How to Apply Wood Varnish

Applying wood varnish is a easy task if you follow these 10 simple steps.

Step 1

Make sure that all of the materials that you will need are within an arm’s reach when you need them.

Step 2

The ideal room temperature in wood varnishing is 70 to 75 degrees F. In this temperature, the varnish will dry quickly and common varnish errors such as streaking and air bubbles accumulation are avoided.

Step 3

Protect your work area with layers of used newspapers.

Step 4

Make sure that your work area is well-ventilated.

Step 5

Using a pair of gloves and a face mask, strip any paint finishes on the wood with a paint stripper

Step 6

Next, clean the wood using a steel wool pad dipped in a mixture of 2 tbsp. of linseed oil and 1 cup of mineral spirits.

Step 7

Clean the dry wood using clean rag.

Step 8

Mix enough varnish for the first coat with mineral spirits. The ideal proportion is 100 ml of varnish to 20 ml of mineral spirits.

Step 9

Apply the mixture of varnish and mineral spirits into the wood using a foam brush. Give particular attention to the grain.

Step 10

Allow the wood to dry for 6 hours and then apply the second coating with a fresh foam brush. Apply additional coatings as needed. Make sure to let the each coating dry for at least 6 hours but not more than 20 hours.