poplar wood

[WHODAT]

which of the oils do you prefer for the above wood linseed oil,tung oil or
watco natural oil i like to keep the clear look for this wood.

[handibunny]

I prefer a clear coat finish like shellac or lacquer for poplar.

[Bill Wilson]

From a performance standpoint, there is little practical difference between linseed oil (boiled linseed oil) and true tung oil. Boiled linseed oil may be slightly more amber in color, but both are drying oils and act the same. Neither are terribly good as stand alone finishes. They need to be re-applied in order to keep the finish looking fresh. If not, eventually the wood just looks dull. I also think that dust is more likely to stick to a plain oil finish as opposed to a film finish.

Watco is a little different animal. Commonly referred to as a Danish oil, it is essentially a mix of a drying oil, (such as tung or BLO), thinner and varnish. The varnish provides a little bit of protection and the finish leaves a nice, hand rubbed, in the wood, look. As with all oil finishes, Watco will impart an amber tint to the wood. This may or may not be desirable, depending on what look you are going for.

If you are looking to maintain a clear, natural look to the poplar, then a pre-catalyzed lacquer or a waterborne finish are better choices. Nitrocellulose lacquer will turn yellow with time. You can get super blonde shellac in flake form which is also pretty clear. A pre-mix clear shellac, such as Zinnser Bulls Eye Seal Coat will add a slight amber tint, but less than an oil finish.

[NHokpic]

Just jumping into this thread for a minute to say Bill... that's good useful information for me!