Choosing the Right Wood Finish for your Project

Wood finishes can be confusing, and there are a lot of options out there. In this video, I go through the most common types of finishes, and explain when I use them and why.
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All the finishes I used in this video:
Stains: 2:02
Minwax Pre-Stain: amzn.to/2nys7f2
Shellac: amzn.to/2o4cxbk
Oil Based Wood Stain: amzn.to/2ocr8lf
General Finishes Water Based Stains: amzn.to/2nyuhLG
India ink: amzn.to/2o6I9wZ
Golden Acrylic Paint Graphite Grey: amzn.to/2mHNLxx
Mars Black Oil Paint: amzn.to/2lUhz9G
Galkyd: amzn.to/2nqZPTP
Liquid Original: amzn.to/2mG63iv
Top Coats: 6:22
General Finishes Water Based Top Coat: amzn.to/2mE8iD7
General Finishes Arm-R-Seal: amzn.to/2mEq8G4
Boiled Linseed Oil: amzn.to/2lUjrze
Tung Oil: amzn.to/2lUZkkr
Real Tung Oil: amzn.to/2mEqYCI
Teak Oil: amzn.to/2mutKdT
Waterlox Original: amzn.to/2mGbJcl
Danish Oil: amzn.to/2od8QjR
Spray Finishes: 11:40
Spray Laquer: amzn.to/2mHDwsS
Spray Polyurethane: amzn.to/2ob3FAW
Wax: 12:29
Briwax: amzn.to/2od9VrV
Paste Wax: amzn.to/2mEtAk0
Food Safe Finishes: 13:18
Shellac: amzn.to/2o4cxbk
Mineral Oil: amzn.to/2nv2I6d
Butcher Block Conditioner: amzn.to/2odb6HR
General Finishes Salad Bowl Finish: amzn.to/2obmZxW
Outdoor Finishes: 14:40
Teak Oil: amzn.to/2mutKdT
Thompson’s Water Seal: amzn.to/2nzEEyM
Other:
Maker Brand Simple Finish: makerbrandco.com/collections/...

[@janetlukehart5048]

After watching multiple staining and finishing videos, your information is concise and easy to understand. I feel more confident about why to chose and use a particular product. Thank you!

[@parapente725]

De-waxed Shellac: I have found this to be my go to for base finish, it smooths out pours and grain, seals and is a universal base coat accepting many top coats. There are some excellent videos on you tube if you have any questions. Thanks for this video, well done.

[@sarahscussel8565]

This was the most helpful resource for finishes I've found in the 3+ months I've been researching finishes. Thank you!

[@09959467]

Wow! I’m so glad you made a comment about wood that would be outside and NOT using polyurethane on it!!! Thank you!!! I’m making/donating an outdoor sign for a Scout Camp and am an artist but a true novice with wood! So glad your advice really helped!!

[@tat2mune]

Super helpful! Thanks for pulling it all out and talking about it! I'm restoring a Teak table that was left outside.

[@heathertempleton9974]

Seriously, the BEST VIDEO I've found explaining these products for the weekend DIY'er. THANK YOU SO MUCH!

[@tonyditty3158]

Really good job on this video. I have watched hundreds of videos and never felt compelled to comment but your presentation was great, speed of material covered and the spectrum of material covered was terrific. I particularly liked the section on protecting your lungs. Its so important and seldom mentioned (some guys/gals demonstrate without wearing anything). Keep up the good work.

[@danwinter13053]

This was one of the most helpful videos ever. I’ve saved it for future reference.

[@BYOTools]

Very helpful and loved the video. GF has been my go to and fav for years.

[@EthanCarterDesigns]

So much amazing information in this one, Michael! Definitely saving this for future reference!

[@strawbs16]

This. Is. So. Useful. Thank you! It’s so easy to get overwhelmed by all the options when you’re a diy pleb like me.

[@chriscalon8913]

Super useful. I was wondering about spoons, and you answered it perfectly. Thanks! This was awesome.

[@joevannucci1392]

Thanks for the nice comparison summary. I wanted to comment a bit about my favorite finish - Nitrocellulose lacquer. Though I use much of the same variety that you do, lacquer is my go-to finish for fine wood frames. I think it looks a bit better on close grain woods like cherry and maple, but it can look good on walnut, mahogany, and white ash, too. The key is to use a semi-gloss, and to wet-sand VERY lightly twice. Once after the first two coats (five mins apart), and once after the final two coats. Pay attention to distance and speed with the aerosol and it lays nicely without running or feeling 'sandy'. In my opinion, nothing pops grain and polishes so nicely as lacquer. Not super blonde shellac, not Arm-r-Seal.

