Giving me the itch to throw down my crutches and head to the shop... of course with the surgery I had yesterday I’d be left laying on the floor staring at the bench. Gotta hand it to you, much of what i do comes from watching you. My inspiration loves you while my wallet cries. Keep it up! sparky on!
are these finishes food safe? I intend to use my counters to knead bread, pasta, pie crusts etc and I want to make sure that I'm not accidentally poisoning myself or my family Thanks
Is it appropriate to use one of Arm-r-seal's water based finished for a countertop? I'm doing a large countertop that has to be done onsite and want to keep the fumes down.
Arm-R-Seal is a good choice. However, in this case, I would have been tempted to go with walnut oil. Walnut oil, like tung oil and boiled linseed oil, is a 'hardening' or 'curing' oil. That is, with exposure to oxygen, walnut oil polymerizes into a durable finish. You can speed up curing with heat. On the lathe, I like to wet sand with walnut oil. The heat from sanding helps the oil to cure. Usually, within a couple of days, an item is cured enough to be put to use. Arm-R-Seal has the advantage of being a more durable finish than walnut oil. So, why would I have been tempted to use walnut oil? It's self-repairing. If a portion of the finish is worn through, there's no need to sand the old finish back before applying a new coat of walnut oil. Simply clean the clean the area and wipe on some walnut oil. Let the oil soak in and, after 30 minutes or so, wipe off any excess. That ease of maintaining the finish would have been very attractive. Besides, I just like the idea of walnut countertops being finished with walnut oil!
I've been using General Finishes' Arm-R-Seal for a long time, from bookshelves to fruit bowls. I've found it is really convenient to add a little stain to the first coat, like 50/50 mix, when one wants to darken the wood a bit.
Used satin arm r seal on my kitchen island/countertop refinish. It's a dream. Put six or seven coats on the top 5 on the underside. It's so durable it is easily cleaned with light soapy water and even withstood a bit of blistering from a hot pan my wife set on it.
I used this to coat a laminate wood wall decal, put probably 30 coats on, wet sanded with 2000 grit, buffed with auto polish, looked like a sheet of glass, loved it
If you are also using a wood counter for a cutting board, I would recommend a food safe finish such as mineral oil, same as butcher's block oil but cheaper. I built a 6 foot cutting board style counter in my kitchen with a bar sink in it and the mineral oil is holding up fine, just have to wipe on a coat when it starts looking dry.
After watching this video I bought a pint of this stuff for an oak 32” round table top. I’m now a believer! It’s really easy to apply and yields a great finish that is as good as any from a top furniture maker.
I've used both, but Waterlox is the most indestructible counter funish there is. It withstands decades of abuse before needing a refresher coat. It doesn't keep in the can though. Buy only what you need.
I purchased unfinished butcher block countertops and cut them to fit. I was told that Waterlox was one of the best finishes you could buy. I followed the instructions very closely and they looked great for awhile. A few years in, not decades, the finish dulled, even on the side of the kitchen that didn't have water. In areas near the sink, the wood started to de-laminate. A section between the sink and the stove, about 18" wide, actually bowed. I'm guessing that water got between the sink and the countertop and the bottom of the countertop got wet. I doubt this was due to the material or the Waterlox, but was related to my sink install. The dulling, however wasn't due to the installation.
I did a tub surround in Wenge. I was going to coat it in West Systems epoxy but that made the surface very dark like Ebony. I ended up using Safecoat gloss and Safecoat satin water-based polyurethane. I have found that no matter what the manufacture instructions from any H2O PU, application with foam brushes work the best at minimizing bubbles. I ended up applying 12 coats (admittedly I was done at 10 but the surface wasn't blemish free until 12). It has been Installed 2 years now with no water stains, or blushes. One thing I did differently when finishing this piece was more sanding than I ever would have done in the past. I used the 3M sanding sheet that is elastic over felt pad and I blocked the surface until it was completely flat. This, in fact, took most of the first through third coats off. It was filling in the grain which made a great base for the next layers to build on. I usually think that it takes 3 coats of H20 PU to equal 1 coat of oil. I let it cure at least 12 hours but generally 24 between coats, then I left it for a week to harden. After that 0000 steel wool to break the sheen and the waxed with paste wax.
