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Shoutout to the old guy at the Portland antique market who called me out
I was there last fall, trying to sell a dresser I'd refinished with a heavy, glossy poly coat. This older guy picks up a drawer, runs his hand over it, and says, 'You sealed the wood like it's a boat deck. You can't feel the grain anymore.' He was right. I was so focused on a tough finish I made it feel like plastic. Now I always do a test spot on the inside to check the feel before I commit to the whole piece. Anyone else get too caught up in protection and lose the texture?
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maxl932mo ago
Ever see a friend do that? My buddy lacquered a whole oak desk until it felt like a bar top, totally missing the point like the_claire said about her first table.
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the_claire2mo ago
My first table was like that, a thick shellac job. I switched to a 1:1 mix of tung oil and citrus solvent for the first coat now. It soaks in deep and still lets you feel the wood after a light sanding with 220 grit.
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barbara_jenkins6621h ago
My own experience with this was the total opposite problem actually. I got so worried about losing the grain that I barely sealed anything and ended up with water rings on every single piece within a year. The trick for me was finding a happy medium, and what @the_claire described with the tung oil mix is pretty close to what I landed on too. A hard wax oil blend gives you that soaked in feel without the plastic look, but it still holds up to a coffee cup sitting on it. Just something to try if you want texture that can actually handle real life use.
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