[@RadicalRootsProject]

After using every imaginable finish on the market, I now use General Finishes EnduroVar almost exclusively (unless I'm wanting a water white finish).

[@patriciaschlie6913]

Awesome explanation and exposition of the products, very fun to learn, thanks!

[@TomsLife9]

great video. i've already watched it 4 or 5 times and I always pick up a new tidbit each time.

[@40redfox40]

That was awesome! Seriously, I would have had to watch a dozen or more videos to hear all this information on all the different products. Extremely informative, thank you.

[@robhales5521]

Thanks for the video dude. I've watched like 10 of these and yours makes the most sense to me.

[@honzan_dot_ca]

Amazing trip through (most of) all types of wood finish. Thank you for your video, man.

[@dwighthapeman6590]

Michael. Thank you for a concise, thorough and helpful video. You have taught me a lot.

[@MichaelAlm]

Glad to hear it!!

[@BeautyandtheBolt]

Thank you for addressing safety too!!!!

[@CasualBuilds]

Hahaha, that shot of you sunbathing your your two pals, Purple Heart and Cherry!

[@lyudmilkisov4723]

Thanks for the lesson 👍

[@jmherbst87]

Great run through! 👍

[@thetruthno1]

I am a do it yourselfer, not a pro, but I have had really good results using shellac as an under coat, to bring out he depth and grain, and then topping with arm r seal for durability. I also use shellac under paint as a primer to prevent yellowing of light paints.

[@diggler306]

This was very thorough and I appreciate that! Going to pick up from General Finishes soon!

[@MichaelAlm]

Sure thing! 👍

[@weberwoodshop]

I totally agree... I’ve been using General Finishes for years and love it. The wood blackening is something I’ve been trying to figure out lately so that was great. Awesome breakdown.

[@MichaelAlm]

Thanks Blake! That wood black is so nice. You’ll love it!!

[@BruceAUlrich]

I've never used anything by General Finishes (pretty pricey), but this and what you are saying is convincing me to give it a try.

[@Darkotex]

Great stuff, Michael! Just what I needed.

[@MichaelAlm]

Glad to hear it!

[@stevejensen3471]

Hey Mike - great vid! Right on about the GF HP and ARS. One thing you might mention is that the ARS will amber out over time and the HP doesn't as you did mention!

[@scottclifford4370]

Fantastic presentation! You did in one video what I just finished watching 10 videos to accomplish. 2 thumbs up!!

[@nickbailey202]

I was going to write exactly this. He succinctly summed up the major categories.

[@serendipityventures9458]

Extremely informative, thanks, I am just learning about finishes, it's not possible to get these brands in our country but the way you explained I can get alternatives from the market.

[@brendarigg6529]

Very informative. Thanks for ALL the helpful tips

[@JTWoodworks]

Thank you for putting this together. It's very educational and a great resource to reference. Also, glad to see my question made it in. I'll be trowing away my spray lacquer later lol

[@mikeswan1970]

General Finishes SHOULD sponsor you. I went to them because of our videos.

[@SeanPCowan]

Nice overview. Thank you!

[@seanparrish7293]

Great video! India ink on oak looks like a great option. thanks!

[@TomsLife9]

shellac will also melt when exposed to heat (I learned the hard way when I used it to finish a pair of chopsticks) which furthers that it isn't great for utensils or hard-used kitchen items

[@CraigularjJoeWoodworks]

I think the finish is the most important part. Selecting an appropriate finish is the key to pieces that last for generations

[@telosfd]

I like that RYOBI base drill!

[@cesarantoniocancinorueda1036]

man, your video is great, you are a very helpful, easy to the ear professional wood expert! didn't got bored at all and i listen the entire video, twice! keep the passion on your work, i just subscribed to your channel!! wojou!

[@jaimenahman3889]

Michael, Great video and highly helpful. Thanks so much.

[@almedinapetovic]

Amazing. Thanks for so much info.

