Best Literature on Finishing Walnut?

[Rod]

I am working on a dining room table (walnut) and need some literature on finishing. I know nothing about wood finishing aside from the bowls and mallets that I turn. I have looked at books on the internet, but there are millions of them.

Any suggestions? Again, I would prefer literature that focuses on walnut finishes and how to apply them...step-by-step.

Thanks for your time.
Rod

 

[Ray Martin]

Rod,

Jeff Jewitt has a rather comprehensive book on finishing, entitled (appropriately enough) "Finishing". It's published by Taunton Press.

Ray

 

[McRabbet]

Rod,
I have Jeff Jewitt's illustrated book from Taunton Press and it is excellent. I'm recuperating from surgery I had yesterday so I can't go look at specifics. But take a look at his website, too. He will even answer questions by phone!

 

[Ray Martin]

Good point, Rob. Jeff is a really nice guy. He presented to the Triangle Woodworkers Association last year. The topic on that visit was "how to build a spray booth".

Ray

 

[Tarhead]

Jeff Jewitt did an article for Fine Woodworking in the Mar-Apr 2005 issue on Walnut finishing. If you can't find it let me know and I can loan you a scan of the article. The gist of his advise is first using a dye to even out the different colors. Follow this with a seal coat of shellac. Follow this with glaze. Follow this with a clear top coat.
http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/SkillsAndTechniques/SkillsAndTechniquesPDF.aspx?id=24126

 

[Nativespec]

If you don't want to spray, and if you are like me and a brush is not so good, I would use 50% poly and 50% mineral spirits and wipe it on with t-shirt matirial. Walnunt looks great without stain. Some people do not care for poly, but it is quite durable and very easy to wipe it on. I use high gloss first-maybe 6 wipe on coats, sand with 400 grit and finish with one or two wipe on coats of matt finish. After that I use the 3m pads (instead of steel wool) to apply my wax and then I buff with my buffing pad and t-shirt material.

David

 

[jglord]

Sam Maloof is world known for his beautiful finishes and particularly on his walnut furniture. He uses an amazingly simple technique. Watching a video of his process, I was struck with the cavalier way he goes about finishing walnut. He liberally wipes his mixture on and then wipes of the excess. His formula is here (one third glossy varnish, one third boiled linseed oil, one third tung oil) and is available commercially from Rockler. He does four coats of finish followed with 2 of his wax mixture. He just wipes it on, wipes it off, waits a day and repeats for each coat.

Here's another good description of the Sam Maloof finish.

 

[Rod]

Thank you all for the suggestions. I am going to try a few and see which works best for a novice.
Thanks!
Rod