Q: I have been finishing raw, white ash chairs for years with Varathane polyurethane thinned with equal parts mineral spirits. I am thinking of using Watco Danish Oil as a first coat to speed up the process. Thoughts?
A: I generally avoid Danish oil on large pore wood, such as ash. It tends to bleed or weep out of the pores for hours afterwards, forcing you to continue wiping it for a day or more. If you want to speed up your finishing process, stop cutting the polyurethane so much. For brushing, you only need to cut it about 20%. For wiping, you don’t need to cut it at all; simply scrub it on with a nylon abrasive pad and wipe it off evenly. Try it on sanded scrap and you will see what I mean. It’s as easy as using gel urethane and gives you the same results.

Q: I have developed asthma and since then I have not been able to sleep in my bedroom because my chest of drawers has a wood smell when you open a couple of the drawers. My clothes in those drawers even pick up the smell. At first I thought it was the drawers. I took one out today and took it outside. When I came back in and smelled the opening left in the chest where the drawer had been, the smell was overwhelming. My husband doesn’t notice anything bothersome. Can you give me suggestions as to what to do?
A: First, let’s be clear on the fact that this is a medical question, not a finishing or wood question. As such, it is out of my realm. However, I will make a comment or two on the chest itself.
The insides of both the chest and drawers are usually not sealed, but they can be. While it is possible that you are reacting to the raw wood, my guess is that it may also be the accumulated dust that tends to cling to the wood.
One possibility is to have someone else (not you, since that will only exacerbate your reaction) remove the drawers and thoroughly clean both the raw wood of the drawers and the interior of the cabinet. Once the wood is cleaned, have them seal it with a coat of Zinsser SealCoat, and outstanding blocker for odors. SealCoat is pure shellac, and I have never run into anyone allergic to shellac, which is a good thing, since it is very widely used to coat vitamins, pharmaceuticals and candy. The only solvent in it is alcohol, and that evaporates in a couple of hours. By the next day you should not be getting any odor from it.
Again, this is just a suggestion to deal with odor. My advice is still to speak with your allergist or other doctor about your situation, but do share what I have said with him or her. Your health is what is important; if it comes down to it, ditch the chest.

Q: I want to apply oil based polyurethane as a wipe off. How many coats do you recommend?
A: That’s entirely up to you. One or two will give you a very natural looking wood, similar to what you get with Danish Oil. More coats will start to make the surface look more like a brushed or sprayed finish, with more sheen and a visible film. Obviously, more finish means more protection, but it comes down to the look you want and just how much wear the piece will get.

Q: If I scrub a coat of oil based polyurethane on with a nylon abrasive pad, then wipe off, how is the second coat applied?
A: Exactly the same way.

Q: What is best to use for wiping off finish coats evenly?
A: Personally, I use those blue Scott paper shop towels.

Q: I have loved Watco Oil finish for over 25 years. A solid oak coffee table finished in dark Watco Oil in 1985 has several areas in which the finish has been ruined. It’s been treated with Pledge and lemon oil over the years. I want to renew the finish, but dread sanding the entire piece in order to get a uniform color penetration. Considering the above, what do you suggest I do to renew my Watco Oil finish?
A: First, clean it thoroughly to remove any of the old polish and oil. Do that by scrubbing with mineral spirits on a white nylon abrasive pad and wiping repeatedly with paper shop towels. Repeat until they wipe clean. That will give you a clearer picture of how much of the problem was dirt and how much is wear. You can certainly go over the existing finish with another coat of dark Watco. If you are lucky, it will absorb more into the areas that are worn, thus evening up the color somewhat, but don’t count on being lucky. If that does not work, you have several other choices depending on what you want the table to look like when you are done. Try this first, and if the results don’t please you, write back and tell me how it looks, what you want, and how far you are willing to go to get it. From here on out, the work gets harder and messier.

Q: I searched for food safe sealers and couldn’t find anything.
A: Both Behlen and General Finishes make food safe salad bowl finishes. Click on the links and they will take you to online sellers of the two.