Tried & True Varnish Oil

Tried & True Varnish Oil is looks to be about as close to a pre-19^th century varnish as you can get these days. According to the manufacturer it's made from boiled linseed oil and pine resin using 19th century recipes. One beneficial side effect is that it's essentially non-toxic with no VOCs.

Application is simple: Wipe on a thin coat, let sit for an hour, and wipe off any excess. The product is quite thick out of the can so a little muscle power is necessary to apply it. I was initially concerned about the price, but fortunately a little goes a long way. After applying two coats to a chest I've hardly made a dent in a quart can. As the manufacturer says: "It's almost impossible to use too little".

After curing for 24 hours and a light buffing with a soft cloth, one coat produces a very light finish. Two coats produce a semi-gloss finish that doesn't seem overly "modern" when applied to period pieces. Since this is a pine and linseed oil product I expect that it will yellow as it ages, which means you may not want to use it on lighter woods. Yellowing wasn't noticable on unstained poplar.

Tried & True also produces a Danish Oil and a linseed oil and beeswax finish.

What's Good - Non-toxic, a little goes a long way.

What's Bad - Nothing yet.

• Price: about $24.95 per quart
• Availabilty: Available from a number of specialty woodworking suppliers including Woodcraft. A list of suppliers (and more information) is available from the manufacturer's site: http://www.triedandtruewoodfinish.com/