[@chrisosh9574]

Brilliant! You covered just about everything in 17 minutes, re the wooden sink, make sure the epoxy is a marine quality epoxy like WEST, epoxies are formulated for different jobs, some, like a lot of casting epoxies don't perform as well in a wet environment.

[@MichaelAlm]

Thanks! Yeah, thanks for clarifying on that

[@CraftsWithEllen]

That was super helpful Michael! Thanks :D

[@woodworkforgoodwork6393]

Great video! It was informative and easy to remember the details. Very well done! I had a weird thought at the end of your vid, that I really wanted to see a close-up of the pull-out storage boxes in the stacked shelves behind you. I know it sounds odd, but I use those, too, and am planning to do a quick build of an organizer like that one.

[@MichaelAlm]

Thank you! Yeah that organizer shelf is great! I just have a few sheets of 1/4” ply dividers. Might’ve taken me an hour to knock out.

[@g1mpster]

Great video, definitely saving this one. When talking about outdoor finishes I was surprised you didn’t mention Spar Varnish at all, but I guess maybe that’s just because you prefer paint for outdoor projects, and perhaps it was lumped under the general “varnish” category. That said, I think Spar Varnish has some unique qualities like giving a very yellow hue to the wood almost immediately. The other outdoor finish I’ve used on recent projects is Total Boat Halcyon. I used this on a custom set of cornhole boards and I was really happy with the application and results. Comes in clear or amber. I chose amber for this because I wanted a somewhat antique look to the finished project and thought the warm tone would complement the family crest that I put on it, along with the white oak that I tinted with medium walnut Danish Oil. It ended up very smooth and seems to be very durable so far. The other thing I liked about the Halcyon is that it goes on very quick. I did 4-5 coats in one day and gave it 2-3 days to fully cure.

[@MichaelAlm]

Interesing! I have only used spar varnish on a few things, and I mostly build furniture, so it’s good to get that info. Thanks!

[@davebauerart]

Great explanations!

[@ghknutson]

Kudos for your fine production values. The only minor nit is in one segment where the audio level changed, but compared to even the best other woodworking sites, this is at the top. (And the content on this was also first-rate!) 😊

[@bigdogmn73]

For staining, you should try General Finishes Gel Stain. It's my go-to for pine as you don't need the pre-stain. I also use a foam brush to apply it and a staining pad (from Rockler) to wipe off...comes out perfect!

[@MichaelAlm]

Good to know!!

[@mireilledavidson9427]

thank you

[@titeo8074]

Awesome! Your presentation covers everything that beginners would love to know. I like the food safe part mostly. Thank for all.

[@kyfore]

Great info and love that you covered so many options. One thing you didn't cover and I didn't see in the comments was Spar Urethane. I know you said no poly on outdoor items but wondered what your opinion on spar was.

[@JoseOrellana29]

wow, great video. Thanks Mike

[@BruceAUlrich]

Lots of great info, Michael! Isn't it funny how many finishes we try out before we find the ones that we really go back to often?

[@roberthoovan4130]

At work, we had a couple of sheets of automotive sandpaper that went up to like 1600. I use that on a piece of cedar one time that was fun.

[@Lauralaey5]

Thanks for the info,. I learned a lot about finishes.

[@fireworxz]

Thanks

[@conceptpla]

This is a very helpful video. Thanks Michael!

[@MichaelAlm]

Glad to hear it!

[@BitterHSweetA]

Great tutorial thanks for sharing with us

[@FredMcIntyre]

Very informative, thanks Michael! 😃👍🏻👊🏻

[@MichaelAlm]

Thanks Fred!! Glad to hear it 👊

[@dougstead7456]

wow! that was very informative! thank you! doug

[@justinwest7765]

Very helpful thanks!

[@LAWPerry]

I absolutely loved this video! I do have a question, though: are there certain finishing products that should not be stored next to each other or in an enclosed space? I know some chemicals ought to be stored separately in the garage / workshop, but I’d love some advice about the products you’ve mentioned. I currently store all my products next to one another for convenience. Just a curious question. Thanks so much for your *terrific* videos! You break things down so beautifully - you keep giving me more and more confidence to stretch my skills!

[@sensor-sweep]

i legit love sanding

[@ELCADAROSA]

Michael, this is perhaps the most complete review of finishes I've seen. Thank you. What are your thoughts on sealing & protecting Mahogany or Sapele that'll have a lot of direct sun exposure all year long? ... Your father likes Briwax on everything. Does that include BLTs?

