Make a Home Brew Wipe-On Finish

With so many wipe-on finishes to choose from, you'll probably find one you like right off the shelf. But you can easily mix your own.

To make an oil/varnish blend, mix equal parts of oil-base varnish, tung or boiled linseed oil, and mineral spirits, as shown. You can alter the mixture to suit your need. More oil increases penetration and color, and slows drying. Additional mineral spirits speed drying and decrease the thickness of the film. Increase the quantity of varnish to create a thicker film.

Making a wiping varnish is even simpler. Just mix conventional varnish with an equal amount of mineral spirits.