What you need to know about wood finishes

Master that last crucial step in furniture building with this complete guide

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LOW	LOW	MODERATE	HIGH
FINISH OPTIONS
STRAIGHT OILS (includes pure tung oil, raw linseed oil, boiled linsee oil, mineral oil and walnut oil)	OIL/VARNISH BLENDS (sometimes known as Danish oil or Scandinavian oil)	VARNISH (always oil-based, such as alkyd varnish, spar or marine varnish, polyurethane or wiping varnish)	WATER BASE (includes latex urethane acrylic finish-sometimes called water-based poly or water-based varnish)
APPLICATION DIFFICULTY LEVEL
WEAR AND SCUFF RESISTANCE
LOW DUE TO THIN FILM	MODERATE IF MANY COATS USED	HIGH	HIGH
HEAT RESISTANCE
MODERATE	MODERATE	HIGH	LOW
WATER RESISTANCE
LOW	LOW TO MODERATE	HIGH	MODERATE
DUST PROBLEMS IN FINISH COAT
LOW	LOW	HIGH	MODERATE
HEALTH SAFETY IN USE
MODERATE TO HIGH	MODERATE	MODERATE	HIGH
AMBERING COLOUR
MODERATE	MODERATE	HIGH ESP. OVER TIME	NONE
DRY TIME BEFORE NEXT COAT
LONG	MODERATE	SHORT TO MODERATE	VERY SHORT