Well, the "Dumbfecta" of finishing have spoken!
If Craigster, Gunswhizzer, and snyper are for it I know I am exactly right for speaking against it...
I have had dozens of folks make sample boards when finishing stocks to see what they like. I almost always have them do a sanded-in sample for comparison. Not one every chooses sanded-in finishes after comparisons.
As I have posted dozens of times:
Buy a tiny container of spar varnish and about 4 ounces of high quality oil at a paint or art store. Liberally coat the stock with straight spar varnish and wipe DRY after about 10-15 minutes of soaking. Repeat.
Refill tiny varnish container with oil and repeat the coats.
Depending on the wood and freshness of the oil the finish should be building nicely by the fourth coat. Keep applying coats until you like it.
Keep topping off varnish with plain oil.
Polish with extra fine Bear-Tex pads and wax after allowing a good long curing time.
Quick, easy, quite weather-proof, deep, and as lustrous as you could ask for. Light-years better than sanded in...
ALWAYS make a sample board or twelve to test your wood against several different finishes. With open-pored wood sanded-in finishes always look like garbage. Against tight-pored wood they do not look as bad, but involve a lot more work and never look as good...
NEVER trust anyone's finish without trying it first.
Thanks Sitka. I've put on several coats of Spar Varnish. I still have 1/2 gallon of high quality oil. I'm glad it will still be of some use. I've used oil since about 1960 when I finished a Herter's "C" grade varmint stock. That took me many months to finish to the satisfaction of a older sibling.
