How to Get a Beautiful Wood Finish Every Time!

The Holy Grail of woodworking finishes is stored in this little jar. The way it impacts wood and highlights the grain is unbelievable! It doesn’t take much of this secret ingredient, but it has a MASSIVE effect on a woodworking project.
To me, the perfect woodworking finish is easy to apply, doesn’t take forever to dry, and doesn’t look like a film is covering the project. Woodworking is about the beauty of the wood and the finish should highlight the figure as much as possible. In this video, I used shellac on walnut and cherry, but I also included a secret ingredient. I added walnut oil. Most woodworking finishes that involve oil call for boiled linseed oil or tung oil. I like the color walnut oil imparts on the wood. It’s completely natural and can be purchased at the grocery store. Walnut oil works great for a shellac finish because it provides character to the wood and it is a drying oil, unlike some other types of oils.
While this is my secret ingredient, some may want to stay away from walnut oil because they are afraid of nut allergies. Peanut and tree nut allergies are not the same thing. I recommend researching scientific studies so you can make the best decision for you, your family, and your workshop.
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Here’s a list of tools and materials that I used to make this project. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
•• Tools & Materials ••
My Amazon Store: www.amazon.com/shop/newtonmakes
The walnut oil I used in the project: amzn.to/4awzDca
Shellac: amzn.to/4bpugwT
Denatured alcohol: amzn.to/4bIwcQS
Cheesecloth: amzn.to/4azT7wQ
Cotton rags: amzn.to/44Q0Ghj

[@ericbaker5224]

I smack my leg with the sandpaper too. You're not alone

[@JimE6243]

Great looking finish! At 81, I can't imagine doing that to a piece of furniture. I'd be in the ground before I got all of the coats on. Always enjoy the content. JimE

[@dian3145]

You have become my go-to for finishing. My last project was a small end table, and your process on the boxes turned out amazing!

[@MrWheatboy]

Thanks for the tip with the sand paper now I'm gonna that all the time

[@BobBob-eh5sb]

Swap out the walnut oil with boiled linseed oil and you have shine juice. Also called friction polish. Used by wood turners, but not with the dust. Apply while spinning the lathe and with the friction of the cloth it dries really fast too. Apply several coats and it comes out nice and smooth.

[@NewtonMakes]

I've done it plenty of time and it gets beautiful results for sure👍

[@ejd53]

That's the finish that my grandfather used to for almost everything. He apprenticed as a yacht joiner in the Glasgow shipyards just before World War I.

[@G.I.JeffsWorkbench]

Our grandfathers considered this mixture “sanding sealer” long before we bought it ready mixed - except they too used boiled linseed oil (much cheaper than walnut oil - and assuming you can even find it).

[@ejd53]

@@G.I.JeffsWorkbench Yes, my grandfather used linseed oil.

[@jimrosson6702]

Great tip thanks for sharing. It looks amazing definitely going to try this

[@mbmurphy777]

By the way, I like your technique for French polish. Kind of takes some of the mystery out of it makes it more straightforward.

[@MCsCreations]

Really beautiful finish, Billy! 😃 Thanks a bunch for all the tips! Stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊

[@johnbrooks1422]

Hi Good Polishing Tip Great VIDEO

[@skpince]

Great video. 🎉

[@dpmeyer4867]

Nice

[@BobStCyr]

Nice take on french polish. The criticism of shellac is often that it is not protective enough. I have used it on my dining room table and after a year it still looks great. The good thing is that if it does need some refurbishing you just have to sand it lightly with 320 and apply another coat. As far as the work applying the dining room table is 9 feet by 3 feet and it only took about a half an hour for each coat (top, edges, bottom and legs). The great bonus is that this stuff is totally natural and does not harm to the environment. Food products are coated with shellac and the alcohol evaporates without the environmental damage of most finish solvents. I have moved to using hot hide glue and shellac for almost all my shop projects as I try to reduce my carbon footprint.

[@6453bianchi]

Peanut allergies so can’t use walnut oil. Lactose intolerant so can’t use cheese cloth. 😂

[@Gazman299]

:-)

[@latenightwoodworker3283]

I actually laughed out loud when the cups went flying. So me... beautiful finish on the wood.

[@johnadamski4012]

🌲🍀🐾yeah, I liked the hesitation moment right after you dropped the cherry board, before you looked up at the camera 🤣 I know this moment too well😎. Nice finish. Not too shiny. But if it were, you could just go over it lightly with an S.O.S. pad, to make it a more satin like look😉🐾🍀🌲.

[@MrPod15]

For the last forty years I have used French Polish. I prefer Raw Linseed oil as my lubricant. Try it and you’ll see why!

[@oldNavyJZ]

I'm sure you've tried tung oil (my go to). What do you like about Walnut over (pure) Tung? or Linseed fot that matter?

[@robertherzog2087]

What you are promoting here is the tried-and-true French Polish. Use a soft cotton cloth instead of a paper towel for better results. I use mineral oil or boiled linseed oil instead of the walnut oil. Takes a little more time and effort but can't beat the results for shine and smoothness.

[@scottmorris4914]

Also, each time you apply, the alcohol dissolves some of the previous application, shellac does layer one in another, it becomes part of the previous layer

[@garymoss5315]

I am an allergist. Peanuts are not nuts - they are legumes. Patients with Walnut or Pecan allergies may have issues with Walnut Oil, which is made from Walnuts.

[@Kosh42EFG]

I do this with poly, Danish oil and thinner.

[@williambranham6249]

What is the total cure time of walnut oil? Seems like a lot of work for the “perfect” finish. Shellac alone is perfect for certain surfaces.

[@kevinhuddleston6438]

Wouldnt the paper towel leave fibers in the finish?

[@garywilkins2371]

You should check out the English Polisher

[@mbmurphy777]

Is there a reason that you like walnut oil over something like tung oil? I find that walnut oil is kind of soft when it hardens.

[@NewtonMakes]

I really like tung oil and teak oil. They're fantastic. It seems like walnut oil doesn't make the wood as dark on some projects. I like to test finishes on off cuts beforehand.

[@garyb.4080]

I’m almost 76, I never knew anyone when I was growing up that had peanut allergies! That was almost a given if you ate the school lunch you were going to get some peanut butter, what’s up with that, also gluten allergies! What do you do about knots bleeding through?

[@ADogGuy]

No mayonnaise?

[@iandodd7828]

You said you could “almost guarantee” your mystery liquid wasn’t urine. Walnut oil definitely looks like urine. My wife is a beginning wood turner, not super versed in finishes yet. She took somebody’s advice to put walnut oil on a spalted maple piece. The color pretty much ruined the look of it and she was pissed! So, for her walnut oil IS urine.

[@snailspace1269]

Walnuts are not nuts. They are the seed of a stone fruit. Similar to peaches and avocados.

[@MD-yy2mq]

Incorrect, walnuts are nuts. In botany, nuts are a type of dry fruit with a single seed, a hard shell, and a protective husk. Walnuts meet this definition.

[@MD-yy2mq]

Almonds are members of the peach family. My wife has a nut allergy, no walnuts, macadamia or Brazil nuts. Peanuts are legumes and almonds being from the peach family are fine for her .

[@williamellis8993]

As soon as you broke out the cheese cloth, I thought French polish. Too predictable lol. Bill