"maloof" mix

[marcros]

I have started finishing a project with homemade "maloof" mix.

It is a 2 part finish.

Part 1 is equal parts BLO, oil based polyurethane and white sprit. I have made and applied this.

Part 2, i have seen a couple of recipes, lets say A and B. A is half BLO and half pure tung oil. Heat it and melt in a handful of shredded beeswax. B is half polyurethane varnish and half tung oil, heated with the beeswax in.

Now, I have BLO, plenty of beeswax and half a tin of polyurethane varnish, but no tung. Would using BLO in place of the tung make a huge difference? I dont really want to go and spend £12 on some tung, if I can even get it locally for a pair of pepper mills. Obviously if it makes a difference, I will do so.

 

[sunnybob]

I was told tung oil is also danish oil, thats readily available

 

[Phil Pascoe]

No - some Danish contains some tung. There's no set recipe for Danish. The better ones can be half tung.

 

[sunnybob]

Damn, just when I thought I knew something.

 

[marcros]

from the stuff on http://www.thewoodwhisperer.com/article ... ish-blend/ i dont think it is too critical. I think i will go with the varnish and BLO with some beeswax in. if it ends up being a homebrew danish oil with wax in, so be it.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I'm tempted to try tung and m/c wax ...

 

[marcros]

that might be an interesting one.

 

[ED65]

marcros, I wouldn't bother adding wax into the mix. Unless you want it to end up less tough?

The requirements for furniture like Maloof's, or anything of its ilk, and a pepper mill are very different indeed and you really want a tough-as-nails finish on the latter (assuming they're intended to be used). Personally I would want as tough a finish as possible on the former too if I'd paid that much for it :shock:

 

[Harbo]

I used to use the traditional Sam Maloof's mixture (PUV, Tung Oil & Linseed) but found thin downed PU Varnish works just as well and is a lot cheaper.
Sam used to apply 7 coats then his wax mixture.
Apply very thinly, wipe off after about 20 mins and leave to dry for 24hrs
Light sand if necessary and repeat several times until a satisfactory finish is achieved.
Then a final wax if wanted.

Rod

 

[marcros]

I hadnt seen the last couple of messages until now. I have already made up the wax part- it may have a bit much wax in because it is like a paste wax. I am not sure what consistency it should have but it looks and applies well.

As for toughness, it will just have to have some microcrystalline on top, and I will hope for the best.

 

[ED65]

it may have a bit much wax in because it is like a paste wax. I am not sure what consistency it should have but it looks and applies well.

Any mixture with a significant wax amount will end up a paste at room temp, except in a warm room in the middle of summer maybe.

I've made up a couple of batches of oil/wax blends to try out and neither was more than 1/3 wax by volume, once cooled they're a bit softer than most commercial paste waxes from what I've seen but otherwise you couldn't really tell them apart.

 

[marcros]

i would guess that this was roughly 1/3rd wax, and is little softer than the black bison that i have.