Sam Maloof formula, anyone tried it?

I've read on Sam Maloof's book that he uses a mixture of 1/3 Urethane Varnish, 1/3 Boiled Linseed Oil and 1/3 Tung Oil.



I believe that the urethane varnish is sealing the pores of the wood, so how would the subsequent layers penetrate the wood? and the final layer of 1/3 bee's wax, 1/3 Boiled Linseed oil, and 1/3 Tung oil also Maloof's formula would penetrate the wood?.

Has anyoneone tried it? With what results? Any other variations on this formula?

Thanks in advance.

Please notice that most problably any brand/type that you may mention will not be available here in Spain so if you say "John Doe High Gloss finish" I won't be able to know what it is.

Tony,
Rockler sells sam's mixture here, and I've used it. Handy to use, just like any wipe on/wipe off formula. Those proportions sound about right for the mixture. I like the finish it gives, the tung oil pops the grain for you, and the polyurethane helps with the final finish.

there is another formula/method which was made popular a few years back over on another forum : Woodworking.org called the rude and crude finish which was pretty much the same thing, except Dave Knipfer used a seal coat of 1 pound flake of shellac first, then the maloof style mixture over that. His pieces always wowed anyone who saw them. I never got to the shallac bit, but I liked the results.

Tony, I first saw David Marks using it so I made up my own. 1:1:1 mixture of polyurethane, BLO and Tung Oil. Works quite nicely and like Ned said, it wipes on and off easily. Like any other oils finish, it needs to dry (24 hrs) and be steelwooled between coats, so don't expect instant gratification.

Sorry I can't help, Toni...the only finish I use and recommend is John Doe High Gloss finish. It's the best. You might be able to find it sold as Juan de Gama Alto Lustre barniz.

Seriously, I've read of several people making their own mix like Sam's, and everyone seems to like using it. I'd say give it a try.

Billy, Ned, Thanks for your input I'll give it a try a see what happens.

Vaughn, Good translation! and good recommendation as well that made my day today. Thanks

All of the wiping finishes are essentially thinned down poly or varnish. I would stay away from tunge oil, it takes forever to dry...

Chris,

I was wondering about the tung oil part. The mix I've heard most often is 1/3 poly, 1/3 BLO, and 1/3 naptha. Replacing the naptha with tung oil would mean waiting a looooong time for it to dry. Someone was trying to talk me into trying pure tung oil for finishing lathe pieces. All I could think of was a story my father tells about *his* father. Evidently, he made a fire place mantel, and finished it with linseed oil. Not *boiled* linseed oil... just regular. He said the living room smelled of it for years, it took so long to dry...

Thanks,

Bill

lacquer is my friend

tod evans said:

lacquer is my friend

Click to expand...

Hi Tod, do you mean nitrocelulose lacquer?

Ok, I just used this finish style (my brand is the high quality Bush Oil, not the generic branded Juan Querida - wow I get to butcher Spanish and make a humorless joke reference all at once! ) on the thresholds.

What the directions say is to apply a liberal amount, wait 30 minutes, apply a second liberal amount, wait 15 minutes and wipe off any excess, then wait 12-14 hours and you're all done. This is essentially what I did, and I am happy with the results. The first application is allowed to soak in, then the second application is added before the first dries, making sure that the wood is saturated. The excess is then wiped off before the stuff dries and you're done. Very simple, very good results.

I now have a question. As it approaches winter here (you Kiwis and Ozzies can just come back to this thread in 6 months ), what is the lowest reccomended operating temperature for applying this finish, and what is the absolute lowest you can go if you don't mind waiting forever for the stuff to dry and still get good results? I'd prefer a degrees F answer, but I'll take degrees C if needed.

Thanks!

Toni Ciuraneta said:

Hi Tod, do you mean nitrocelulose lacquer?

Click to expand...

yup, i don`t know anything about the waterbased stuff and don`t care for cab-acrylic.....

This is the recipe that I was given but I was wondering what the diferences is between using the urethane and polyurethane in the mix. I have been told that using a more pure form gets better results. Been itching to try it out but can't seem to find anything besides the polyurethane in the local stores. Can anyone give me some direction in this matter?

Thanks

The Sam Maloof Finish Recipe

The Sam Maloof finish consists of two finishes: A varnish/oil mixure followed by an oil/varnish/beeswax mixture. The first mixture is applied until you are satisfied with the build-up. Then you apply the second finish, which does require some elbow grease! You can purchase the finish pre-mixed from Rockler, or you can mix your own. I provide two Mixture 1 recipes. Mixture 1 Version 1 is the traditional Sam Maloof finish. It takes a while to dry--leave at least 24 hours between coats. Mixture 1 Version 2 is an oft-used finish that provides a little better penetration, is easier to apply, and dries faster.

Mixture 1 Recipe (Version 1)
Mix equal parts of the following:
- Boiled Linseed Oil
- Raw Tung oil (not Waterlox, Dalys, or other tung oils containing resin additives)
- Semi-Gloss urethene varnish

Mixture 1 Recipe (Version 2)
Mix equal parts of the following:
- Thinner. Use paint thinner, mineral spirits, or naptha. Feel free to use a bit less thinner and more varnish or oil. The thinner is present to help the finish penetrate the pores of the wood, rather than lay on the surface.
- Varnish. Virtually any quality varnish will do. I prefer a standard oil varnish rather than a fast drying varnish.
- Oil. Use either boiled linseed oil or raw tung oil. Again, do not use Waterlox, Daly's, or other tung oils that have added resins.

Mixture 2 Recipe
Mix 2 handfuls of shredded beeswax to equal parts of boiled linseed oil and raw tung oil. Heat the mixture in a double-boiler on an electric hotplate just until the wax melts. Due to the volatile nature of the ingredients, brew your mixture outdoors. When cooled, the mixture should have the consistency of heavy cream.

General Application
Apply three to four coats of Mixture 1. Let oil sit on surface for 5-10 minutes. Optionally, sand mixture into wood using 400-600 grit wet and dry sandpaper. Remove excess oil with a clean cloth/paper towel. Allow at least 24 hours drying time between each coat. Apply two to three coats of Mixture 2. Rub Mixture 2 into the surface vigourously.