will be working with black walnut for the first time and have questions

[jteneyck]

I liked the way Watco Dark Walnut Teak Oil colored the black walnut.  I planned on a couple of light coats of clear waterborne poly as a top coat. This is for interior cabinets.

If you really want to use Watco you might consider an OB topcoat instead of WB to avoid any bonding problems.  If you want to use a WB topcoat then at least make a test panel to assure that it bonds.  Or add a coat of Sealcoat shellac to seal in the Watco to assure there will be no problems with the WB topcoat.  

An alternative to using Watco would be to use Transtint or other WB dye to give you that color, then a coat of Sealcoat shellac, and then your WB topcoat.  

John

[Cooler]

If you really want to use Watco you might consider an OB topcoat instead of WB to avoid any bonding problems.  If you want to use a WB topcoat then at least make a test panel to assure that it bonds.  Or add a coat of Sealcoat shellac to seal in the Watco to assure there will be no problems with the WB topcoat.  

An alternative to using Watco would be to use Transtint or other WB dye to give you that color, then a coat of Sealcoat shellac, and then your WB topcoat.  

John

Thanks for that information.  I have had very good results brushing oil based poly. 

However this is going to be a cabinet reface job.  I have some 1990s honey oak raised panel cabinets.  The boxes are in reasonably good shape.  I  plan on slab doors in black walnut, and 1¼" overlay so that most of the face frame will be covered. 

But I will be putting veneer on the face frames, and I thought that water borne finishes would just dry faster and be easier.  If I use oil based I would want to leave the doors off for a few weeks. Too early contact with oil based finishes can cause the finish to bind together surfaces.

I have a desk I built years ago and finished with oil based poly.  I also bought a clear protective desk "blotter" made from a very flexible plastic.  I put it down the week after I finished the desk.  I have not been able to remove it since.  I would guess that if I had waited long enough it would not have bonded to the desk.  I thought 5 days was enough time.

In any case I have been very leery of placing objects on a recently finished oil base poly.  So I would likely want to keep the doors off for two weeks if I go that route.

On the other hand I am convinced that a properly aged oil based poly finish is tougher than a water based version.  As a rule I find that vertical surfaces show less wear than horizontal surfaces and I don't worry as much about durability on vertical surfaces.

[TomFromStLouis]

I hope it is understood that all the positive comments about walnut assume you ARE pre-drilling for the screws.

[FrankAtl]

I love working with Walnut and imagine you will too. It always turns the tips of my fingers purple and no matter how much air filtration I have I always get some very nice purplish, brownish boogers!

[Cooler]

I hope it is understood that all the positive comments about walnut assume you ARE pre-drilling for the screws.

The only screws I use on cabinets are pocket screws and confirmat screws.  Both require pre-drilling with the confirmats requiring a special stepped drill.  Plus, of course the screws to  mount to the wall.  But that is not going to be walnut; that is likely to be poplar. 

I use the pocket screws to assemble the face frame (what my original question was about) and to attach it to the box.  I use dowels and confirmats to assemble the boxes.  But that is plywood and I am confident about that. 

Thanks for the information.

Best Regards (and stay healthy),

Cooler

[Stwood_]

I hope it is understood that all the positive comments about walnut assume you ARE pre-drilling for the screws.

Thats a given when using pocket screws

[Cooler]

Thats a given when using pocket screws

The stepped drill only pre-drills one piece of wood.  The mating surface is not pre-drilled and the screw comes very  close to the edge of that material.

With the oak piece on the left you can clearly see where the pre-drilled hole ends.  A close examination of the pine boards shows the pocket drilled holes and where it ends.

[Stwood_]

Yes, thanks. I know all of whats involved. I make my own pocket cutters.
The length of screw used is a big factor in strength and possible cracking the adjoining piece.

[Rich_Dixon]

Why teak oil versus danish oil?

I have had great results from Watco Danish oil (clear/natural), a coat or two of shellac (even the spray can is good) and a varnish (poly, Arm-R-Seal, etc) on top. I like to thin the varnish 50/50 with mineral spirits and wipe it on with a small wad of an old t-shirt. I can wipe on about 3 coats at a time as it dries pretty fast being thinned like that. 2-3 days of wiping coats on and let it dry for 2-3 days, then buff it all out with some 0000 steel wool and paste wax, then take a microfiber towel and buff it out.

[Cooler]

Why teak oil versus danish oil?

I don't know.  I will have to experiment to see what the difference is.  Or perhaps do some online research.