Collected from a 10-part email courtesy of WoodworkersResource.com

Finishing Myth #1:

The higher grit of sandpaper you sand to, the better the finish will look.

If you were to leave the piece unfinished, a grit of 400 or higher
would "polish" the wood.  This would give the piece  a nice feel
and a gloss sheen.

However, if you use a film finish (varnish, shellac, lacquer, or
water base) you won't be able to see or feel the difference.  What
does that mean?  It means you're wasting your time if you sand past
220 grit if you plan on using a film finish.  I normally stop at
180 grit.

For oil and oil/varnish blends (danish oil) I sand to 180 - 220
grit.  I then flood the wood with oil and let it sit on the wood
for a few minutes before wiping away the excess.  Let it cure
overnight and then go over the piece with 220 grit to remove any
dust nibs or other imperfections.  Remove the dust and then wet
sand the piece with 400 wet/dry sandpaper with the second coat of
oil.  This will give the piece a nice smooth feel and look, much
like the film finish described above. Just keep in mind that the oil
finish will not protect the wood like a film finish can because an
oil finish doesn't build up on the surface of the wood.

Myth #1:  BUSTED!

Finishing Myth #2:

Hand rubbing an oil finish increases the amount that soaks into the wood.

There's no difference between rubbing the finish into the wood or
letting it sit on top of the wood and giving it time to soak in.
In fact, if anything, rubbing may stop the finish from soaking in
as deep. Finish cures faster in warmer environments.  Rubbing
produces heat which may cause the finish to cure faster.  The
faster the finish cures, the less time it has to soak into the wood.

The true trick to getting the oil finish to soak in as deep as
possible is to keep the surface of the wood wet with oil at all
times.  If dry spots appear, add more oil.  After
about 5-10 minutes wipe away the excess.

Myth #2:  BUSTED

Finishing Myth #3:  

Raw linseed oil is boiled to speed up the curing time, hence the name, boiled linseed oil.

OK, at this point you're catching on. This one is too easy, but let
me explain anyway.

The product we have today that's labeled "Boiled Linseed Oil" is
not boiled at all, it's not even heated.  Metallic driers are added
to raw linseed oil to speed up the curing process.  This process
requires no heating of the ingredients.  When lead was used as a
metallic drier, the mixture was heated, but still not boiled, to
help mix the two agents together.  Lead hasn't been used as a
metallic drier since the 1970's due to health problems.  However,
the name "Boiled Linseed Oil" has continued since that time.

Myth #3:  BUSTED

Finishing Myth #4:

Sanding sealer should be used to "seal" the wood because finish won't do as good a job.

This simply isn't true.  The first coat of any finish will seal the
wood.  After It has cured completely.  The mineral soap in sanding
sealing (this is what causes the white powder when sanded) actually
weakens the bond of the finish to the wood.

The main reason to use a sanding sealer first is if the finish
you're using is hard to sand, like varnish and lacquer.  It's
important to sand the first coat of any finish.  By sanding the
first coat level and smooth, all additional coats will look better.

The mineral soap in sanding sealers produces a fine white powder
that doesn't clog up sand paper, thus making it easier to sand.  By
sanding the sanding sealer smooth and level the next coat of
varnish or lacquer should go on much smoother.  This means it won't
need to be sanded as much if any.

Myth #4:  BUSTED!

Finishing Myth #5:

If a product has the name "Tung Oil" on it, the finish must have at least some tung oil in it.

Nope.  I know, I can hear the collective, "Huh"?  Most products
that are wiping varnishes and say tung oil have no tung oil in
them.  How can you tell?  Pour a small amount of the finish you
want to test onto a glass plate or piece of plastic.  Let it sit
over night, then come back and check it out.  If the finish is soft
and wrinkled, it's tung oil.  If it's hard and smooth it's a varnish.

You can find products on the market that say "pure tung oil" if you
want to know for sure that it contains tung oil.  I don't use tung
oil as a finish by itself though.  It takes much longer to cure
than does linseed oil and doesn't give as nice a sheen as linseed
oil does either.  Plus tung oil costs more than linseed oil.

Myth #5:  BUSTED!

Finishing Myth #6:

When brushing on varnish, air bubbles are formed on the surface of
the wood because the can was shaken to mix it.  Not shaking a can
of varnish is the only way of not getting bubbles in your finish.

Air bubbles occur on the surface of wood when using a varnish
because of brushing it on.  The brushing action is what causes the
bubbles to form.

