Waterlox Original Sealer and Finish, 1 Quart

This is an interesting product that you may find has a place in your woodworking arsenal. I tried this after reading a review of a different product on Amazon that touted this as superior. I had been using mostly oil finishes such as tung oil, danish oil and linseed oil based finishes for a satin, natural finish on the boxes I make. And I still love the finish those products create, along with their ease of application. I gave up on high gloss products like polyurethane, because they are fussy to apply (visible brush strokes, runs, drips, clouding, plastic look, long drying time etc.) This product says "medium sheen" on the can, but I consider it to be high gloss, though I'm not an expert by any means. It does require some care when applying. I recommend using thin coats and keeping an eye to head off runs. Definitely use a tack cloth prior to applying to ensure there is no dust for your brush to pick up. I pour a small amount into a small container (I find that the little cans from cat food work well after they are washed and dried), and I discard the leftover product at the end of a coat. I recommend at least 2 coats and sanding in between coats with a very fine paper such as #1500. I was able to achieve a nice glossy finish that seemed to be a hit with my customers. I still prefer the satin finish of oil products, but some people like high gloss and this definitely provides superior protection against water. One addendum: approximately the last quarter of the can was unusable because it turned into a thick, blobby mess, as if all the solvent had evaporated out of it, which shouldn't have happened because I kept the can closed when not in use. I wasn't sure if adding some mineral spirits would have restored it to usability but I wasn't willing to take a chance on it. One more addendum: the number of coats will ultimately be determined by the type of wood and the amount of moisture in the wood. I had one maple burl that was very old and dry. I kept applying coats to the bowl I made from it, but there were several stubborn dry spots that were very thirsty. Eventually, I think I ended up applying about 5 or 6 coats (allowing proper drying time and sanding lightly between coats). The results were well worth it and the multiple coats imparted a beautiful glossy shine.

I used Waterlox original finish and sealer on my IKEA Hammarp oak butcher block counters. I first sanded the counters with 220 till they were very smooth. Cleaned with tack cloth. Used a Shur-line pad painter to apply the product. It is very thin, not like paint. (I dripped a bit of Waterlox in my new stainless steel sink and am not sure how to remove it. I think you can use mineral spirits but I was worried about using that on my new sink.) Per the instructions on their website, I applied a liberal amount of Waterlox to the countertops with the pad painter using long smooth strokes. It was easy to apply and not at all fussy, there were small air bubbles and brush strokes, but they all disappeared. I wasn't sure how perfect it needed to be, I watched many videos of other people applying it, and some people were careful while others just slapped it on with an old rag. It seems to be very forgiving. I sanded very lightly with 220 after the first coat since it seemed to raise the grain up a little. I also sanded a bit after the second coat, but skipped the sanding after the third coat since it was really smooth. (Waterlox website says that sanding is not necessary for adhesion between coats.) I applied 4 coats in total, waiting 24 hours between applications. I'm not going to lie, the waiting was a real pain. My kitchen was out of commission for almost a week. But with each coat, you could see the finish building up to a nice sheen. It also darkened the wood and brought out the grain. I didn't use any stain on the counters beforehand since I was counting on the Waterlox to darken it a bit. The Waterlox sinks into the wood as it cures, and at first I wasn't sure how I would be able to tell when I had enough coats. But I just kept applying it until the sheen looked nice and even. Now for the warning-WEAR A RESPIRATOR! The solvents that evaporate right after application are strong and you don't want to breathe them. I made the mistake of not wearing a respirator during the first application and I was dizzy for half a day. Learn from my stupidity! I bought a 3M respirator with the pink cartridges suitable for organic vapors, it was like $30 but worth it. The vapors won't bother you at all if you wear it. (I also wore safety glasses and gloves.) Ventilating the space properly really seems to help the curing process. Luckily I live in Georgia and it's August, so I had no problem keeping the temps over 70 degrees. I opened all the windows in the house to vent, but I did not open the kitchen window or turn on the ceiling fan since I didn't want bugs or dust settling into my finish. Note that I finished the counters after they were installed. If I had to do it again, I would have finished them in my garage before installation. I have read complaints from other folks about the smell. I did find the initial smell to be pretty overwhelming, but that is to be expected, no surprise there. The solvents evaporate about 2-4 hours after application, then you are left with the smell of tung oil, which is strong but not entirely revolting. I am willing to deal with it since the end result is worth it and I did not feel any ill effects from the tung smell. Not sure how long that will linger, I will monitor it and update later. The photos show before and after, you can really see how the Waterlox changes the color and adds sheen. I like the semi gloss sheen and since my cabinets and backsplash will be refinished in a dark navy, I planned on having the shinier counters to break up the dark colored cabinets. I haven't tested it for water resistance, I will have to update that after I use the counters for awhile. I bought 1 quart of the original and had enough to do 4 coats on my counters in my smallish kitchen, with a small amount of product left over. It doesn't keep though, unless you somehow squeeze or displace all the oxygen out of the container. When applying the finish, I only poured out small amounts into my paint tray since you can't put the unused product back in the can. Good luck, be patient, ventilate your space and, wear your respirator!

I don’t usually wait this long to leave a review, but I wanted to make sure this stuff actually held up. About a year ago, I had some leftover butcherblock from a home project and decided to make a custom dog bowl stand for my golden retriever, Luna. I finished it with Waterlox Original, and honestly, it turned out perfect. She uses it every day — spills water, drools, knocks the bowls around — and a full year later, the finish still looks great. No peeling, no dulling, no water damage. I just wipe it down and it cleans up like nothing happened. Application takes patience, and it’s not the cheapest, but if you’re building something you want to last — especially something functional — this is 100% worth it. Definitely using it again on future wood projects.

Used it to seal Acacia Wood butcher block countertops. Stained first, waited 24 hours, then applied this. Waited ~24 hours between coats, applied 4, sanded with 200 grit paper very gently, then applied a final coat. Results are smooth, clear, hard, waterproof, and impressive. Very happy with the quality. It recommends lambs wool brushes, what a joke, I used dollar store foam brushes (you won't be able to clean this out of your brushes unless you have mineral spirits, and you won't be able to reuse the same brush because it hardens overnight, just use a new cheap foam brush every day. Great results, very happy

Great stuff. Takes a while in prep and betwixt coats but if you take the time it finishes well. Water beads.

Product was easy to use process is slow but the results are amazing. The smell is very strong be prepared to leave the hose for the day.

Love this stuff, works amazing on our butcher block countertop.

Have yet to use the product (I am sure it will be great). Gave 4 stars as I got hit with a customs clearing bill for $15.00 that I wasn't warned of and isn't typical of my Amazon experience. I live in Canada.