish to use on a white natural walnut fork?



## mike160304 (Aug 10, 2018)

The fork is as shown in the photo.

I like it white and bare, but I guess it will get grimed by finger grease if I do not use a finish? Is that right?

The finish should therefore neither colour the wood, nor make it look "manufactured".

Any suggestions, please?

PS: I've not succeeded in attaching the photo, and now it will not let me add it. Never mind - as I said, it is a white walnut fork and I want it to stay white.


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## flipgun (Nov 14, 2012)

Rattle can Satin poly spray on is the first thing I thought.


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## KawKan (May 11, 2013)

It was hard for me to click the "Like" button on @flipgun's post. But he did give you a good answer.

I'd find it hard not to wipe that walnut down with Boiled Linseed Oil and watch the color and grain pop.

But it's your fork!


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## mike160304 (Aug 10, 2018)

flipgun said:


> Rattle can Satin poly spray on is the first thing I thought.


Thanks, I'll look at that.

Mike


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## mike160304 (Aug 10, 2018)

KawKan said:


> It was hard for me to click the "Like" button on @flipgun's post. But he did give you a good answer.
> 
> I'd find it hard not to wipe that walnut down with Boiled Linseed Oil and watch the color and grain pop.
> 
> But it's your fork!


Thanks, I've heard of that one, and it might be a good one for me.

Someone else in another thread mentioned Tea Tree Oil, I'll look that up too.

Mike

PS - I tried to click "Like this" on your post but it gave me a daft message "There was a problem storing your reputation vote.".

This has happened twice before and it is very frustrating, or am I dong something wrong?


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## KawKan (May 11, 2013)

I don't know what is happening with the "like" button. I got the same message you quoted for a couple weeks, then it cleared up. I think some members have been partially disabled for months.

Hope you get sorted out soon.

By the way, the BLO will definitely darken your walnut fork.



mike160304 said:


> KawKan said:
> 
> 
> > It was hard for me to click the "Like" button on @flipgun's post. But he did give you a good answer.
> ...


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## MakoPat (Mar 12, 2018)

Well, I like Kankan and Flipgun's suggestions... but blo and poly are not my favorites... here is why. I like the wood to feel like wood. I use a mineral oil a few times... and then either buff on sevaral layers of beeswax with a bit of mineral oil it or buff on a few coated of Tru-oil. It has some hardeners in it, but can be steel wooled back to wooden texture. Beeswax will make it a little tacky... but use will make it smooth...

Good luck with the frame and the technology.


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## flipgun (Nov 14, 2012)

MakoPat said:


> Well, I like Kankan and Flipgun's suggestions... but blo and poly are not my favorites... here is why. I like the wood to feel like wood. I use a mineral oil a few times... and then either buff on sevaral layers of beeswax with a bit of mineral oil it or buff on a few coated of Tru-oil. It has some hardeners in it, but can be steel wooled back to wooden texture. Beeswax will make it a little tacky... but use will make it smooth...
> 
> Good luck with the frame and the technology.


His criteria is to keep it, "White" Mineral oil changes over time and Tru-Oil is amber on its on. I am not a fan of rattle can, but I think it is the best answer to his requirements. On my own, I would hit it with some Old English Scratch Cover for Light Woods to pop the grain and Tru-Oil for the finish. I usually use Old English Scratch Cover for Dark Woods for a lot of character followed by BLO for depth. Everyone has their thing. :koolaid:


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## mike160304 (Aug 10, 2018)

Thanks for the further suggestions, there are obviously many good solutions.

For "keeping it white", that narrows the field a lot, it seems.

What is "Rattle can poly"? Is it a polyurethane varnish in a spray can, where the rattle is shaking it and there's a ball bearing in it to mix it up?

I am more used to brushing varnishes, and the newer water-based ones may keep this wood whiter than the older oil-based ones?

Matt or satin might suit me better than gloss.

