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Sutherland Welles Tung Oil Finishes

Sutherland Welles tung oil finishes is what we use on all of the tops we sell, and it’s what we recommend to people finishing pieces themselves. Sutherland Welles is a company based in Vermont, and making sustainable, Earth-friendly finishes has been their goal since day one. Not only are their finishes environmentally friendly, they are easy to apply and tough as can be. The finish will last the life of your piece without needing to be redone, and that is a big reason we use it. We want you to have something that will last for years with minimal upkeep. After all, you’re buying a surface to use, not a surface to worry about repairing.

We carry the following finishes in our Showroom:

  • Hard Sealer
  • Uralkyd 500 Floor Finish (matte, satin, and gloss)
  • Di-Citrusol
  • Wood Cleaner
  • Wood Polish
  • Exterior Polymerized Tung Oil Sealer
  • Millie’s All-Purpose Penetrating Tung Oil
  • Botanical Polymerized Tung Oil (low, medium, and high lustre)
  • Hard Oil
  • Old World Concentrated Stain
  • Bowl & Board Beeswax Finish

Sutherland Welles Finishes in the CS Woods Showroom Sutherland Welles Finishes Samples

On most of our tops we use six coats of finish: three coats of Hard Sealer and three coats of Uralkyd 500 Floor Finish. The Hard Sealer goes on first, and it is meant to soak into the wood and seal the grain, giving you a spill-proof surface. While you should not let water sit on your top, spills that are wiped up right away won’t ruin your top. On top of the Hard Sealer is the Floor Finish. We use our own special blend of matte and gloss, but Sutherland Welles sells a satin sheen that will be identical to the results we get from mixing. We spray the Floor Finish, but it can also be brushed on with a nice brush. 

For pieces that won’t be under so much wear and tear (such as mantels or shelves), we use Murdoch’s Hard Oil. The Hard Oil is something that is poured on and moved around with a rag. The more you can soak in on the first application, the better! That first application determines how deep your protection goes. We recommend a minimum of 3 coats, and the more coats you add, the glossier the end result will be. 

We are regular users of all of the products we sell and would be happy to give you application instructions and customer support! Finishing wood can be hard, but we are here to help you through the process with great results. 

Mary giving a finishing talk at CS Woods

CS Woods Sutherland Wells Hard Sealer and Uralkyd 500 Floor Finish Instructions: Step-by-Step

Prep Work:
Sand the wood, moving from 120 to 180 to 220 to 320 to 400 grit. You can leave the back side at 220 if desired.

  1. Use white scotch bright to remove 400 scratches
  2. Remember to use fresh sharp sandpaper. When it stops making easy dust change the paper.
  3. Make sure that all scratches from the previous grit have been removed before proceeding to the next grit.

Finish: – Dry time: 24 hours between applications
NOTES:

  1. Hard Sealer: two to five penetrations depending on species
    1. Sealer is applied to all sides. Start with the bottom, staying away from the edge. Flip and do top and edges. (The bottom does not require as many coats as the top, but make sure it is sealed well.)
    2. Apply sealer liberally with a small, dust free cotton rag soaked (dripping wet) with sealer. Feed dry spots. Let soak.  Then remove all excess with clean, dust free cotton rags.
    3. This is only a penetration, not a coat.
    4. Light sanding with 400 between penetrations.
    5. Allow to dry 24 hours and repeat.
  2. Uralkyd 500 – three coats. Please test/practice your technique on the back of your piece first.

    Dry Brush Instructions: Use a fine natural bristle brush.

    Do each coat from one end to the other. No going back. (recommended application: take a paint stick, dip it in the can of finish and then dribble it on your starting end.)

    Paint that out. Repeat the process until you have a thin coat evenly spread across the top and edge.

       Spray Instructions: (smoother finish)

  1. 1.4 nozzle size, 18 to 22 pounds of pressure, 8” to 10” distance, spray at a slight angle
  2. Spray two light coats in a crisscross pattern.
  • Allow for 24 hours dry time between each coat.
  • Between applications, light sand with a 400 grit straight block to remove the bump caused by settled dust and use white scotch bright to scuff the glossy and then tack.
  • Do not sand through your previous application of finishRepeat to desired finish look. (Three applications is standard)

    Done! Beautiful!

    WARNING: Oily rags are combustible. Please dispose of correctly.