Osmo a bit flat

[alex robinson]

I made a TV unit out of some beech I milled a while ago and put a coat of gloss osmo polyx on and was a bit disappointed. When I cut it the colours were superb and I had hoped it would pop when finished. Instead it looks oddly flat, with no depth.

Possible options:

Sanded too much (320 grit) so it didn't soak in enough.

Needs more coats. Not convinced by this as I feel the surface film is what is giving it the flat look as opposed to a richer oil look.

Strip and redo with a different oil. Tung or linseed perhaps? I would prefer if it wasn't too yellowing. I have never tried Rubio monocoat, but heard good things about it.

The timber isn't as good as I thought and I should accept it...

Any suggestions appreciated!

 

[johnnyb]

Maybe a photo or 2

 

[MikeK]

I think you sanded too fine for the Osmo. I built a small table out of beech a few years ago for a friend, and it took me several failed attempts before I finally read the directions for the matte PolyX. I stripped everything down, sanded to P150, applied the first coat of PolyX, and let it set for a week. I think the directions called for three or four days, but I was traveling between shop visits.

After the first coat cured, I went over the surfaces with P1000 and applied a second coat. A week later, I gave it a quick buff with a fine Scotch pad and delivered it.

 

[profchris]

From my instrument finishing experience (though none with Osmo) I'd say you need more than one coat to get a gloss finish.

Everything I've used (shellac, nitro lacquer, oil varnish, TruOil) gives at best a matt sheen with just a single coat. If you inspect the surface closely you'll see that it's not yet flat, and until you fill at least most of the unevenness it won't shine.

After the first coats, knock back any roughness with fine abrasive or a Scotch pad, as suggested. Once it feels really smooth to your fingertip, the next coat or two should start to shine.

For a real mirror finish you need to apply multiple coats, flatten up to P3000 or even higher, and then polish up with automotive polishing compounds. I wouldn't go that far for most furniture, as it can look very like plastic!

 

[Phil Pascoe]

For a real mirror finish you're using the wrong product. "Gloss" in a hard wax oil sense is shinier than satin but not gloss in the sense a French polish or a highly polished Rustin's Plastic Coating is gloss.

 

[alex robinson]

From my instrument finishing experience (though none with Osmo) I'd say you need more than one coat to get a gloss finish.

Everything I've used (shellac, nitro lacquer, oil varnish, TruOil) gives at best a matt sheen with just a single coat. If you inspect the surface closely you'll see that it's not yet flat, and until you fill at least most of the unevenness it won't shine.

After the first coats, knock back any roughness with fine abrasive or a Scotch pad, as suggested. Once it feels really smooth to your fingertip, the next coat or two should start to shine.

For a real mirror finish you need to apply multiple coats, flatten up to P3000 or even higher, and then polish up with automotive polishing compounds. I wouldn't go that far for most furniture, as it can look very like plastic!

It isn't the gloss I am worried about - that will need lots of coats. I also know what you mean about plastic looking - done some tables finished with flood coats of epoxy and the finish after working all the way up to polishing compounds is fun but not for everything.

I guess I was more surprised that even after the first coat it has a flat film look like a varnish rather than the richer deeper feel of an oil.

 

[alex robinson]

Maybe a photo or 2

Not a great pic, but I feel it looks strangely dead

 

[profchris]

It looks as if almost all the finish has been absorbed, leaving nothing on the surface.

Find an inconspicuous spot and apply a couple more thin coats. I googled polyx gloss images, and the floors in those are definitely shiny!

 

[alex robinson]

It looks as if almost all the finish has been absorbed, leaving nothing on the surface.

Find an inconspicuous spot and apply a couple more thin coats. I googled polyx gloss images, and the floors in those are definitely shiny!

Maybe more coats is the answer. Still it isn't the glossiness I am fussed about. It looked more alive when I wiped it with meths to take the dust off than with the oil.

Problem is I don't quite know the word I want. I have been using depth of finish, but perhaps that is misleading. On a scale from tung oil to film type varnish, this definitely seemed the varnish end.

 

[johnnyb]

Chattoyance is the word I believe.

 

[MF1000]

For a good gloss surface …without looking like the horrible USA highly reflective acrylic etc, I would sand to 240 grit then seal the surface with a thin layer of acrylic. Once dried sand again at 240 grit then apply layers of finish sanding at finer levels between each coat until you last layer is at 2000 grit and at a wipe on coat stage. A couple if coats of good beeswax to finish off - remembering to let each application harden off for an hr before buffing.

 

[alex robinson]

Chattoyance is the word I believe.

In that case, what can I do to get more of that? I am indifferent to shine levels, so long as chatoyance is maximised!

 

[alex robinson]

For a good gloss surface …without looking like the horrible USA highly reflective acrylic etc, I would sand to 240 grit then seal the surface with a thin layer of acrylic. Once dried sand again at 240 grit then apply layers of finish sanding at finer levels between each coat until you last layer is at 2000 grit and at a wipe on coat stage. A couple if coats of good beeswax to finish off - remembering to let each application harden off for an hr before buffing.

I will have to give that a try at some point. I have tried a similar version with 10+ very thin coats of polyurethane and lots of very fine sanding but never acrylic. I have found either epoxy (for practicality) or shellac pretty good for gloss.

 

[MF1000]

The acrylic is just to seal the surface and any that is not absorbed by the wood is removed by the 240 grit sanding after it has dried. My surface treatment of choice is the occasionally quoted on here ..Mikes Magic Mix 33% white spirit/pure tung oil/outdoor satin varnish - I add in around 5% boiled linseed oil to give a grain enhancing effect.

Wax is my own brew of beeswax/carnuba wax/ micro crystalline wax dissolved in pure turpentine and linseed oil.

 

[alex robinson]

The acrylic is just to seal the surface and any that is not absorbed by the wood is removed by the 240 grit sanding after it has dried. My surface treatment of choice is the occasionally quoted on here ..Mikes Magic Mix 33% white spirit/pure tung oil/outdoor satin varnish - I add in around 5% boiled linseed oil to give a grain enhancing effect.

Wax is my own brew of beeswax/carnuba wax/ micro crystalline wax dissolved in pure turpentine and linseed oil.

Ah. So the acrylic is just to seal and then the subsequent coats are the magic mix? I will look into trying that.

 

[MF1000]

Just ask if you need any tips etc. I’m working on a sequoia waterfall table soon so I’ll post up a thread on it with my surface treatment style.

 

[Keith Cocker]

I’ve always been pleased with the results from Osmo Polyx but I usually use a Matt or Satin finish. I only sand to 180 or at most 240 (rarely). Just a shot in the dark - could it just be the nature of the wood? I don’t use Beech much as I tend to find it, shall I say, a bit boring and dull. Perhaps beech can’t give the “chattoyance” you hoped for?

 

[Citracal]

I've gone 400 on the top, applied polyx then repeatedly cut back at 1000+, left the final coat pretty wet and its worked very well. I'd recommend going to 400 and finishing with danish to get better depth in your finish, osmo is pretty lifeless stuff.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Why not use Danish all the way through? What do you gain by using Osmo under it?

 

[Citracal]

Why not use Danish all the way through? What do you gain by using Osmo under it?

Haha sorry I see what you mean, just a miscommunication. The first sentence is what I did when applying osmo. The second is that I'd recommended Danish as a much nicer finish than osmo and if you're going to use Danish, sand to 400 before applying. Definitely use them independently of each other