I love my wood butcher block counter top. It's a great surface and adds a lot of warmth and character to the kitchen. But, I went a different route for a finish... I have birch wood, and the finish I chose was Waterlox Satin finish. It came out a beautiful golden color, AND it's truly water proof, and VERY stain resistant (this last part was a happy surprise). Standing water/liquids do not affect it at all. The biggest thing to keep in mind is that you can not put hot items on the counter top. You have to use a hot pad, but it's an easy habit to form. But toasters, toaster ovens, and such are not an issue. As for dents, dings as the years go on, they add character. But the Waterlox will slowly re-flow any slight surface finish dings over time. But if it's to deep, it's easy to get out the sand paper and sand the spots and reapply the finish. Personally I haven't had the need to do it, yet. I like the dings and such. As for sealing the underside, it is HIGHLY recommended to seal the underside of the wood above a dishwasher. Just extend the sealing coat a foot or so on each side of the dishwasher to the underside the counter top. Some people tend to open the dishwasher after the cycle has run to let things dry out. This lets out a lot of steam, that can affect unsealed wood.
I used Waterlox on my butcher block countertops and I wish I had done the underside where the dishwasher and the sink are. The countertop has started to de-laminate and an 18" section between the sink and the stove, has actually bowed. Oh, and it will stain. One of my offspring jiggled a full coffee mug and it overflowed. They didn't clean it up right away and it left a very noticeable stain that will not come off without serious sanding and re-coating.
We used Rubio Monocoat for our oak butcher block countertop. Been 11 years without a re-coat, tho those would have probably been worthwhile. Only issue is long term contact w water (e.g. someone leaving a wet glass on the surface overnight).
I just turned down a job to repair a maple top that had horrible stains around the faucet and cracks above the dishwasher. The client said the C top maker was a jerk because he refused to fix it again. They said they had two spare tops that were slightly damaged that he left in the basement... I left. I agree with JusBidniss... Granite it is.
I used Arm-R-Seal on several tables I made . One was Cherry the other was Maple had to apply five to six coats before it stopped soaking into the wood and it's a great finish
@@daveerickson5313 It's held up great with the daily use from 10 people eating 3 meals a day . We do use place mats and thick not pads under the hot pans
I've heard of some streaking on large projects with Arm-R-Seal Satin so it was really useful to get your tip to frequently stir it to keep the flatteners dispersed. Thanks so much for this video. For me, it was perfect information and perfect timing.
Waterlox is also great! Though it is pretty noxious until the solvents evaporate. It's nice to also have a second option. Have you tried this for flooring?
You did't show this in the video but I think it would be a good idea to put the same finish on the underside this way changes in humidity won't cause cupping.
YES. Just what I was looking for to seal my countertop. No more creepy homesteading videos - this is a perfectly clear and concise presentation of info. Thank you so much. Every question I had you eventually covered. Cheers.
"just wipe up your spills as any normal reasonable person would...." Would you please tell that to my children. They don't seem to be normal or reasonable able that.
It's called training with tough Love! My son was required ( I checked and made sure) to make his bed and clean his room before he ate breakfast. He went without breakfast "one" time. because he didn't get up in time to do both and catch his bus to school. He turned 40 years old last July .... he's Vice President of a very successful Insurance company and still makes his bed every morning ! And guess what my grandson does every morning .....before breakfast...... make his bed and clean his room. Guess what I do every morning! Yes you lead by example and teach your children!
Arm-R-Seal is my 2nd favorite finish! I use 1 coat then do a wet sand with every coat after, usually stop around 3. I use this finish on wood pieces that I want to stay looking like plain wood. Thanks for the video, I'll try out your method.
naturally we can't get armour seal in nz. though i see they call it a wiping urathane. i have found in nz, a good way to finish counter tops, as there really isn't a big choice, is to use flooring urethane. when it sets it, is a very resistant finish.
I like Arm R Seal. I applied it to a baltic birch subwoofer I built for my brother, who has 3 young kids. It's held up well so far. Very easy to apply. My biggest complaint is that the nearest dealer is a 45 minute drive from me.
