{"id":7739,"date":"2022-01-17T00:01:34","date_gmt":"2022-01-17T07:01:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.woodworkerssource.com\/blog\/?p=7739"},"modified":"2022-10-10T16:53:56","modified_gmt":"2022-10-10T23:53:56","slug":"finishing-a-standing-height-desk-part-2-walnut-with-a-tung-oil-varnish-polish","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.woodworkerssource.com\/blog\/woodworking-projects\/finishing-a-standing-height-desk-part-2-walnut-with-a-tung-oil-varnish-polish\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Finish Walnut with a Hand-Rubbed a Tung Oil Varnish"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><div class=\"video-container\"><iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Zcy2tPa3hw8\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen> width=\"853\" height=\"480\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/div><\/p>\n<p>Wood finishing is a mystery to many&nbsp;woodworkers. But&nbsp;I think this video above will help communicate the essentials to the craft of applying a nice, smooth, clear protective finish on a piece of furniture.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h4>What Are The&nbsp;Basics of Getting a Fantastic&nbsp;Wood Finish?<\/h4>\n<ol>\n<li>Apply several light coats rather than thick, heavy coats<\/li>\n<li>Let each coat dry thoroughly<\/li>\n<li>Scuff before applying the next coat and<\/li>\n<li>Polish the final coat after it cures for a couple of weeks<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>So the video above walks you through those 4 steps on a solid American walnut wood desk top. The video is actually the <em>second part<\/em> in a series on how I finished my custom built standing height desk. Since&nbsp;the ash base is dyed black and glazed with a gray stain for a unique look, I put that in a separate tutorial.<a href=\"https:\/\/www.woodworkerssource.com\/blog\/wood-finishing\/finishing-a-standing-height-desk-part-1-modern-black-base-with-weathered-gray-accents\/\"> More about how I finished that in &#8220;Part 1&#8221;&nbsp;&gt;<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The solid walnut top, above, is a slightly different story. I finished it with just a hand-rubbed tung oil varnish, applying 8 coats to protect the top surface while giving the walnut a gorgeous, natural warm glow, too.<\/p>\n<p>In this video, you&#8217;ll follow along as&nbsp;I work through each step from prepping the raw panel all the way to polishing the final coat.<\/p>\n<h4>Watch the Video to Get a Few Pointers On:<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>dealing&nbsp;with a cupped solid wood panel<\/li>\n<li>wet-sanding an oil finish to highlight the grain<\/li>\n<li>using a sanding sponge<\/li>\n<li>scuffing with synthetic finishing pads<\/li>\n<li>polishing the last coat for a beautiful shine<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4>Products Used:<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Old Masters Tung Oil Varnish<\/li>\n<li>Howard Restor-A-Shine Polishing Compound<\/li>\n<li>Synthetic finishing pads<\/li>\n<li>220-grit sanding sponge<\/li>\n<li>Scott Shop Towels<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4>Quick Gallery of Images of The Walnut Top:<\/h4>\n<p><!-- index.php -->\n<div\n\tclass=\"ngg-galleryoverview\n\t\t\"\n\tid=\"ngg-gallery-9a56e052af9fea4ed12256bded7225cc-1\">\n\n\t\t\t<!-- Thumbnails -->\n\t\t\t\t<div id=\"ngg-image-0\" class=\"ngg-gallery-thumbnail-box\" \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"ngg-gallery-thumbnail\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.woodworkerssource.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/standing-desk-top\/IMG_1209.jpg\"\n\t\t\t\ttitle=\"A tung oil varnish generates a warm, natural looking finish on walnut. Mated with an ebonzied ash base, the whole enchilada has an urban-rustic look.\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-src=\"https:\/\/www.woodworkerssource.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/standing-desk-top\/IMG_1209.jpg\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-thumbnail=\"https:\/\/www.woodworkerssource.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/standing-desk-top\/thumbs\/thumbs_IMG_1209.jpg\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-image-id=\"312\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-title=\"walnut standing desk, custom furniture\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-description=\"A tung oil varnish generates a warm, natural looking finish on walnut. Mated with an ebonzied ash base, the whole enchilada has an urban-rustic look.\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-image-slug=\"img_1209\"\n\t\t\t\tclass=\"ngg-fancybox\" rel=\"9a56e052af9fea4ed12256bded7225cc\">\n\t\t\t\t<img\n\t\t\t\t\ttitle=\"walnut standing desk, custom furniture\"\n\t\t\t\t\talt=\"walnut standing desk, custom furniture\"\n\t\t\t\t\tsrc=\"https:\/\/www.woodworkerssource.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/standing-desk-top\/thumbs\/thumbs_IMG_1209.jpg\"\n\t\t\t\t\twidth=\"175\"\n\t\t\t\t\theight=\"175\"\n\t\t\t\t\tstyle=\"max-width:100%;\"\n\t\t\t\t\/>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div id=\"ngg-image-1\" class=\"ngg-gallery-thumbnail-box\" \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"ngg-gallery-thumbnail\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.woodworkerssource.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/standing-desk-top\/IMG_1205.jpg\"\n\t\t\t\ttitle=\"The solid walnut top of this standing height desk floats off the ebonized ash base. The black base is also glazed with a gray stain to highlight the ash grain pattern, giving it a somewhat weathered appearance.\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-src=\"https:\/\/www.woodworkerssource.