Walnut stain /gloss - Printable Version

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Walnut stain /gloss - bridkarl - 09-05-2026

I'm getting ready to put some walnut stain on this.
Would it be a good idea to put some clear gloss over that just for durability? I have some spray gloss. 
       

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RE: Walnut stain /gloss - RodB - 09-05-2026

By all means. After the stain dries it will probably be dark and have a flat finish. If your clear gloss is lacquer, then I would spray several light coats allowing 30-60 minutes between coats. If the clear gloss is urethane I wouldn't use it. Urethane is essentially plastic. To me, it looks unnatural. Lacquer will enhance the grain.

Some people put on a sealer coat before the finish and some stains have sealer in them.

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RE: Walnut stain /gloss - bridkarl - 09-05-2026

I have no lacquer on hand, but I can certainly do that later. This is for that 1937 Pacific 15 I'm finishing. Not a Philco but the grey housepaint someone threw on this had to go. Anything was better. I used some dark walnut after an afternoon of stripping two coats of paint with Citri-Strip. 

All I have is some high gloss in a spray can which is as you say plastic.
Give it two hours to dry and I'll post a pic. It seems fine so far. clear and 75 degrees so perfect conditions to do this in the yard.

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RE: Walnut stain /gloss - bridkarl - 09-05-2026

It came out OK. Flat but some laquer should do the job on this    

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RE: Walnut stain /gloss - Joe Rossi - 09-05-2026

Sweet!

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RE: Walnut stain /gloss - bridkarl - 09-05-2026

Here's the before    

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RE: Walnut stain /gloss - klondike98 - 09-05-2026

Clear gloss spray lacquer is the ticket. I use Deft but there are others. light coats, dry and sand lightly. Usually I do 3 or 4 coats but it depends on how its looking. After the final coat I'll rub it out with 2F pumice or rottenstone to knock the gloss back just a bit. After that, a furniture paste wax will finish it off.

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RE: Walnut stain /gloss - bridkarl - 09-05-2026

OK. I'll try that. Just a single coat of this dark walnut stain worked fine. Thanks.

Did you use something like 400 grit between lacquer coats or go with something like a 600?

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RE: Walnut stain /gloss - klondike98 - 09-07-2026

I just used 220 and only very lightly.

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RE: Walnut stain /gloss - bridkarl - 09-19-2026

It came out ok. Still need to put some wax on it.
Not perfect but certainly an improvement over grey paint. 

   

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