I have to restore my dining room table. My kids spill so much water and leave it for hours. The table is ruined. I guess I'll be gluing porcelain tiles on the table. Lol.grout it with Sikaflex. Cheers from Australia just subbed.nice tutorial. Thanks heaps
After 45 years of professional and award winning finishes, I will only use catalyzed urethanes ro conversion varnishes for this application. Food cutting boards will only receive an oil finish
General Finishes' Arm-R-Seal is not available in Australia. However I use Osmo and found it to be very good. It is also applied in almost the same way. I believe Osmo is available in most countries.
Thanks for getting back to me so quick on the water and drink glass stain. I'm going to attempt a kitchen counter including a kitchen sink. The wood I have chosen mostly because of Colour but it is extremely dense is Purple Hart . And don't have a heated shop and live on the Northwest coast so I have many concerns 😟 LOL
After watching several videos, I like what you are doing. Great attention to detail, and I love the reasoning and explanation. I am going to apply this to a Maple Desk I am making.
I've watched this video several times in preparation to seal my butcher block counter tops with Arm R Seal. What I'm most hesitant about is that they have been treated several times over the past 4 years with Howard's Butcher block conditioner. Really after about a month that stuff seems to be pretty ineffective at repelling water, but I have been reading some not so encouraging blogs about the difficulty in removing the conditioner before applying Arm R Seal. I've read that they might need many cleanings with Naptha, and even a lot of scraping to rid the wood of the oil and wax. But then another video said that the conditioner doesn't even really penetrate that deeply. The guy at my woodworking shop, where I got the Arm R Seal seems to think that a good wiping with mineral spirits will do the trick. So.... I've started with the tops (I have 6 separate areas totaling 85 sq ft) that I've treated the least, and the longest ago. For two tops that I haven't treated that much, I just sanded with 300 grit. A third one I sanded starting with 80 grit up to 300 grit, and then wiped it down with mineral spirits before applying the fist coat of Arm R Seal. It looked like raw wood after the sanding. I couldn't feel any oiliness. That was just an hour ago, so fingers crossed! Any advice for proceeding with the counter around the sink where I have used the most conditioner, and the last treatment was about a month ago??? Please help!
Why not get some scraps of wood, apply some conditioner, let it dry and then put the Arm R Seal on it. See what happens? Arm R Seal is an oil-based product. If your conditioner is oil based, there may not be a problem. Mineral spirits will dissolve wax, which may be the reason he said to try removing it with that. I suspect mineral spirits is a main ingredient in Arm R Seal as well.
IDK why everyone hates on poly. I used it on my hard maple butcher block work desk. I love it. The wood still dents when I use it, but it toughened up the face just enough so it takes a decent fuckup to cause a dent. Its also water proof as long as you don't crack the surface. When you do, your left with beautiful streak stains that are left behind from normal use. I also like the fact that any burns left behind don't boil and bubble, they just sorta burn.
I have GOT to find something that will protect my walnut from the grease and oil by the stove. Just 'preventing splatters and drips' isn't working at all. I did a five year test run with plywood countertops before I dared use my precious walnut. The oils by the stove were the worst part. I just put in new plywood countertops with poly and I've got 2-3 years before the BIG kitchen remodel. So I have three years to find the absolute best finish for around the sink and by the stove. I've been protecting this walnut jealously for the last seven years. When the lumber shortages hit, I was hoarding them like a prepper hoards antibiotics. I've got one shot at this, as I'll never be able to afford walnut lumber again. I cannot screw this up.
Thanks for this countertop video series! I just put a wood countertop in my kitchen. I didn’t have time or space to finish with a more durable product, so I’m going with mineral oil and food safe wax/conditioner for now. I’m hoping to put something lower maintenance on in the future. . Can this be used on a countertop that’s already been soaked with oil? 30 days is a long time to not use a countertop already in place. Do you have any alternative suggestions?
