Wet Look Red Gum Help

[scotty74]

Please Help,
i am new to this timber working stuff, i have saved some Red Gum Floor boards from the fire pile and am making them into a coffee table (as best i can) i have played with some wood wipe(organoil) and it is good stuff but does not seem to last long on the cutting boards, but what i really want is for the Red Gum to look like it does when wet with water no darker not glossier. i know that there is a lot of oils out there and a lot of claims about what oil is suppsed to do, but i also know that there is a difference between advertising and the truth.

At the moment i have sanded the Red Gum from 60 grit (it was in a bad state) down to 1200 grit using water a few times to raise the grain and then resand and then i used metholated spirits to raise the grain again and resand at low angles there is a good replection.

How do i get Red Gum to have that Wet Look and Keep the same colour and feel with out a plastic coat on top??

thanks for your help

[AlexS]

I'd give it a coat of shellac, let that dry for at least a couple of hours, give it a light sand with 1200 again, then use Kunos oil. First coat is a flood coat, wipe off any excess after about 15 minutes. Next coat after 24 hours, wipe on, then buff after 15 minutes. After that, rub in light coats 24 hours apart.
The rule of thumb is once a day for a week, once a week for a month, once a month for a year and once a year on your birthday.

[scotty74]

Thanks Alexs,
have you got anything that you have used this method on that you could take a photo of to show me what it looks like.............. if i am not asking to much???????



thanks

[antiphile]

Hi Scotty

If I were you I'd be a little careful taking advice from AlexS without a huge grain of salt. If I remember correctly, he has less than 40 years experience as a woodworking professional, so you'd have to be pretty selective with any suggestions he gives you.

Another option you might like to consider in combination with his idea, is to use white shellac (see link below). It will give you the "wet with water" look you are seeking.

U-Beaut Polishes - WHITE SHELLAC

Cheers

[DJ’s Timber]

i have played with some wood wipe(organoil) and it is good stuff but does not seem to last long on the cutting boards,

Wood wipe is not really designed for a long lasting finish from what I've read or heard about it and any finish you use on a cutting board isn't going to last for long at all.

Can highly recommend Hard Shellac, very similar finish to water that can take a bit of battering

[LGS]

Would this suffice?
Antiphile can give you details.

Regards,

Rob

[scotty74]

Thanks Guy's
I would like to try to get to a finnish like what Rob has in his pictures, however i have never used any finnish other then organoil wood wipe and a very very very small amout of brush on varnish, so i am a lot apprehensive about attempting to shellac. Is there a fool proof (and i mean fool proof) instruction sheet that i could follow so as not to screw it up????????

i am sorry if i may have caused offence to AlexS that really was not my intention i really do need pictures so that i can see what things will turn out like as i have never shellaced before and never heard of kunos oil. if i have offended then please accept my apology


thanks

[scotty74]

Just thought i would post a few pics to show the finnish i got from Linseed oil 6 coats and then 2 coats of 1/3rd linsed 1/3 min turps and 1/3 polyurathaine, i was having great trouble with the straight linseed oil at it was not drying at all just over a week for each coat and it was still wet and so i gave up and went to the mix

[LGS]