I talked with a guy, who's selling several types of oils for a living, he discouraged me from sanding above 180 grit BEFORE applying the first coat of oil, because you are limiting the ability of the wood to absorb the oil. after the 1st coat has dried, it's OK to sand it down to 240-280 lightly

I used to sand to 220 and then quit. Then a buddy whose mind works in realms I've never contemplated, said that light refracts (? think that's the word) more precisely (acutely?) the higher the grit (the wood becomes like a mirror of sorts). So I thought I'd go crazy and sand my rocking chair to 1000. Sheeeeeeeit! What a difference. I'm not a commercial shop, just a retired guy, so time isn't a concern. When you're old and grey and have tons of time, give this a whirl. You won't regret it!

Brown paper! My mom used to be a decorative artist using traditional Scandinavian techniques. She was an expert at achieving smooth final finishes. She was the only person I knew who recommended using a finer and finer sandpaper, then finally brown bag paper... until you! Nice 👍🏼

Thank you for actually demonstrating the light sanding between finish coats. I feel that's a step that is breezed over by most woodworkers, and has been a frustration for me as I enter woodworking.

Thanks for the awesome video! I think one of the biggest issues I have when finishing is that I tend to rush through the process because I just want the project to be done and over with. It's tough for me to stay engaged in a project after I've put so many hours into it, and I already have my sights set on the next one.

Exactly what I was looking for for a couple of years, this gave me much more clarity on what to use in my personal projects, thanks Chris!!!

Simple Finish - makerbrandco.com/collections/simple-finish Supply is low as there is a shortage of cans due to the pandemic. We have jugs coming, we will be switching to those until cans become readily available again.

I feel like there is no "definitive" video on finishing, so I love to hear from other woodworkers what they use/do and why. This was great!

I've been struggling with wood finishing for the past few months and this video...gave me good advice for my next finishing steps! Thanks for sharing your tips, Chris.

The epiphany at the end was really helpful. I was already leaning towards oil for a live edge desk I'm building and this helped me decide that oil is the best choice for what I want to achieve aesthetically.

I made my first piece of furniture, a solid maple kitchen table. I used advice in this video to decide how to finish it. I used oil based wipe on poly, and it came out beautiful. I’m so happy with it!

Just ordered a quart. Looking forward to using it on a few upcoming projects. You are correct...I hate finishing, but love to build.

Awesome Info Chris!!! Much needed

Hi, I just want to say 2 things: I really admire you and your works and when I make a table I usually finish the top with parquet water paint becouse if it's ok for the feet, it's ok for the hands. Thank you for what I've learned seeing your videos. Cheers from Florence

This was super helpful. I have plans to build a walnut dining room table. I love the look of the oil but the protection of the poly. But I think after this I’ve landed in a penetrating oil because the table will get used and beat up and I’ll want to be able to easily restore it. Thanks - this was helpful!

I just started sanding a coffee table down to the wood and this video came out. Perfect timing!!

Glad I watched this as I'm planning on making a plywood media console out of baltic birch ply and was going to use oil but you showing how oil makes the edges darker definitely makes me want to use poly instead now. Thanks!

I’ve recently taken on the feat of revamping my MCM dresser with no wood experience. Sanding is complete but for the last week I’ve pondered what kind of finish I hope to achieve. Needless to say, this video was very informative. I realize what I thought I wanted is now not was I need. so THANKS!

Nice video. My family and I included that have been in the cabinet industry for over 50 years have exclusively used dark walnut Danish oil under catalyzed lacquer on our home furniture as well as many many many clients. I have a 40 year old grandfather clock that still is showroom quality with still nearly flawless joints done this way.

That epiphany/clarification at the end is great, too. Thanks.

Lately I've been wanting to just put cutting board oil on anything and everything I make. It looks natural and it's just so easy. Anyway, thanks for the helpful video!

My go to has become spray lacquer. I love the ease of use and the re-coat time

16:21 Now that is really beautiful. The design, the colors. Wow.