Hey James, have you ever heard of Odies Oil? I used that on my 13.5' x 4' solid walnut countertop and it is amazing. I had a tung oil finish on it before and did not like it so I switched to the Odies. Might want to check them out, great finish for all wood projects, even turnings.
für den deutschen Sprachraum empfehle ich Osmo-Color Arbeitsplatten Farbe. Bei den Baumärkten wird sie leider immer weiter zurückgedrängt, aber von der gleichen Firma die "Landhausfarbe" ist (wie die Arbeitsplatten Farbe auch) der glatte Wahnsinn. Ich habe (trotz einige andere Tests) nichts Vergleichbares gefunden. Ich habe meiner Frau eine Abwasch gebaut die 10 cm höher ist, weil sie 1,80 ist und die normale Abwasch immer Rückenschmerzen verursacht hat. Das ist jetzt zehn Jahre her: Man SIEHT überhaupt nicht, dass die täglich hart im Betrieb ist!!! Es sieht einfach so aus wie am ersten Tag, unglaublich! Beim Obi wan kenobi habe ich hin und wieder Dosen gefunden, man bekommt sie aber auch bei Amazon. Wichtig ist, dass man eine längere Trocknungszeit einplant, die ist ja auf Ölbasis, angeblich 98% Leinöl, aber es ist doch anders, als wenn man mit Leinöl oder Firnis streicht. Mit der "Landhausfarbe" habe ich meine Fenster gestrichen und meine Haustüre, das ist über 20 Jahre her - die ist auch noch genauso wie sie damals war, keine Veränderung zu sehen! Wie geht das? Mein Nachbar hat seither schon dreimal mit Sikkens gestrichen und es blättert munter ab - manche lernen langsam, und manche lernen es nie ;-) ach ja diese Farben sind übrigens jeweils nur einmal aufgetragen worden, und nicht mit drei Anstrichen! Da lachen ja die Hühner, wenn ich sowas schon höre!
I’m getting ready to finish a plaque I made for a gift. It’s made out of a nice piece of cherry wood. I routed out a strip on 1 side, and put a piece of walnut veneer in the strip. Sanded it down to flush and it is beautiful. I then used a wood burner to burn in a nice heartfelt saying. Once again, sanded over the burnt area to clean it up. I plan on using Waterlox as a coating. But have never used it before. I enjoyed your videos on Waterlox, and think it will really bring out the beauty of the cherry and walnut veneer. Question 1 (most importantly): Can Waterlox spontaneously combust? Question 2: Do you think the Waterlox will react well with the burnt wood writing? Question 3: My workshop is in my basement, and not ventilated at all. It’s pretty cold outside. Should I move up to the garage for applying the Waterlox? It will still be cold in the garage (around 50 degrees). I could always bring temp up in the garage, apply, then open up for ventilation afterwards. Thoughts?
James had to watch this a second time to catch the "poly-urinate" slight. On your recommendation, I tried Arm-R-Seal and love it. Question, have you tried any ceramic coatings such as Black Forest over Arm-R-Seal? Found a couple of You Tubers that swear by it but thought I would check with the "Expert" first.
My guess is you shouldn't have since I think that stuff takes so long to dry and takes a whole lot of upkeep on it's on and I'm sure where and what kinda of boiled linseed oil you use. But James I would to be curious if that might not of been best practice. As I know lacquer can't be applied before any other finish due to off gasing for years or how ever long that takes to stop
@@timort2260 years? Wow. I would have guessed that lacquer cures in weeks, not years. I did wait for the linseed oil to dry before applying Arm-R-Seal. Maybe the linseed oil was just overkill since the Arm-R-Seal darkens the Sapele too. Sure did pop, though, once the linseed was applied.
@@antipasinchrist your probably ok linseed oil probably cured when it It drys but yeah I've heard about it from guitar builders lacquer can just keep on off gasing
Hi Stumpy, I had a custom dining room table and the end result was pathetic. Since they are in Canada getting them to correct the issues doesn't really work. The issue is that when they applied the oil, many areas kept soaking up the oil and they didn't bother to keep applying. Then they applied wax and a ceramic liquid. The end result is areas of "dry" wood. I believe you are right that Arm-R-Seal is the way to go. My question is what is the smartest way to remove what they did and then apply Arm-R-Seal? Thanks for your time. Bill
Im making a black walnut bar top and really love how shellac looks but need some protection. Can I apply this over shellac to get the depth and protection I need?
Thanks for all the good advice. Would this work on a Pastry Board. I need to make a new one for a client and there are almost too many options. If I allow this to cure for 30 days, or completely, will it be a good choice. I have used different finishes in the past with okay results. I really wish to find a finish that will hold up to making bread and things like that. However, I would like something that would hold up as long as a sharp tool isn't used to cut the dough.
Totally agree on the finish. Looks great on our maple top. Ditto on a coat on the underside too. One thing I noticed using the titebond 3 is the color of glue (brownish) actually shows up on maple so titebond 2 may be better for lighter woods?