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/standing-desk-top\/IMG_1205.jpg\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-thumbnail=\"https:\/\/www.woodworkerssource.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/standing-desk-top\/thumbs\/thumbs_IMG_1205.jpg\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-image-id=\"313\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-title=\"weathered black ash with gray stain glaze\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-description=\"The solid walnut top of this standing height desk floats off the ebonized ash base. The black base is also glazed with a gray stain to highlight the ash grain pattern, giving it a somewhat weathered appearance.\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-image-slug=\"img_1205\"\n\t\t\t\tclass=\"ngg-fancybox\" rel=\"9a56e052af9fea4ed12256bded7225cc\">\n\t\t\t\t<img\n\t\t\t\t\ttitle=\"weathered black ash with gray stain glaze\"\n\t\t\t\t\talt=\"weathered black ash with gray stain glaze\"\n\t\t\t\t\tsrc=\"https:\/\/www.woodworkerssource.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/standing-desk-top\/thumbs\/thumbs_IMG_1205.jpg\"\n\t\t\t\t\twidth=\"175\"\n\t\t\t\t\theight=\"175\"\n\t\t\t\t\tstyle=\"max-width:100%;\"\n\t\t\t\t\/>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div id=\"ngg-image-2\" class=\"ngg-gallery-thumbnail-box\" \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"ngg-gallery-thumbnail\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.woodworkerssource.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/standing-desk-top\/IMG_1175.jpg\"\n\t\t\t\ttitle=\"Check out a couple of cool parts of the top: a curve on the front edge, and the character of pale sapwood and knots. These are typical features of walnut. I arranged boards to keep a stripe of sapwood running the length, and filled the knots with black wood filler.\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-src=\"https:\/\/www.woodworkerssource.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/standing-desk-top\/IMG_1175.jpg\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-thumbnail=\"https:\/\/www.woodworkerssource.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/standing-desk-top\/thumbs\/thumbs_IMG_1175.jpg\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-image-id=\"314\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-title=\"walnut desk top table top\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-description=\"Check out a couple of cool parts of the top: a curve on the front edge, and the character of pale sapwood and knots. These are typical features of walnut. I arranged boards to keep a stripe of sapwood running the length, and filled the knots with black wood filler.\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-image-slug=\"img_1175\"\n\t\t\t\tclass=\"ngg-fancybox\" rel=\"9a56e052af9fea4ed12256bded7225cc\">\n\t\t\t\t<img\n\t\t\t\t\ttitle=\"walnut desk top table top\"\n\t\t\t\t\talt=\"walnut desk top table top\"\n\t\t\t\t\tsrc=\"https:\/\/www.woodworkerssource.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/standing-desk-top\/thumbs\/thumbs_IMG_1175.jpg\"\n\t\t\t\t\twidth=\"175\"\n\t\t\t\t\theight=\"175\"\n\t\t\t\t\tstyle=\"max-width:100%;\"\n\t\t\t\t\/>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<br style=\"clear: both\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div id=\"ngg-image-3\" class=\"ngg-gallery-thumbnail-box\" \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"ngg-gallery-thumbnail\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.woodworkerssource.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/standing-desk-top\/IMG_1166.jpg\"\n\t\t\t\ttitle=\"The well-polished tung oil varnish finish reveals a subtle reflection when viewed at an angle.\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-src=\"https:\/\/www.woodworkerssource.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/standing-desk-top\/IMG_1166.jpg\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-thumbnail=\"https:\/\/www.woodworkerssource.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/standing-desk-top\/thumbs\/thumbs_IMG_1166.jpg\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-image-id=\"315\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-title=\"walnut desk top finish reflection finish shine\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-description=\"The well-polished tung oil varnish finish reveals a subtle reflection when viewed at an angle.\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-image-slug=\"img_1166\"\n\t\t\t\tclass=\"ngg-fancybox\" rel=\"9a56e052af9fea4ed12256bded7225cc\">\n\t\t\t\t<img\n\t\t\t\t\ttitle=\"walnut desk top finish reflection finish shine\"\n\t\t\t\t\talt=\"walnut desk top finish reflection finish shine\"\n\t\t\t\t\tsrc=\"https:\/\/www.woodworkerssource.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/standing-desk-top\/thumbs\/thumbs_IMG_1166.jpg\"\n\t\t\t\t\twidth=\"175\"\n\t\t\t\t\theight=\"175\"\n\t\t\t\t\tstyle=\"max-width:100%;\"\n\t\t\t\t\/>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div id=\"ngg-image-4\" class=\"ngg-gallery-thumbnail-box\" \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"ngg-gallery-thumbnail\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.woodworkerssource.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/standing-desk-top\/IMG_1145.jpg\"\n\t\t\t\ttitle=\"The custom made standing height desk has a black ebonized ash base that&#039;s glazed with a gray stain to give it a weathered look, and the top contrasts by being made from natural American walnut and finished with a hand-rubbed tung oil varnish.\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-src=\"https:\/\/www.woodworkerssource.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/standing-desk-top\/IMG_1145.jpg\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-thumbnail=\"https:\/\/www.woodworkerssource.