What I’ve found that helps on poly after sanding, use compressed air with a fine point nozzle after sanding, it works really well at removing the white “powder” from the pores

I was fortunate enough to grab a sample bottle of Simple Finish when you first introduced it. I tried it on a couple of small boxes and loved it. I subsequently purchased a can and have used almost exclusively since. It gives the wood such a smooth natural feel without the need to sand between coats. You guys make a great product.

I've rarely used water based poly and you showed me what's wrong. Not enough coats! Thanks! 1. I always, always burnish the finish unless I'm using oil or epoxy. 2. An old furniture expert told me a tip way back in 1990(ish) to seal my end grain with simple syrup and let it dry before staining a piece, to get the ends the same shade as the rest of the wood.

Very helpful! Thank you for comparing poly to oil; I’ve been looking for info on that exact comparison.

Also I gotta say, that unscripted section at the end felt the most informational to me, like we were being taught and not instructed in a lecture.

Im just starting to get into serious furniture making after decades of amateur woodworking/DIY. I made a few pieces using Old Masters Tung Oil Varnish and it's decent. I was going to try Arm R Seal but that's basically just high quality wiping varnish. Then I heard of hard wax oils like Rubio Monocoat and was going to bite that expensive bullet because I like the natural penetrating oil side of things rather than encasing things in plastic with varnishes. I've been a long time fan of FourEyes and it seems like Simple Finish is in the realm of hard wax oils, more affordable than Rubio, and supports people I already like. So I'm off to order a can to use on my Salomone inspired desk build made of hickory with a heartwood streak down the middle of the top, kinda like a river table.

My favorite option for walnut (going on my glenn chair when I'm done) - danish oil with a satin lacquer :)

Here in Australia I use Livos oils. Plenty of choices, great finishes and easy to apply. They’re all food grade with no toxins and can be tinted. They recommend to finish off with nothing smoother than 180g and the only downside so far is the cost. I’ve never used anything else so it was great to see your video, thanks.

I hate finishing. Well, I won’t say I hate finishing. I’d say, I REALLY hate finishing. I really like your simple, pragmatic approach to it.

This is the best video on simple finishing for newbies that I've seen, and I watched a lot of them. So helpful.

I use water based wipe on poly for most of my projects, except outdoor furniture and small stuff like boxes or cutting boards. For outdoor furniture I use a teak oil / oil based spar urethane blend. Small boxes I use rattle can lacquer. Cutting boards and bottle openers get mineral oil. For the odd times when I paint a project I use a rattle can. I haven't used paint on a project in 3 years - maybe more.

This is a brilliant summary thanks Chris. You really do cut through it in a way only a great teacher can. Thanks for sharing.

Thank you for this. I think I’ll end up putting this video in my “Reference” file for future referral. One thing for you to think about though: it may be harder for you than you think to refinish that table once your kids are older. There are marks all around my house and on our furniture from the boys’ hijinx growing up, and I love to look at those occasionally now that my boys are off in the world. I’d fight someone who wanted to remove them!

Chris, Thank you for this thorough explanation of the differences in finishes. I was also not aware that you are the creator of the Maker brand of finishes. A good to know point. I actually love your channel and look forward to when you post another video. I'm getting ready to start my workshop cabinets here in the next month. I plan on using Baltic Birch plywood with a Spray on Poly finish, most likely Maker brand. Thanks again. Felix

Probably scrolled to 50 videos about wood finishing and I stopped at this video. Finally understood wood finishing. Appreciate the schooling

I’ve recently been using a “oil modified” water based poly to obtain the color of oil (pretty close) and the durability of poly. Pretty happy with results. Regardless, great info vid 👍

Thanks Chris, I’m leaning toward Hardwax oil at the moment but have been using Poly on some builds, I’ve totally gone off spray on products merely for the chemicals that are in them. This was interesting, cheers from Australia

Good video. Use what you like. Thanks for bringing the stress level down for me when it comes to finishing

For a bathroom vanity top in Sapele I was usinga satin Halcyion Varnish from Total Boat to have a water proof finish. I gave it a nice, brown color and so far no water marks after a few weeks of usage. I sprayed the vanity cabinet but brushed on the varnish on the top as I did not like the ‘dotted’ surfase from the spray. I also like that I can use water to clean my tools rather than alcolol or mineral spirits.