James, I just put together some butcher block countertops, I've been looking all over for the best finish for it, it's a rental property and I want something that's durable that doesn't require a lot of maintenance and recoating. What would be your absolute number one go to for this? Would it still be the arm-r-seal? I have seen some videos where people are swearing by the waterlox sealer/finish followed with their second coat product. And then you have fiddi's hard wax oil.. just wondering what you think since you're arm-r- seal video is 4 years old if you would still go that way.
Thanks Stumpy. Can you recommend a wood finish for red oak in the bath/ shower area? The arm r seal looks interesting but maybe too wet an area for it.
I really enjoy watching your videos.ive made desk tops out of plywood and I’m about to tackle my counter tops but is there a golden rule against using like a maple plywood as a top instead of solid wood?beside having to use solid wood on the edges would that be a mistake?
Thanks! I want to finish a 1.5" thick butcher block-style table top like this. Do I have to finish both sides at the same time? Or can I finish one side, let it cure for 30 days, and then do the other side? Thanks!
I'd do at least one or two coats on the underside as you go. Put a coat on the underside first, then flip it over onto some painter's pyramids (amzn.to/49rx0bo) while you work on top side. When everything is dry, repeat for the next coat, again starting on the underside so it is always the one on the painters pyramids, in case they leave marks.
As far as I can tell ArmRSeal is poly mixed w other resin/s, but overall what I read suggests mostly similar to poly in water resistance and abrasion etc, why do you say not as durable? Is that bc it’s wipe on so essentially diluted compared to other full strength poly? Or really different strength, durability, in terms of the other resins? Thanks for great vids!
OMG! I would never have considered wood for a kitchen counter top.....but that was an absolutely gorgeous addition to that kitchen. I have never used Arm-R-Seal. I’ve watched numerous videos espousing it’s virtues and ease of use, but this is the first one I’ve seen that’s going to “push me over the edge” to use it. I’m restoring a turn of the century walnut breakdown armoire.....I think Arm R Seal is going to be its finish. I just finished restoring a Gunn barrister bookcase (in mahogany and oak)....due to water damage, I had to restore the color with oil stain. Can Arm-R-Seal be applied over stain? As an aside, my best friend is Sailor, my Australian Shepherd. Was that an Aussie puppy in your video? Her/his colors (same as mine) accentuated that counter top perfectly!! Bravo-Zulu, Stumpy.....another great video!
Arm R Seal can be applied over any oil based stain.... We have a Mini Australian Shepherd. She wasn't quite a year old in this video, but that's about as large as they get. She replaced a full sized Aussie that passed away a year and a half ago.
Stumpy Nubs Thank you for that quick reply! Regarding the loss of your Aussie a year and a half ago....that must have been hard! This breed has a way of “connecting” that I’ve not seen in many other breeds....and losing any family dog is never easy.....so I am sorry for your family’s loss. It’s funny - as in coincidently funny - I just told my wife the other day, that at 65, after 45 years of stress-filled military and law enforcement careers, I probably don’t have it in me to train another full size Aussie.....and that I’d like to consider a miniature Aussie (we’ve heard of a good breeder of mini-Aussies here in western Massachusetts). So we will see. Again, thank you, sir.....and I really do enjoy your videos and your unique presentation! Take care....and I wish you and your family a most happy, safe and healthy Independence Day!
Just a little tip. Be very careful with sugar on the counter top. Suppose you have several people that put sugar in their coffee in the morning and have a habit of spilling the sugar and then you have kids that leave wet dishes on the countertop where the sugar has been spilled, then you come home from work and go to tidy up and grab that cereal bowel that was set in the sugar wet and has now dried and you realize that it is glued to the counter top as it rips a chunk of wood away from the counter. No fun.
Very informative thank you. Do you have any recommendations of what type of "varnish" or sealer to use on a new pine floor. I was think of 2 coats BLO and one coat thinned out polyurethane which I got from your oil video. Would this be durable enough for pine flooring?
I have a wood island top and used Water based Poly for the finish...why does the finish get sticky in spots....(and no, its not from a spill...just where it's touched a lot) how do I get rid of the stickiness and how do I prevent that from recurring again without stripping and refinishing?