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/standing-desk-top\/thumbs\/thumbs_IMG_1145.jpg\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-image-id=\"316\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-title=\"Standing Height Desk custom made with walnut and ash\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-description=\"The custom made standing height desk has a black ebonized ash base that&#039;s glazed with a gray stain to give it a weathered look, and the top contrasts by being made from natural American walnut and finished with a hand-rubbed tung oil varnish.\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-image-slug=\"img_1145\"\n\t\t\t\tclass=\"ngg-fancybox\" rel=\"9a56e052af9fea4ed12256bded7225cc\">\n\t\t\t\t<img\n\t\t\t\t\ttitle=\"Standing Height Desk custom made with walnut and ash\"\n\t\t\t\t\talt=\"Standing Height Desk custom made with walnut and ash\"\n\t\t\t\t\tsrc=\"https:\/\/www.woodworkerssource.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/standing-desk-top\/thumbs\/thumbs_IMG_1145.jpg\"\n\t\t\t\t\twidth=\"175\"\n\t\t\t\t\theight=\"175\"\n\t\t\t\t\tstyle=\"max-width:100%;\"\n\t\t\t\t\/>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div id=\"ngg-image-5\" class=\"ngg-gallery-thumbnail-box\" \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"ngg-gallery-thumbnail\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.woodworkerssource.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/standing-desk-top\/standing-height-desk-solidwood.jpg\"\n\t\t\t\ttitle=\"A floating front panel, tapered &amp; curved feet, and the curved aprons.\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-src=\"https:\/\/www.woodworkerssource.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/standing-desk-top\/standing-height-desk-solidwood.jpg\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-thumbnail=\"https:\/\/www.woodworkerssource.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/standing-desk-top\/thumbs\/thumbs_standing-height-desk-solidwood.jpg\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-image-id=\"322\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-title=\"standing height desk custom walnut ebonized ash\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-description=\"A floating front panel, tapered &amp; curved feet, and the curved aprons.\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-image-slug=\"standing-height-desk-solidwood-1\"\n\t\t\t\tclass=\"ngg-fancybox\" rel=\"9a56e052af9fea4ed12256bded7225cc\">\n\t\t\t\t<img\n\t\t\t\t\ttitle=\"standing height desk custom walnut ebonized ash\"\n\t\t\t\t\talt=\"standing height desk custom walnut ebonized ash\"\n\t\t\t\t\tsrc=\"https:\/\/www.woodworkerssource.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/standing-desk-top\/thumbs\/thumbs_standing-height-desk-solidwood.jpg\"\n\t\t\t\t\twidth=\"175\"\n\t\t\t\t\theight=\"175\"\n\t\t\t\t\tstyle=\"max-width:100%;\"\n\t\t\t\t\/>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<br style=\"clear: both\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t<!-- Pagination -->\n\t\t<div class='ngg-clear'><\/div>\t<\/div>\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>width=&#8221;853&#8243; height=&#8221;480&#8243; frameborder=&#8221;0&#8243; allowfullscreen=&#8221;allowfullscreen&#8221;> Wood finishing is a mystery to many&nbsp;woodworkers. But&nbsp;I think this video above will help communicate the essentials to the craft of applying a nice, smooth, clear protective finish on a piece of furniture. What Are The&nbsp;Basics of Getting a Fantastic&nbsp;Wood Finish? Apply several light coats rather than thick, heavy coats Let <a class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.woodworkerssource.com\/blog\/woodworking-projects\/finishing-a-standing-height-desk-part-2-walnut-with-a-tung-oil-varnish-polish\/\">&#8230;<br \/><small><em><strong>Read More<\/strong><\/em> <i class=\"fa fa-arrow-circle-right\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/small><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":7742,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[181,84,4],"tags":[61,41,67,114,73,112,113,76,74,109],"class_list":["post-7739","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-videos","category-wood-finishing","category-woodworking-projects","tag-finishing","tag-furniture","tag-help","tag-polishing-wood","tag-tips","tag-tung-oil","tag-varnish","tag-walnut","tag-woodworking","tag-woodworking-basics"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.woodworkerssource.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7739","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.woodworkerssource.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.woodworkerssource.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.woodworkerssource.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.woodworkerssource.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7739"}],"version-history":[{"count":20,"href":"https:\/\/www.woodworkerssource.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7739\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10888,"href":"https:\/\/www.woodworkerssource.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7739\/revisions\/10888"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.woodworkerssource.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7742"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.woodworkerssource.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7739"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.woodworkerssource.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7739"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.woodworkerssource.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7739"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}