Might be the best education video on woodworking finish. You provided us with a system to think rather than just a bunch of steps.

man, you're awesome.. you make tons of sense and I could listen to you for hours. This doesn't apply to the other guy. I mean he's not terrible, but let him have a separate channel.

I liked the example you gave of the dining room table. It raises the question of which finish best resists stains from penetrating. My assumption is that poly would do a better job then oil. Would food oils spilt on a dining table penetrate an oil finish? Obviously, both would need to be refinished eventually. (PS, wait to refinish the table until the kids leave the house or age 25, whichever comes first!)

Good advice re: sanding. Patience now saves a big serve of disappointment later when you discover all those swirl or pigtail marks looking back at you through your lovely and often expensive finish. It's the old 5 P's. Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance.

Sometimes I am afraid to try a new finish out of fear of ruining the project. Thanks for the video!

My go to finish with a nice balance between rich color and fast recoat times has been tinted (optional) dewaxed shellac ragged on as a toner, and then sprayed water-based polyurethane. You can tone and finish a project in a single day. It'll never be quite as rich as oil, but it gets most of the way there and is way, way faster. This works best when you want to uniformly adjust a single color on the project, for example, when I want to warm up walnut or add a pre-aged look to cherry. It doesn't work as well if you're drastically trying to change the color, like a deep mission finish on quartersawn oak.

Not sure if you will see this Q but.. what about for outdoor finishes? Like outdoor furniture? And more specifically techniques for properly sealing around joints and screw holes, etc? I'm an amateur and use a lot of pocket holes for example, and not sure how to best seal this type of construction.

When you said you use simple finish with a wax top coat, were you talking about paste wax at the end or is that built in?

Very helpful. I use Walrus Oil products, but I'll have to try out Simple. Keep in mind that Simple is double the cost of Walrus Oil Furniture Finish though.

Yesssss... I feel like this video was made just for me. Thank you, Chris!!

Great video, and I’ve been wearing WP glasses for over 10 years. Love them!

If you want a darker look with WB poly you can do a coat or two of shellac under it. Looks great on walnut.

This was very succinct - as a newbie looking to finish one of my first project this was perfect advice!

Thanks for the finishing video. I need to finish a hemlock handrail. I'll try a penetrating oil on a sample to test for color. But I really like the repair aspect. Polyurethane would have been my first choice. Thanks again.

Another pro with using water-based poly, if you're using a foam brush, you can rinse the brush and reuse it for the next water-based poly project.

The lawnmower analogy is brilliant!

If you want a in-depth guide to finishing, I recommend Bob Flexner's Understanding Wood Finishing. Its used as a textbook in woodworking classes

Appreciate the video and the information and experience you pass along. Question: What about pieces that get some sun through different parts of the day? Is there a finish that does better than others in regards to fading. I am thinking about a piece that may be under a window. Thanks.

This has been soooo helpful. Thanks for taking the time to share your experiences. Loving your channel ❤

What would you use for a walnut plywood coffee table? Its a high touch item so it would need the poly for protection but the look of an oil finish is much better

Dude your furniture designs are goddamn gorgeous. I absolutely love the lines you've used. Epic stuff.

Totally! I'm inexperienced with these things, but I am an artist and ocd perfectionist (🤣)... I finally decided how I'm going to finish a guitar - dye it black and finish it with Sutherland Welles Tung oil. I've acquired a vast-mass and plethora of knowledge (which my mind is sculpting into wisdom) watching youtube videos on the subjects of wood, guitars, guitar finishing, etcetera. One keen takeaway is this: Test and do what you want. SOOO MANY PEOPLE (not you though) act as if subjective opinion and personal preference are EMPIRICAL and ABSOLUTE TRUTH! 🤣 Depending on what a person is going for, it almost comes down to whatever is clever. Like me - I desire an "unconventional" look that most would hate, but I think most people finishing guitars make it waaay too complex with superfluous steps, but if that's what they want, have at it! 😎

Excellent video, Chris. Who would’ve thought my willy nilly, spastic sanding game was wrong? Me. I should’ve known. Thanks!