[@stanleyshostak2737]

Great video. Mineral oil is also a petroleum based product. My guess is the salad bowl finish contains mineral oil. I have looked at that stuff before and I gave it a second thought.

[@MichaelAlm]

Good to know

[@BasedAtheist]

In regard to the Salad Bowl finish being a petroleum based product, Vaseline is petroleum jelly and its food safe along with being something that is meant to be rubbed on open wounds. So that finish is most likely completely fine when it comes to food safe.

[@donbrunodelamancha1927]

I know this an older video, but I was looking for finish tips and I’m very impressed by your channel. So here’s a head scratcher. I’ve built a wood workbench in my garage. I do just about every type of project you can think of on there. What type of Sealant, Hard coat would you suggest for something like a fairly vigorously used work bench Thanks in advance. Amazing channel‼️‼️♥️

[@pierrelaviolette670]

Thanks, very useful. Information.

[@momof3blessingsfaithhopelo869]

This is great! I'm currently researching how to redo my dining room table and hutch. My kids have really marked my table up. I'm wanting to stain it the "farmhouse" look. I just am not sure it's solid wood even though I spent a lot on it from Ashley furniture. However I never think it had a good protection bc my kids could just band a fork to hard and scratch it and also their homework from the pencil. Could you please recommend what I should do, sand? Stain? A good heavy duty top coat? I'm just confused bc some say to strip, some sand, but if it's not solid wood the design on top I'm sure will sand away. I just need help lol. Very good video and I think you'd have great advice! Thank you!

[@Haunold]

Congratulations for the interesting discussion of the surface treatment. As a hobby turner, I am always looking for the perfect surface, and that as an absolute high gloss. I've tried everything, but in the end I always come back to the spray lacquer. This is the only way to achieve the highest gloss. What I'm still missing: the optimal sanding sealer for raw wood, naturally finely sanded. Can you please recommend a sanding sealer that suits my project? Thanks from Austria! Gerhard.

[@evelync.8753]

Great information! Do you have a video on what’s the best paint stripper? Thanks for sharing

[@shirahassidim9681]

Great video, extremely informative! Quick question: If I am making an island countertop out of birch plywood (there is no sink in the countertop) what is the best stain to use (if I decide to stain it) and what is the best top coat or sealer?

[@tomruth9487]

Nice video, have to agree with much of what you say. I have had good luck with Rubio Monocoat for wood countertops. Purple heart is a bad joke.

[@MichaelAlm]

Thanks!! I still need to try Rubio. It’s definitely on the list. Purple heart is a real pain

[@Aviator1182]

Thanks for the video, Michael...super helpful! I'm building a cherry bookshelf for a friend and I'm still trying to decide on a finish. I really want the grain to pop and let the wood shine as much as possible. I was thinking of Arm-R-Seal, but I've also read that most varnishes block UV light to some degree, which might prevent the natural darkening I'm looking for...any ideas? Thanks!

[@TimGallant]

Have you ever checked out water-based aniline dyes? That's what I'm about to dip into. Because it breaks down much finer than other stains, it has the reputation of much better cross-species coloration consistency.

[@rogershaw6269]

Very informative video, I just started making small tables and stools out of black walnut slab wood, i have been using a water based poly for a finish, what would you use to make black walnut pop ?

[@emmanaden203]

Most helpful video on finishes I've found. Thanks! Why do you say the graphite gray acrylic paint is not great for furniture pieces? If I add a General Finishes poly over the top is it not the same as a stain? (I'm thinking of using it on the wooden part of an Ikea Poang chair.)

[@tolgabasoglu8985]

Hi, I learned a lot, thank you so much for sharing this. I'm also wondering about hard wax as a finish? Have you had any experience with hard wax? Do you suggest it over other finishes? According to what I read, hard wax is go to finish for indoors. As for brands, I think there're three common ones, fiddes, osmo and rubio. In my country I can only find rubio but some people complain about rubio having water stains? Should I go with Rubio or try another finish?

[@anthonymarker4984]

Hey Michael Thanks, this tutorial was just what I needed. I love the color of that General Finishes Water Based Antique Cherry stain you demonstrated. That doesn't seem to come in a water based stain any more. I'm staining raw cherry and want to get an aged look more quickly. Any suggestions for something similar? Have you moved on to something else for that color when staining difficult to stain hardwoods?