Most of the time the bubbles will pop before the varnish starts to
set up.  If you're having trouble with the bubbles not popping s
before the varnish starts to harden, try thinning it with it's
solvent.  This will slow the curing down some to give the bubbles
more time to pop.

This step can be most beneficial when working during warmer weather
months.  The warmer shop conditions are, the faster the finish will
start to cure.

Myth #6:  BUSTED!

Finishing Myth #7:

Water-based finishes are better for the environment and the user of
them.

Water-based finishes are safer to use than a lot of other finishing
products on the market today. But, this can lead to a false sense
of security.  Water-based finishes still contain up to 20%
solvents.  This means it's still wise to use them in a well
ventilated area or with a respirator.

Also, you would never clean your brushes in the sink if they had a
"solvent-based" finish on them.  These types of finishes can't be
cleaned up with water.  But how many times have you cleaned your
brushes out in the sink that contained a water-based finish? After
all the label say to clean them up with water and the sink is the
most convenient place to do this.  Well, you're not the only one if
you do, most people probably do this.  So what happens is all that
solvent is going down the drain to possibly pollute the water supply.

All this is to say that it's not entirely true to say,
solvent-based products are bad, water-based products are good.
It's how you use them and dispose of them correctly that makes the
biggest difference.

Myth #7:  BUSTED!

Finishing Myth #8:

I've read articles in magazines where woodworkers heat an oil/blend
finish in a double boiler before applying it to the wood.  The
authors state that it helps the oil to penetrate deeper for a
richer looking finish.

This goes back to the same principle as why rubbing an oil finish
into the wood doesn't help it penetrate.  Heat is what speeds the
curing process up on finishes including oil and oil/blend finishes.
By heating the finish up before applying to the wood you are going
to cause it to cure faster.  The faster an oil finish cures the
less time it has to penetrate deep into the wood.  An oil finish
will keep soaking into the pores of wood as long as it remains wet
and isn't blocked (such as the the pores being sealed up by a
cured finish).

Try this experiment.  Pour a small amount of finish into a jar or
plastic bowl.  Place a piece of wood that's 5-6 inches in length
into the finish end grain first.  Let the wood stay there for a few
days making sure that the finish stays wet.  The oil will penetrate
all the way up through the piece of wood.

Finishing Myth #8:  BUSTED!

Finishing Myth #9

When staining the ends of boards they soak up more color so they
stain a darker color than the long grain.

It is easier for any finish to penetrate end grain than it is long
grain.  But this isn't the main reason that end grain stains darker
than long grain.  The main reason is the end grain wasn't sanded
properly.

End grain is harder to sand than long grain, here's why.  Think of a
piece of wood as a straw broom.  The long grain is the straw laying
flat.  It's easy to rub your hand along the side of the straw.
Now, the end grain is the very bottom of the straw broom.  This
is where the ends of the straw stick out.  Rubbing your hand across
the end of the broom is harder and may even cause some of the
bristles to break off.  The same is true for wood end grain.

Which would be easier to wipe away excess stain away from, long grain
or end grain?  Naturally, more stain would get stuck in-between the
"straw" of the end grain thereby leaving it a darker color than the
long grain.

You have to pay close attention to sanding end grain perfectly
smooth if you want the color to match.  It takes extra sanding of the
end grain to achieve the same smoothness as the long grain.

Sometimes I'll even use a finer grit on the end grain, but be careful
when doing this.  You might end up with the end grain
being lighter in color than the long grain!

Finishing Myth #9:  BUSTED!

Finishing Myth #10:

If your piece is going to come in contact with food you must use a
finish that says it's food safe like "salad bowl" finish.

This is one of the biggest myths out there when it comes to
finishes.  The manufactures of finishing products don't always help
the situation either.  Most products don't claim to be safe to be
used where they can come into contact with food.  The small amount of
products that do make this claim leave you to believe that they're
the only ones that are safe.

The truth is that all finishes are safe to be used on wood that
will come into contact with food AFTER it has completely CURED.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) lists all common driers used
in finish as safe for food contact after the finish cures completely.

Metallic driers are necessary additives to finishes to speed the
drying process up.  The problem came about years ago when lead was
used as a drying agent in finishes.  When lead was discovered to be
a health problem it was removed from being used as a drier in
finishes. This happened here in the United States in the 1970's.

Finishing Myth #10:  BUSTED!

Contents of this article remain the property of Woodworkers Resource.

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Last updated: February 11, 2008 at 12:15 a.m.