I've not decided on varnish though, I am still reading everything I can find about it. I'll phone A G Woodcare, near here, they supply a lot of finishes to wood turners. Careful though, cos wood turners often want the golden darker thing.

Nostalgia-wise, the 1955 design was bare wood, but it got dirty of course.



KawKan said:


> I don't know what is happening with the "like" button. I got the same message you quoted for a couple weeks, then it cleared up. I think some members have been partially disabled for months.
> 
> Hope you get sorted out soon.
> 
> ...


Thanks, the Like This button is working now.


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## mike160304 (Aug 10, 2018)

MakoPat said:


> Well, I like Kankan and Flipgun's suggestions... but blo and poly are not my favorites... here is why. I like the wood to feel like wood. I use a mineral oil a few times... and then either buff on sevaral layers of beeswax with a bit of mineral oil it or buff on a few coated of Tru-oil. It has some hardeners in it, but can be steel wooled back to wooden texture. Beeswax will make it a little tacky... but use will make it smooth...
> 
> Good luck with the frame and the technology.


Thanks, that gets a bit more complicated then, but the "feels like wood" is a good point.

Mike


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## mike160304 (Aug 10, 2018)

flipgun said:


> MakoPat said:
> 
> 
> > Well, I like Kankan and Flipgun's suggestions... but blo and poly are not my favorites... here is why. I like the wood to feel like wood. I use a mineral oil a few times... and then either buff on sevaral layers of beeswax with a bit of mineral oil it or buff on a few coated of Tru-oil. It has some hardeners in it, but can be steel wooled back to wooden texture. Beeswax will make it a little tacky... but use will make it smooth...
> ...


Thanks, it seems that "keeping it white" narrows the field of choice a lot.

It would be more unusual though, which has its attractions.

The original 1955 one was bare wood, but got dirty, of course.

Mike


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## ash (Apr 23, 2013)

A waterbased lacquer or varnish like Minwax Polycrylic is the best thing to keep it white while protecting it. Solvent or oil based products will give an amber tone to the wood.


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## MakoPat (Mar 12, 2018)

Flipgun and Ash, you guys know your stuff. I need to proofread the objectives. Miniwax polycrylic is a great idea to preserve the appearance.

I need to get some. Sometimes my oil & wax just does not work for gifts eithwr as it muat be maintained consistently... and that is another con.


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## urbanshooter (Aug 23, 2017)

Generally I understand that a finish can either penetrate or be just a surface finish (that can be built up in layers). There are happy mediums like danish oil (mix of oil and lacquer) but anything penetrating will pop the grain and alter appearance. If you want to preserve the appearance as it looks sanded down, your best bet would be a non-tinting surface finish. To keep something as white as possible and if you want to use something hand applied, Wipe on Poly might be a good option.

You should also be able to find a water based brush on poly which tends to have a bluish tinge that might even make whites whiter. Be warned though, water based finishes is tricky to apply well on wood and I don't handle it well so I tend to avoid it. You'll need to first wipe the finished surface with a damp cloth to raise the grain, very lightly sand off the loose fibers that come up (and repeat) to be sure to prep the surface well enough to achieve a smooth finish using water based products. If you skip the "raising the grain" step, you'll have bristles under the finish that will forever annoy. The water based stuff comes in satin or high gloss options. Be as it may you can always steel wool scuff a high gloss finish to achieve a satin look and many would prefer that route for more control over the clarity of final finish.

I agree with Flipgun that spray on Poly such as the one made by Minwax would probably be the easiest and quickest option to achieve what you seem to be shooting for. You might want to test on an off-cut piece first to see if you are happy with the result.


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## MakoPat (Mar 12, 2018)

Urbanshooter...
I always forget to test with a bit of scrap material. And it is smartest and easiest way to literally see what will happen.

Thanks for sharing. I will likely download thos whole post for my notes on what to do "next time".


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## mike160304 (Aug 10, 2018)

Thank you all for the further advice!

Mike


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