[@nickgenericusername]

Great advice! I have an old solid pine kitchen (table, countertop, cabinets) and it's in dire need of a refinish. What would you recommend for a water-resistant, durable (heavily used surfaces) AND that doesn't turn tacky during hot humid summers?

[@jessicapark2984]

Great Video!! What's recommended to best use on dinning table top for food safe and kids friendly? Thank you in advanced

[@travisedwards9983]

General finishes water poly is prob the poly iv had the absolute worst time with. No bubble issues like with say a minmax but its thicker/dries faster. Could not get this stuff to level out to save my life no matter the application method, minmax was a breeze in comparison. I finally thinned it down with 10% distilled water and it worked like a charm. Just much longer dry time and of course its thinner coats.

[@stevekozle7247]

I’d like to hear your thoughts on Seal-A-Cell.

[@mjaldrich7]

Hi Michael thanks for the videos, love your work. Regarding the Golden graphite paint and the Ink, what top coats do you recommend for those? Also, I primarily blacken my art frames so would the "magic mixture" work well if I'm using select pine and/or poplar? Thanks!

[@Oxblood1987]

FYI Mineral Oil is also a petroleum product. It is a byproduct from crude oil distillation.

[@z4nr331]

Great video! Thx! What would you used for an outdoor table made of redwood heart? thank again!

[@timjohnston57]

Michael, love your stuff. Can you tell me what is the brand of the black paint that you used in your router table bill?

[@djrajiisab]

Pro! Very informative and useful information. Well done. Thank you. I am working on an outdoor Walnut Live Edge Slab located 2,000 feet from the Pacific ocean. I was planning to epoxy with West Systems 105/207. I am missing the Finish varnish for UV protection. What shall I use for the Finish?

[@juliakotze2741]

Excellent video, thank you! I would like more information about the Mars black oil paint, though. Does it give the same effect as the India ink (retaining a wood grain look)? And can you add an extra sealer on top of it like a wipe-on poly if you use it on a work surface?

[@stevenlittlewood4324]

Great video! I’m a beginner. Just finished making end tables of sapele, finished with 5 coats ArmRSeal, wife wants it really waterproof for drink-glass protection. But I dont like the ambering effect, seems like the sapele rich red is now more orange. Is there a way to bring out iridescence, say with shellac, then topcoat with water based poly which is so much less yellowing? Or is there an oil topcoat that doesn’t yellow? I want to make the coffee table out of sapele too! Thanks for the help!

[@heathertempleton9974]

Question - for outdoor wood pieces (under a covered patio but still exposed to heat and humidity) - what do you use to protect them but not make them shiny? Thanks! Heather

[@ChillyWilly0810]

Question: I've sanded my old nasty solid oak table and I'm planning on applying General Finishes Gray Gel Stain. Which top coat would you use for it? It's my dining table and I love a soft glow, but not sure since I'm going from the aged oak look (I'm so over that) to gray gel stan, lightly done. Thanks for your help.

[@winstonpeinado4983]

Hi Michael, great video !! i am installing a pine doors and i want to keep a natural look that doesn’t turn yellow and treat the doors just to protect from stains and regular use. What is my best choice?

[@yanimana574]

Thank you for the seminar lol. Question tho, Can the water base general finishes be used outdoor ? Main reason is to protect the wood from heat ,humidity and a little bit of water ( balcony area). Also it’s a weathered look and has some whites to it. Since the oil base would yellow and darker it, what would you recommend? Thank uuu

[@SuperOxygenTV]

Great video. New to woodworking. Love working in walnut. Would do you recommend for wood filler?

[@19whatever78]

Would you brush the Arm R Seal on or use a cloth? Which way would you suggest for kitchen cabinets? Thank you

[@xmnemonic]

Thoughts on using the oil arm-r-seal on baltic birch? How yellow does it get?

[@jessevanopijnen7054]

Great video! Had a question for you. Working on a sycamore coffee table. Looking at using boiled linseed oil followed either by shellac or water based polyurethane. Any recommendations?

[@dokmanian]

great info thank you for someone that has never used topcoat or any kind of sealers I just got a live edge walnut to use on top of my fireplace but don't know how to seal it do you recommend General Finishes arm-r-seal oil based topcoat satin and how many coats thank you