The Best One Coat Finish Tested

See the results: docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...
Finishes used
Odies: amzn.to/3TFKo5p
BLO Pastewax: • How to Make Boiled Lin...
Rubio Monocoat: amzn.to/3lFfaP5
Wood Oil: rusticlumberstore.com/collect...
Osmo: amzn.to/3THjBFB
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[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

See the results: docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1XjuOQfOxA9bD6HEsJk7gefMSDCEvC3uNl7Zv8iCXDcc/edit?usp=sharing Finishes used Odies: amzn.to/3TFKo5p BLO Pastewax: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jKWoha2JnJl_mac Rubio Monocoat: amzn.to/3lFfaP5 Wood Oil: rusticlumberstore.com/collections/rustic-lumber-oil Osmo: amzn.to/3THjBFB

[@rusticlumberstore]

Hey, thank you for the honest review. We had no idea a video was going to be made with our product. Later this summer, we're introducing our custom formula of one coat ceramic coating to apply over our finish. Once that is available, we would be more than happy to give you a sample to test with as a finish system as a whole.

[@TheHomeMaker1]

Comment down below

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

Looking forward to it. I'm thinking I'm going to be doing a test sometime comparing different top coats. That would be a fun one to put in there.

[@MCsCreations]

I hope some day a product like yours gets here to Brazil!

[@rusticlumberstore]

It could definitely be possible with the right partner with a store to stock it in.

[@mikeandlucky]

I have found the Odies to be so easy to use and when I give say a dovetail box as a gift, invariably the first thing the recipient of the gift comments on is the wonderful smell.

[@tatehogan5685]

Thanks again for the great information James! I'm not able to spend my money trivially on finding the finish that I like best, so this has been super helpful in getting me in the right direction!

[@multicoloredwiz]

Really appreciate you doing this AND sharing the details with us. I'm glad u were able to finis

[@oldiousnei]

Thanks for putting together such a great test. I always end up going to Osmo but I usually do 4 coats. There is a richness and depth to the finish that I find one only gets with 4 coats.

[@bluesky6327]

You had me at spreadsheet.

[@rpshanley]

I got a jar of Odie's a while back (for a counter, so I wanted food safe) and I'm still using that little jar on other projects. It often gets dinged for being expensive but a dab goes so far. I'm not going to argue it's the best finish but recoating definitely adds protection, as does a top coat with their "wood butter" (although then it's even more expensive). Anyway, yes the smell is amazing!

[@befreestudios]

I recently restored an old steemer trunk. I finished the wood, leather, and brass hardware with Odies. I've really come to like it as well, It's great on all types of pourus surfaces.

[@egbluesuede1220]

I used Rubios for a table top recently, and did two coats to increase the gloss and topped it with a nano ceramic finish. My go to is usually Odies for ease of use, food safe, smaller projects, and that wonderful aroma!

[@sojourner69420]

love the video and the great information on different options! if you're looking for more finishes to test in the future i've used a soap seal a couple times in the past and have really enjoyed the application and the results. you have to reapply it from time to time but it's easy enough to spot apply that i never had an issue, even on my desk with daily use

[@Erik_The_Viking]

Great information. Lincoln St did a great comparison of finishes as well.

[@LewHarriman]

Two years ago I made the switch to Odie's Oil, after five (5) decades with Watco Danish oil as my go-to finish (second coat wet-sanded with 400 grit after 24 hours to fill the grain with oil slurry and then buff off). For me, a very, very good decision. No nasty volatiles, just the pleasant aroma of oil and wax. Clean up is easy and solvent-free and since the switch, I've recoated older Danish oil projects with Odies and gained a *great deal* of improved protection against the usual family-driven crusty jelly/spagetti/soy sauce/ketchup spills and stains for tables and furniture (compared to every two year recoating with Danish oil). So yeah... although I have not tried the alternatives you tested, Odies has been a huge improvement over Danish oil for me.

[@morganhurst_redridge]

Really cool seeing all your diffrent finishes tested, I agree with you about Osmo, it's not a bad finish it's just kind not as cheap as some finishes and not as good as other. I usually recommend against Odies, mostly because the company treats their customers poorly, if you want a nice natural finish checkout tried and true oils. They have a couple different options and I've found that they hold up really well on furniture. Not as much protection as Rubio but so far I've found it easy to apply and maintain.