You're right in that water based poly keeps a more natural color, but if you're using oil-based poly, wipe on, spray, etc, it does act MUCH more like maker brand finish, and also feels less plasticy like you mention. Oil based poly gives a more durable finish than something that's just an oil based 'soak in' finish with the benefit of darkening wood, etc like a tung oil etc, it just takes MUCH longer to apply and dry, 3-5 days. Just thought I'd mention this as you talk about oil based finishes vs poly finishes, but oil based poly acts much more like a oil wipe on finish. Would hate for someone to buy an oil-based poly thinking it applies more clear then not get the finish they were expecting as it's super hard to fix/reverse. I love the videos, and thanks for more color on the Mirka, I'd love a full review on it or a larger video on sanding specifically!

Great video! I really enjoyed your logical presentation, and your two easy ways for DIYer's like myself to choose a finish. I am looking forward to your next Woodwooking video. Well done!

I've got a 1.5" x 9" x 20" white oak plank I'll be using for a floating nightstand (shelf only, no cubby or drawers). It's beautiful by itself. Wondering what people do when they want to preserve the natural color of the wood but still apply oil/poly to protect it some?

Nice work Chris! So what you're saying is to cover every surface of your projects with mayonnaise?

This first chair u are working on is just gorgeous.

I think the rounder frames looked best on you. Just my thought. Thanks for the material.

Really a nice video 👍 this is what I was waiting for. I’m building a walnut entertainment center and I’m in the dilemma to use oil vs polyurethane. U clarified my question. Thank you 🙏

What about paint? Especially for plywood cabinets with poplar face frames, drawer fronts and doors? What grit do you sand everything to before paint? Spray or roll? Water or oil based paints?

If you haven't tried Vesting's LED Hardwax Oil, you should try it out, much much more tolerable for furniture than anything I've ever used for normal wipe-on options.

Thanks Chris. I use and LOVE your “Simple Finish”. Plus no goofy Shawn in this video! (Just spitballing) Love you guys!

Great videos as always and the best voice on KZfaq.

I keep meaning to message you guys and ask this, but this seems like the perfect opportunity. How would simple finish be on a butcher block countertop?

When it comes the woodworking, I’m never finished.

Foureyes Lol I was actually going to use the analogy of mowing the lawn and there you go, mowing :) Oooh I love the idea of pencil marks during sanding! I need visual cues, this is perfect. Surface prep is everything, no matter what the project is. Getting new glasses during downtime LOL You have a great sense of humor. Oh wow 16:20 :) Your pieces are all so beautiful, excellent work. Great vid! - Tanya

There’s also wax baking, you apply a layer of wax onto your surface & heat the surface until it’s absorbed, it might make it more of a fire hazard but wood is wood & I think poly probably has the same fire resistance leaves a matte finish & a super raw feel but that might be because it’s not a normal finish or even a finish I guess but it gives good water resistance

What's your take on Shellac? Ive typically been a poly or penetrating oil person, but lately I've been using Shellac and enjoying it. I typically like a modern look and also prefer matte finishes, but I have recently been using a sock to apply a firmly pressed thin coat of shellac, waiting 20 minutes, hand sanding lightly with 220, repeating that process two more times, and then giving a 320 sanding pass as final and then applying a coat of paste wax and then using a buffer to slightly buff the wax just before it gets glossy. (firmly pressing the shellac is the key, if you just wipe it on it gets thick, gloopy, and too glossy) ... I find that it has very minimal gloss, a very protected feeling, it beautifies the wood without it becoming too dark/antique looking, it feels premium yet still maintains the modern finish I am usually going for. Over the holidays I used it on a walnut project, a maple project and plywood and really enjoyed. There was one project that I did want to be slightly glossy, so I sanded it up to 1000 grit before applying the paste wax, and while not as modern, was very glassy and satisfying to touch. Is there anything you do not like about Shellac?

