When to Start Finish

[Philski]

Hello all. I am now approaching the point in my build where I'll add brass fittings, chains and hinges. Should I, at this point, go ahead and finish the hull? I'm going to use Watco Danish Oil (Natural) as the finish for the hull. I don't really want it on the metal parts. Any suggestions? When do you add your finishes?

 

[jimmystratos]

Definately before adding rigging & fittings; while you can still access all areas.

 

[DARIVS ARCHITECTVS]

When you add finish has to be carefully considered as to when in assembly it is performed. It depends on what steps follow the finishing. Danish oil prevents you from gluing things to treated wood, since the glue bonds are weakened by the oil in the wood in my experience. If you have to glue any parts to a Danish oil treated wood, best treat the wood after attaching as many parts as you can prior to oiling the wood. Usually, you can work around the metal fittings, or wipe the oil off the metal parts carefully long before it gels up. Danish oil makes wood look its best!

 

[JohnA]

You can add oils after all the metal fixtures are added or glued as oil is easily removed from non wood surfaces unlike varnish or lacquer.
It can be messy and tedious to remove and if you miss some it becomes a dust magnet.
The best solution is to plan well, perhaps apply masking tape over areas you definitely will need to glue and apply oil now while you still have good access and visibility.
Anything where a mechanical fixture will be used (i.e: nails) you can just oil over now- just ensure the nail hole is drilled slightly smaller to ensure the nail does all the work in the absence of glue.
You can also scrape back some oiled wood later, roughen up the surface and use epoxy glue on previously oiled surfaces if you need to.

 

[Philski]

You can add oils after all the metal fixtures are added or glued as oil is easily removed from non wood surfaces unlike varnish or lacquer.
It can be messy and tedious to remove and if you miss some it becomes a dust magnet.
The best solution is to plan well, perhaps apply masking tape over areas you definitely will need to glue and apply oil now while you still have good access and visibility.
Anything where a mechanical fixture will be used (i.e: nails) you can just oil over now- just ensure the nail hole is drilled slightly smaller to ensure the nail does all the work in the absence of glue.
You can also scrape back some oiled wood later, roughen up the surface and use epoxy glue on previously oiled surfaces if you need to.

Watco Danish Oil is a mixture of oil and varnish. You can coat it with another finish, such as spar urethane, after it has cured for at least 72 hours. There is no stiction or adherence issues. It makes me wonder how superglues might perform. So what I am going to do is take a few pieces, coat them with Watco and let them cure fully. Then I glue parts with superglue and PVA, allow them to fully dry and see what the results are. Should be interesting.

 

[DARIVS ARCHITECTVS]

Watco Danish Oil is a mixture of oil and varnish. You can coat it with another finish, such as spar urethane, after it has cured for at least 72 hours. There is no stiction or adherence issues. It makes me wonder how superglues might perform. So what I am going to do is take a few pieces, coat them with Watco and let them cure fully. Then I glue parts with superglue and PVA, allow tem to fully dry and see what the results are. Should be interesting.

I used a 30 year old can of Danish oil (dark walnut) and had difficulty getting attachments to stick strongly using CA glue. If you have no such issues, you are truly blessed.

 

[Philski]

I used a 30 year old can of Danish oil (dark walnut) and had difficulty getting attachments to stick strongly using CA glue. If you have no such issues, you are truly blessed.

I don't doubt what you are saying. I use Watco alot on woodworking. I've used it for over 30 years myself. But have not used it in conjunction with superglues. I guess I'll see....

(I make flyfishing hand nets that are oiled then later, coated with spar urethane - it hasn't peeled off to date)

 

[Bluebeard]

All of the above advise are correct.
Just depends what kind of finish to use and you have that issue covered.
I built my first wood model without any of this knowledge and I finish it after the entire work was done, something I don’t advise because of the time that took me me to do so and the extra care not to paint the surroundings.
Now, I finish as I progress in the build.
By the way, I love your models.

 

[Philski]

All of the above advise are correct.
Just depends what kind of finish to use and you have that issue covered.
I built my first wood model without any of this knowledge and I finish it after the entire work was done, something I don’t advise because of the time that took me me to do so and the extra care not to paint the surroundings.
Now, I finish as I progress in the build.
By the way, I love your models.

Thank you.

 

[Thomas]

Lots of good advice and ideas here. I think as soon as you won't be needing to glue anything to a surface you can apply finish, especially if it will be challenging to access an area later (e.g., deck structures). Glue doesn't stick well to finished surfaces. And it goes without saying to make sure that all glue residue is sanded/cleaned off a surface before finishing because it won't look right.

 

[DARIVS ARCHITECTVS]

Lots of good advice and ideas here. I think as soon as you won't be needing to glue anything to a surface you can apply finish, especially if it will be challenging to access an area later (e.g., deck structures). Glue doesn't stick well to finished surfaces. And it goes without saying to make sure that all glue residue is sanded/cleaned off a surface before finishing because it won't look right.

That's the dilemma, isn't it? If you glue the parts on first, you have to make darn sure you scrap all the residual glue off the surfaces or the finish will show every glue spot as a lighter colored area. If you finish first, and then glue parts on, residual glue removal is hard to do without marring the finish, and parts don't stick very well to finished surfaces. Either way, it's lots of work. The trick is to choose which method is easiest for every step, based on how hard it is to reach the glue joint in question and remove extra glue. To prevent lots of extra work, you have to use only as much glue as is necessary to secure the joint without gobs of extra glue, or using too little amounts of glue such that parts fall off.