FINISHING RECOMMENDATIONS FOR COHASSET COLONIALS KIT FURNITURE

OIL AND WAX FINISH

Oil and Wax Finish: Cohasset Colonials™ recommends using an oil and wax finish on cherry wood furniture pieces, or alone on other woods for those customers who prefer a clear finish with no stain. Oil and wax finish has several advantages over "hard" (shellac, varnish, or polyurethane) finishes. These are:

Ease of Application. Oil finishes can be easily wiped onto and off the object being finished. Since the excess oil is wiped off while it is still wet, there is not the problem of drips and runs associated with varnishes and shellac.

Appearance. Oil finishes provide a pleasing, clear, low gloss look to wood surfaces.

Repairability. An oil finish, if scratched, can be easily repaired by applying another coat of oil finish to the damaged area.

A Natural Product. These days when synthetic materials are increasingly used, many people like using oil finish because it is a natural product derived from plants.

Appropriate. Oil finish is a historically appropriate finish to use on many types of reproduction furniture.

Exceptions. We recommend using a "hard" finish for the following applications:

Dining Table Tops. Furniture that will get heavy use and where spills of liquids are common. Furniture that is washed down regularly with soap and water.

When using our Cohasset Colonials® water-based stains. We recommend using a hard finish over these water-based stains because oil finish will not provide a satisfying luster.
- See information sheet on hard finishes (polyurethane, varnish, shellac, etc.).