The best finish for walnut is a clear one. Several coats of Danish oil provide clarity. For protection, add a compatible clear topcoat.
The three main players on the market are Odie's Oil, Osmo, and my personal choice, Rubio Monocoat. Unlike film finishes, hard-wax oils provide protection by penetrating and binding to the top most wood fibres on the live edge slab and then a seal layer of wax cures on the surface.
If you like the look of an oil finish, consider trying tung oil varnish. This finish gives walnut a dark yet warm color, and if you choose to apply it by wet-sanding, this too can fill the grain as above. The appearance is only slightly different – but different nevertheless.
To keep American walnut veneer surfaces looking like new, you can get them re-polished as and when needed. Before applying polish directly on the surface, you need to remove any dust particles using sandpaper. Use a branded acrylic, polyurethane, water-based, or polyester polish to get the best possible finish.
We recommend using tung oil for walnut. This type of oil will darken the grain, enhancing and protecting the wood.
How do you seal live edge wood for outdoor use? To apply a stain or sealant to wood, begin by sanding it down to the bare wood. Next, choose from linseed oil, tung oil, polyurethane, varnish, or a stain-sealant combination. Apply a few coats of finish in the direction of the wood's grain.
For a simple oil finish, use a sponge brush to apply three coats of polyurethane, and sand with 500-grit sandpaper after each coat dries. Then, wipe the slab surface down with mineral spirits and wet-sand the slab with a 2000-grit sanding pad.
For the best results, consider using 120, 180, and 220-grit flap wheels to sand the natural edges of your piece until you get the desired feel. Next, accentuate the grain and figure using any clear-oil finish. You also want to protect the finish by applying a protective coating of shellac, lacquer, or polyurethane.
In short: Yes, you can without any doubt use tung oil on walnut. By penetrating the wood's pores, this oil smoothens its surface and lends a lucent brown hue to the walnut for protecting it from moisture, ultraviolet radiations, and other environmental components.
Woods such as oak, mahogany and walnut are characterized as having “open grain” because the wood pores are large. In contrast, “closed grain” woods like hard maple, cherry, poplar and beech have smaller pores. You don't have to fill the pores of any wood before applying a finish.
Pour over epoxy resin is your best bet to hold the bark in place if you plan on keeping it.
While bark is usually removed, it can also be left on live edge furniture. Leaving the bark on contributes to an even stronger rustic look. It often depends on the preference of the woodworker, piece the live edge is being used for, and the type of wood being used.
Polyurethane floors are generally softer and more elastic compared to the epoxy, giving them better resistance to scratching – ideal for spaces like multi-deck car parks, which experience high levels of foot traffic. Overall, the qualities of the polyurethane system outweigh those of a roller-applied epoxy coating.
To beautify the wood, use an oil-based stain, such as Minwax Wood Finish. The colour you choose is a matter of personal preference. You can go dark for an elegant, modern look, or choose a natural stain that simply enhances the existing appearance of the wood.
Seal the surface with polyurethane if you want to keep things simple. Apply a coat of polyurethane coating with a sponge brush. Wait for the coat to dry, then sand it with 500-grit sandpaper. Do this 2 more times, then wipe the surface down with mineral spirits.
As has been noted, linseed makes the strongest film, but yellows more. Walnut is not as strong, but yellows less. Other oils, of course, are also used and some paint makers mix them or use different oils in different paints.
If you love how linseed oil makes your paints flow but aren't keen on how it yellows over time, you might want to replace it with walnut oil. While typically more expensive and slower to dry, walnut oil has less of a tendency to yellow—which means you can use it with light colors without worry.
Tung oil offers a number of advantages over linseed oil, including a food-safe, water-resistant finish that's not prone to mold and a beautiful matte amber color that doesn't darken over time. For your next project, give Pure Tung Oil products by the Real Milk Paint Co.