Walnut includes a chocolate color prized by amateurs and woodworkers. It is among the milder of the hardwoods, standing only 5 on a hardness scale, with 10 being the hardest. It’s open pores which respond readily to any sort of finish. It can be completed with or without blot, representing a warm ambiance due to a complex grain pattern which wanders and ripples.
Planning
Proper surface preparation is vital when completing walnut. It should first be thoroughly sanded to smooth the surface of the wood. You can accomplish this by hand with a hand block or a handheld oscillating tool with a sanding accessory. After you the initial sanding, sand over the project by hand with a folded piece of 180-grit sandpaper. Constantly sand parallel to the grain when doing this final sanding. This eliminates small swirls or cross-grain scrapes that are hard to see, but will show up later if they are not eliminated. Following the final sanding, then you can employ a stain of your choice, or move on to the finishing.
Lacquer
Lacquer is the ideal choice for finishing walnut. It dries quickly, you just need two coats to seal and shield, and it’s user friendly. You can pick airless or pressurized spray equipment to use lacquer; it doesn’t matter. To begin, fill out a spray gun container together with lacquer. Hold the gun inches from the walnut at a 30-degree angle. Spray an even, wet coat of lacquer on the timber. Let it dry for 30 minutes then sand the walnut by hand with a folded piece of 180-grit sandpaper. Finish by spraying another coat of lacquer on the walnut just as you did the first time. Two coats are adequate, but you can spray around four coats to get a deeper lacquer finish. You don’t have to sand after every coat, just after the first.
Linseed Oil
Linseed oil penetrates into the pores of the timber, where it hardens. It takes much longer to complete walnut with acrylic, but it actually waterproofs better than lacquer. After sanding, then liberally wet the surface of the walnut with a cloth soaked in penetrating oil. Allow the oil soak in the wood for 30 minutes and wash it off. Wait 24 hours and repeat by wetting the surface with acrylic and wiping it off immediately following the program. Apply another light coat of oil, wiping it off instantly, to the timber once a week then for a single month. Apply another coat of oil into the timber once every six months then to keep it secure and completed. For additional gloss, rub the wood whenever possible with all the palm of the hand between coats of oil.
Burnishing
Burnishing can be done on previously completed walnut, bare walnut or oil-treated walnut. To begin, cut a piece of denim out of an old pair of blue jeans. Fold it in a small pad. Put the mat onto the walnut. Using your palms, vigorously rub the pad around in a 3-inch circle with power until the mat and timber begin to get warm. This places down wood fibers. It also makes lacquer lie flat and gives it a sheen. Inspect the area where you have polished. When it’s shiny, begin burnishing another ring, overlapping the first one by 1 inch. Continue over the full surface, burnishing in small circles until fulfilled. If your mat gets sticky or wears too smooth, make another person.