I’m currently trying to figure out what sort of finish I should use for a vintage headboard veneer repair (broyhill sculptra, if anyone has heard of it!). I believe that the veneer is walnut, but it’s a much warmer tone than the purple-gray of my stash of walnut wood. I suppose it doesn’t truly matter, but I’m going to be a little sad if the repair sticks out.

Thank you Chris for this beautiful teaching

Have you ever had experience with any amount of warping from a different number of coats applied to the top and bottom? Moisture leaving at different rates, all that...

How long does simple finish take to completely cure? I have watched you use it for a long time and been curious. I use an oil/wax finish from another small company and love the final look. However weeks after I thought it was dry, I can see stains on papers left sitting on it for too long. Do you have that problem with say a coffee table finished with simple finish?

Thanks for that good info! I make furniture and arts and crafts with old reclaimed wood. Most of the time i like to leave the wood as natural as I can as I find it with the patina as it looks. Meaning surface can stay pretty rough and maybe splintery! I've never used poly before. I'm wondering how it would work on really rough surfaces?

a good idea is to make something like cnc sanding device for the X plane pretty simple and you save a loot of time,

Great video. Definitely saving this! With regards to pressure; I hear quite a lot of people who say their random orbit sander has had the pad part come away from the bottom. Is this because of too much pressure? Also, many woodworkers say start at 80 grit, but can I ask why? Surely, for example, if I’ve made a dovetail box and I use 80 grit and work up each grit to 220, then I’ll remove so much material that the fit will / could be compromised? Does this make sense? Thanks for your time.

What spray gun do you use and does it take poly well? Require thinning?

“Barely scratching the surface” Niiiiceeee 😎

First, I wanted to thank you for your vid, loved the explanation of the difference between the oil penetrating and sealer. So here’s my quandary; It was suggested I use a penetrating product on my very light oak window seals, that get a west later afternoon sun on them. I told the guy at paint store “They were pretty beat up, ie condensation, and sun damaged. And, that I’m not sure what was on them previously. Do he suggested *Dalys PROFIN* oil penetrating product. Anyway. I sanded the heck out of seals specifically, trying to sand away a few water stains, and some grain, or finish degradation, and the result is…it’s abit blotchy. I’m a novelist! So PROFIN product directions for use suggest sanding in between coats for deeper luster. You are right it’s so easy to apply. So ,I applied how per their suggestion, which is to brush on, let it sit for 5 to 10 min., then wipe off with lint free cloth. The guy at store just said to wipe on. But because I knew this wood would soak up a lot, so I brushed on, and wiped off. So far I love how it brought out the natural look of the wood, and for an even deeper luster they suggest using a steel wool #4 and rub in the last coat. I haven’t done that, yet. So my question is, do you think since it’s a window frames and seals, this was an appropriate product? ie meaning the oil penetrating method. The product said hard drying, and quick setting so I’m hoping it works out. Also, What are your thoughts on wood filler if you want to maintain the natural wood? Is that even possible? My thought is no. Thank you for your time.

A beginners questions here, is it possible to mix both finishes ? I like the colors of the oil and durability of the poly , would something like epoxy on top of the oil finish work ? Feel free to elaborate on alternative as I said I am just starting all advice is useful and I am all ears.

Super helpful! Thank you!

This is really useful. Thanks.

Could you apply poly over one or two oil stain coats? I think I remember seeing something about that but can't find it right now.

With simple finish, if I'm getting dust nibs on it, is it ok to give a light sanding afterwards? Or do we have to apply another coat afterwards? Or is sanding after application a big no no? Sorry, I'm super new to finishing...

That is a great looking lawn.

How about mixing? Can there be oil to stand the colour out, dry and sand and then poly on top to secure it more? Would that work?

Love the honesty. Other than that, great info...Personally I hate sanding. Thanx for your time making this and other videos.

I appreciate the quality content - have you tried anything to reduce sound reflections / echo? I think it could really help the audio quality.