[@danielpaquette1597]

If I have a lot of time I use Tung Oil (5 coats - the real stuff), if in a hurry I use Deft Clear Wood Finish (a spray lacquer). Keep up the good work!

[@MCsCreations]

Fantastic testing and comparison, James! Thanks a bunch! 😃 Stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊

[@reedplanes728]

Gloss meter in use YEA!! I need to try the Rubio. My go to finish if I want more protection than just oil and wax is an oil marine spar varnish wipe on finish using Epifanes Rubbed Effect Varnish

[@johnford7847]

A lot of information. I'm going to have to review this video several times, I think. Thanks, James.

[@homer009x]

So excited for this. Thank you in advance for the video

[@What_Other_Hobbies]

C stand for canded. I recently used rubio monocoat for the first time. I applied 1 coat of 2c, and 1 coat of maintenance oil. I wish the 2c has the same lid/cap/pour as the accelerator. It's so easy to pour a little bit out and very clean to handle. I absolute hate paint cans that you have to hammer the lid back and create a bunch of dents and bends.

[@JaspisB]

Always love your tests!

[@aHighway2Hell]

Such good info, as always. Thank you so much.

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

and congrats on first!

[@robertgarrett9204]

Thanks for the video, very informative. I've used the Odies and like the results except it seems to cure slowly.

[@kencarlile1212]

I have a quart of Osmo that I'm planning on using on the top of my checkerboard cabinet, that I kind of bought on a whim. Glad it's pretty durable, so I don't have to go out and buy the Rubio! If I had seen this before purchasing, I probably would have gone for Rubio.

[@vmoutsop]

For shop stuff, BLO or Odies would be great. For finished items that I would used in the house or for other people, I think I would go with Rubio.

[@edm00se]

Interesting results. I’d definitely be curious about a follow up w/ top coats.

[@natefein]

This is great James. Thanks.

[@NapKingCole84]

I purchased Rubio for the first time a few months ago and I was trying to place the smell when explaining it to my wife, then it hit me: pumpkin guts! If you remember what carving pumpkins smells like for Halloween, that's the closest I could get.

[@KarlBunker]

Absolutely fascinating stuff, as usual when you fire up your spreadsheet. 👍😄 Letting users apply their own weight to different factors is a great idea. I never heard of a gloss meter before, but of course that would be a thing, wouldn't it?

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

I bought it as I'm experimenting with testing tear out and I really want to have a numerical way of testing. How much tear out a surface has.

[@JeanMinutile]

I'm mainly using osmo because I find it easy to apply (I apply 2 coats but never sand in between them with good results), durable and where I leave it is 4 to 5 times cheaper than rubio for the same volume 😮 But it was interesting to see the comparison between those finishes

[@What_Other_Hobbies]

Also enjoy James praticing 5 can monte at the end.

[@Ziflinz]

Great video James! Would love to see "shelf life" (after opening) included if you do a follow up as I always seem to have finish left over and then the next project gets delayed.

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

That might be a fun line to enter.

[@Borescoped]

Regarding shelf life, I use a can of Bloxygen (Argon), 2 second spray into the top of my Odie’s Oil products, it’s supposed to prevent the surface inside the jar from oxidation and skinning over, extending the shelf life.

[@artswri]

Great info Thanks!

[@johngalanes5264]

Thanks for testing this! I would love to see what top coats can over which finishes.

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

I might do that in the future. I'm not a huge fan of top coat surfaces. I usually just prefer to leave it the way it is, but I know a lot of people like to have something with a bit more sheen.

[@justinthames940]

I bought the rustic lumber coat after I heard of it and always found myself doing two coats of Rubio regardless at a third the coast of Rubio I find myself feeling not as bad doing two coats.. so far I loved it and I'm testing their chalk white on a red oak now for a table top

[@rusticlumberstore]

Hey Justin, thank you for the support!

[@rusticlumberstore]

Hey Justin, thank you for the support!

[@hassanal-mosawi4235]

Thanks for sharing that!

[@psguardian]

Rubio with wax is my goto, it's great. Spendy, but worth it if you can swing it.

[@ramilak]

across the board.... get it? Well played sir.

[@TheHomeMaker1]

Agreed comment down below

[@BrandonChennault]

Hey James, thanks for doing these tests, I watch your videos all the time and have found them very informative. I've been interested in using rubio for awhile now, i mainly use homemade BLO and your recipe for paste wax. (Which I understand why you like it so much, it's simply easy to work with. ) Question : In your opinion, can/would you use BLO first before Rubio to get the color depth that BLO gives? Or would you just use Rubio by itself, does it give the same rich color look that BLO gives? Thanks again for all you do.

