Waterlox on Pine? Pine door Finish Advice

[TRW]

I have 11 pine interior doors to finish and was wondering if anyone had experience using Waterlox on pine.  

These are BORG Jeld Wen interior pine slab doors.  My wife and I both like the natural look and do not want to paint them. I'm trying to impart some color to the doors without resorting to stain because the process of staining pine is a royal pain in the butt.

I used BLO on my "test" door and it changed it from white/blond to light yellow which is better/more acceptable but was wondering if there was another less splotchy alternative to stain for pine since I have 11 doors to finish.  If it was just one or two doors I would break out the sanding sealer and stain but want to be done with this project before the end of the decade.

[jteneyck]

If you can spray try Sealcoat shellac with whatever flavor of Transtint dye in it you like.  You can get ANY color you want.  Once the color is right, topcoat it with any finish you like.  I'd go with GF's High Performance because it sprays and looks great.  

If you can't spray then you might consider gel stain.  You can get very subtle colors by starting with the neutral base and adding one or more of the stock colors to that.  The gel helps minimize blotching but you could minimize it even more by applying a coat of the neutral base first, with no added color.  After the color is done, you could wipe on Waterlox, Arm-R-Seal, etc.  

Pine is going to age on it's own so keep that in mind.  Some folks just apply a clear finish and let mother nature do the rest.  

John

[zaret]

I have 11 pine interior doors to finish and was wondering if anyone had experience using Waterlox on pine.  

These are BORG Jeld Wen interior pine slab doors.  My wife and I both like the natural look and do not want to paint them. I'm trying to impart some color to the doors without resorting to stain because the process of staining pine is a royal pain in the butt.

I used BLO on my "test" door and it changed it from white/blond to light yellow which is better/more acceptable but was wondering if there was another less splotchy alternative to stain for pine since I have 11 doors to finish.  If it was just one or two doors I would break out the sanding sealer and stain but want to be done with this project before the end of the decade.

i live in a log home, made of red pine, and i renovated it over 5 years.  i have stair treads in pine, trim in pine, and assorted hundreds of feet in pine... all finished with waterlox original, and it's absolutely beautiful.  as already mentioned, the pine will age and get darker, but the waterlox really pops and protects it.  i have no regrets at all using waterlox on my pine.

--- dz

[TRW]

Thanks for the replies guys.  I've heard good things about and always wanted to try Waterlox, so I'll probably go that route.

I've never used gel stains either and it sounds like they are less problematic on pine with the splotchiness than oil based stains are.

[Bad Splinter]

I have used Waterlox allot & think it is probably one of the best oil finishes around. I do think it should be described as a wiping varnish because it resembles a thin down varnish more than it does a straight oil finish. It can build quickly if you use the sealer & then the topcoat. It will darken your pine as it is quite amber in color. You will also want to put the remainder in a smaller container as this finish will Gel over quite quickly in storage and become unusable if too much air is left in the container.

[zaret]

I have used Waterlox allot & think it is probably one of the best oil finishes around. I do think it should be described as a wiping varnish because it resembles a thin down varnish more than it does a straight oil finish. It can build quickly if you use the sealer & then the topcoat. It will darken your pine as it is quite amber in color. You will also want to put the remainder in a smaller container as this finish will Gel over quite quickly in storage and become unusable if too much air is left in the container.

the original is indeed a wonderful finish.  check out stop loss bags, they are a godsend when it comes to preserving waterlox, and any other oil-based liquid.  i'm yet to see finish spoil stored in any of my 20+ stop loss bags.

[Cooler]

I had a question about 20 years ago about application of Waterlox.  I called the factory helpline and the owner/president came on the line to answer my questions. 

I was using it for a seldom used guest bedroom floor.  (It looks great.)

As a rule verticle surfaces do not get the same wear and tear as horizontal surfaces.  I think Waterlox will stand up well.  I would apply the finish with the doors horizontal.  You can lay down a good coat of Waterlox that way and not risk runs.  It dries very slowly so it will self-level nicely.

I would wait at least 3 to 7 days before flipping the doors over to do the reverse side, so as to avoid marring the finished surface against the saw horses. 

Waterlox needs 2 weeks of cure time on the floor before light usage.  The finish has gotten quite hard over the last 20 years, so I think the cure keeps going for quite a while.

[Cooler]

I had a question about 20 years ago about application of Waterlox.  I called the factory helpline and the owner/president came on the line to answer my questions. 

I was using it for a seldom used guest bedroom floor.  (It looks great.)

As a rule verticle surfaces do not get the same wear and tear as horizontal surfaces.  I think Waterlox will stand up well.  I would apply the finish with the doors horizontal.  You can lay down a good coat of Waterlox that way and not risk runs.  It dries very slowly so it will self-level nicely.

I would wait at least 3 to 7 days before flipping the doors over to do the reverse side, so as to avoid marring the finished surface against the saw horses. 

Waterlox needs 2 weeks of cure time on the floor before light usage.  The finish has gotten quite hard over the last 20 years, so I think the cure keeps going for quite a while.