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

Honestly, I would not be able to tell the difference between Rubio and BLO. Any of these finishes. I really couldn't tell the difference if you put them side by side.

[@BrandonChennault]

@@WoodByWrightHowTo thanks, that was helpful.

[@mikesuckling8652]

I’m an OSMO man myself but keen to try Rustic Lumber. I’ve used BLO before with beeswax but do prefer OSMO. Would love to try Rubio Monocoat but, boy, it’s real expensive here in the UK.

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

Osmo is far more affordable in Europe and UK.

[@Kingsoly]

Oldies is a no go tried it a bunch -I use Rubio and Osmo and Millie’s penetrating tung oil

[@GeometryBuild]

Easy to apply is a nice bonus to have, but pretty sure clients will value durability first.

[@TheHomeMaker1]

Great video

[@tom314]

Thanks, interesting video, I've used osmo a lot for furniture and am very happy with it, I might try Rubio Monocoat now though. I'd love to see how Shellac compares although you'd probably have to do 1 coat and like 5 coats.

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

I might do a test with shellac in the future. I would probably put it up against poly and varnish as those are all multi-coat film finishes.

[@tom314]

@@WoodByWrightHowTo I look forward to it :) Can I suggest you keep a reference finish in each of your tests, this means we can infer the differences between finishes tested at different times. I'd suggest a mid range finish like a single coat of osmo given that the results are by necessity a little subjective. FYI reference samples are often used in scientific experiments, I come from an NMR background where they were a necessity.

[@wouterengels7769]

Great video again, you spreadsheet fiend 😁

[@matthewwright57]

Pure Tung oil cut with citrus solvent actually works pretty damn great. Also of Rubio, Osmo, and Odies, only Odies is actually one coat. I always end up with two coats of Osmo and Rubio.I use Rubio on furniture and Odies on shop things.

[@egbluesuede1220]

agree with you on Tung oil....but it does take weeks to cure.

[@omarmontoya2774]

Absolutely not. Inconsistent finish. Worst finish I've ever used. Even when cured it's still rubbery and easily scratched

[@boulderguywhy]

@@omarmontoya2774 You're using it with the wrong mindset. Oil finishes like that aren't meant to be topcoats. You're trying to get a shell coating out of something that isn't meant to be a shell coating.

[@omarmontoya2774]

@boulderguywhy still inconsistent at best. Shiny in some spots and matte on others. It takes two coats minimum. Rubio just wants to charge a premium with the excuse of being a more efficient coating

[@morasha7]

Thanks!

[@erictownsend4236]

My choice from this video would be Rubio Monocoat. The toughest with a single coat, Pricy? yes, but time is money as well!

[@joeyfrantz312]

hahaha @4:26 "...across the BOARD"

[@JT-hw6mq]

Natura also has a one coat

[@giveemtheboot5123]

Always great work, James :) If you wanted to see how deep the finish goes, you could set a hand plane to a certain depth and count shavings until you get to the unfinished part of the wood. It would be crazy amount of time in triplicate but I always appreciate the methodical approach you take.

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

Usually the depth is only one or two shavings for any of these. But I have thought about making some cross cuts and looking at it under the microscope.

[@kencarlile1212]

I'd love to see you throw Tried & True Varnish Oil on there. Would you use your soft paste wax over any of the commercial ones?

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

I might do a later one with film finish tests. There's quite a few polies, varnishes, shellacs. That would be fun to test

[@andyputtbach6464]

Can you do more finish testing? Like put wax on all of those ? And maybe test some film finishes? I know there's a lot of finishes out there but it is interesting when you get a chance to see things being tried by someone other than the manufacturer.

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

I have a few other tests I would like to do. Finding time is the difficult part. I want to do top coats later this year

[@zanderchiasson8064]

Rubio does not actually NEED two parts, it just makes it cure a little faster, similar to the metallic dryers in BLO

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

Right on.

[@Borescoped]

Personally I use the Odie’s Oil products (Universal Oil, Wood Butter, Dark Universal, Dark Wood Butter, Super Penetrating Oil (think slightly thinner version of standard Universal), Super Duper Oil and Dark Super Duper Oil). Haven’t picked up the 2 waxes yet. I use them on the projects I build in my basement at my workbench, which is about 10 feet away from my HVAC system. I like that I don’t need to wear gloves, use a respirator, worry about having ventilation. It’s safe to use (no isocyanates or VOC’s). Control the level of sheen by how much you sand (or in my case, hand plane with blade sharpened Cosman style (16K finish on a Shapton). Can also increase the sheen of the Universal Oil by doing a coat of Wood Butter (a little more wax added than Universal, or the wax itself (much more wax than the Universal). Add in the fact I can also add pigments to either the Super Duper Oil or Universal oil to customize the colors (which also help prevent sun damage), and I don’t really see myself needing anything else. Just make sure you apply very sparingly (and I really mean sparingly!!!) and then after about 45-60 minutes BUFF IT ALL OFF. I can’t stress that enough, buff it all off, every last little bit. Very important, those two details. Use sparingly and buff it all off (like you would after applying a wax to your vehicle, leave no remaining product that wasn’t absorbed.)

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

All of these are no VOC finishes and you can add colors and dies to any of them.

[@omegaflameZ]

If you're looking to add more products to your spreadsheet, and you can get ahold of it, I'd be curious about the performance of Allbäck Linseed Oil Wax (or a home-blend of the same) since it claims that 'in most cases, a single application of Linseed Oil Wax is enough.'. FWIW the SDS shows it is 5-10% beeswax to 30-90% BLO, shouldn't be hard to figure out something comparable at home. Looks like it'd be about $0.25/sqft for the 200ml size or around $0.18/sqft at the 1L size (from Lee Valley's pricing anyway).

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

I compared that to a few other linseed oils a few years ago. It's basically the exact same as doing a boiled and see little and paste wax. Really nice stuff.

[@erictownsend4236]

Two of my favorite finishes not listed are shellac and tung oil. How do you think they would compare?

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

I did not add Shellac as it is a film finish that you build up over several coats. I might test it along side a few polys and varnishes. as to true Tung oil it is almost identical to home made Boiled linseed oil.

[@wilsonmatos6734]

Have you tried to make your on hardwax oil? I was experimenting today, it seems feasible to just mix the wax into the BLO and replicate Rubios Monocoat.

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

Just mixing wax and oil together makes a paste wax. And actual hard wax like Rubio has a bunch of other chemicals in there for different curing processes.

[@pitsnipe5559]

So, you got all that spread across two pieces of paper?

[@paco_vazquez]

Uuuuuuuu!!! Spreadsheets!!!

[@arkansasboy45]

Now, with all that great information being said, let's do a comparison test of 2 coats because we all mostly use more than one coat.

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

I might do some with Polly's, varnishes and shellacs. But I don't use them that much as I don't like doing multiple coats.

[@dpmeyer4867]

thanks

[@genebruce6321]

I have always had really good results with Waterlox.

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

I would definitely include that if I went down the road of multi-coat finishes such as poly, varnish, shellac.

[@ex-nerd]

Only 2 coats for Osmo? I remember Matt Estlea's countertop demo suggesting 5+ and a TON of elbow grease. Since then, it's been relegated to my "I'm too lazy or working on something too small to justify mixing up 2 parts of Rubio" finish. But once I use up that can, I should apparently be looking into replacing it with Odie's Oil.

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

Yeah it all depends on how much of a sheen you want. The more of it you put on the more you build up. It's billed as a one coat finish. But it's the one in the group that will reapply to itself.

[@ex-nerd]

@@WoodByWrightHowTo I've had good luck with the 2-layer Rubio method first (I think) described by Cam at Blacktail Studio. Maroon abrasive pad after 8-12h and then a second coat. Not quite there yet with these expensive nano/ceramic/carbon finishes but 2 coats of Rubio does seem to work.

[@nonfussynonfussy]

Really good, as usual - thanks. I would say that there's much less absorption for subsequent coats of Osmo (or indeed of any finish really) so the price per coverage area wouldn't double with the second coat

[@bobhargesheimer3514]

Can you leave the samples out in the sun for a while to see any objectionable yellowing ?

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

I am thinking of doing that this summer when we actually get some sun. it will be interesting. though all of these are interior finishes. and most of them have exterior variants.

[@WhoTakesAllMyAcNames]

Its so strange... everyone I know are testing finishes including me around this time. It must be that time of year for woodworkers

[@thijspluis9998]

can you aply other finiches over rubio monocoat? like a blo, wax, schelac

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

you can but you need to rough up the surface first. I would use a scotch bright pad or 300 grit sand paper for most other finishes. but the question is why would you want to?

[@thijspluis9998]

@@WoodByWrightHowTo no cleu😅. Just wondering if you could. For filling grain or buffing shene or something along those lines

[@nealdalton4696]

I would be interested in how tung oil stacks up

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

I thought about including that in several other polymerizing natural oils. But it's very similar to true boiled linseed oil. Though it would be fun to have the numbers on it.

[@whyfckwithmedamu6073]

Comment up above, interesting observations truly a subjective exercise on the perspective of give and take.

[@Keithmwalton]

Odies is alright for a bowl or something. Hate it on furniture

[@ThePaganBorn]

Biggest use for Odie's in my work is tool handles. It's just the perfect finish for it. Quick, easy, feels great in hand, and the smell is just wonderful

[@Mark_Wood]

I love me some osmo

[@articrdog5872]

Please add shellac by itself as well as a topcoat thanks!

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

shellac is one that takes many coats to do it correctly. and it is a film finish so it would be tested along side poly and varnish. but I might do those some day.

[@PedroPereira-ut6pp]

Hey James! Your colour balance looks kinda off.... That rag sure looks darker in here

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

Lol thanks man. And congrats on first!

[@jesseterpstra5472]

I totally sang the word monocoat like that song from the Simpsons

[@jackkessler245]

youre my hrero

[@jefferyt7764]

How about a French polish? I guess technically you do multiple small coats.

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

I would put shellac in the same category as poly and varnish. They are all multi-coat film finish. Maybe sometime in the future I'll do a comparison of those.

[@Beehashe]

Across the board these finishes were tested across a board.

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

Oh I like that one.

[@ping170]

Comment down below ;)

[@kfairhurst1]

I quit using Odies a few years ago. Everything I used it on went dull and flat in a relatively short period of time, whereas I have not had that experience with Osmo. It also just wasn't as durable as Osmo. So for me, it's Osmo almost all of the time but I would like to try Rubio one day.

[@rogerwiese3498]

Comment down below

[@gibberishname]

wait. C stood for Sanded, but S stood for sCraped?

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

Initially c was "control" but the control in this issue was the standard preparation, and that is sanding.

[@Mike-pr8hx]

Comment down below.

[@brucematthews6417]

I'm getting a little concerned over your obsession with spreadsheets..... I wonder if they have a cream for that?

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

Ooh I should make a spreadsheet to compare my spreadsheets

[@iainmcculloch5807]

Honestly, there are a lot of finishes. Once you start down that road, when will you ever, … erm …, finish?

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

I might have to hire someone too. Just do testing for me.

[@jamesfreeburn5134]

Comment down below, down below.

[@steelsunpi]

I'd like to try and use Odie's. But the way the owner has treated the small woodworker businesses and hobbyist community is awful. He doesn't want our business, so he won't get it from me.

[@bluekestral8316]

Source? Just because I'm curious.

[@drew2dee2]

What has he done? The marketing of this stuff seems very rustic and diy so idk why he would treat rustic and diy woodworkers poorly

[@GeometryBuild]

Look up for TossOdies, internet remembers it all.

[@viracocha03]

Before I even watch, let me guess, BLO 😅😅

[@davidlynn7161]

Comment down below, but really thanks for the info.

[@christopherharrison6724]

Comment below

[@TheRealMagisD]

I'm iffy as hell about Odies, for one they say its food safe " by USA FDA standards " but Odies won't tell you what's in it. Sure as hell not going in my body also its Expensive AF where i'm too.

[@Borescoped]

According to James Hamilton of the Stumpy Nubs channel, once all finishes are fully cured, as long as they don’t flake off, they are food safe. Personally, I’ve used Odie’s on my wooden utensils and cutting boards with no problems.

[@Cigarsmokin_woodworker]

Sorry I’ll take any finish over 50 bucks for oldies. Way over hyped

[@darthstewie76]

I’ll never use or recommend odies. The owner is a jerk.

[@perrymurphy4100]

Very first time I gave you a negative rating. Absolutely confusing. I can understand your Whewhh comment at the end. Must have been nice to finally finish that commentary.

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

Thanks for the feedback. Mind if I ask what was confusing or how I could do it better?

[@daveyoder1436]

Comment down below

[@chagildoi]

Comment down below