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GoneCountry
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# Posted: 9 Jun 2025 05:18pm - Edited by: GoneCountry
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Hello all. I'm adding yellow pine car siding to my mancave walls and would like to finish it with something so it doesn't look like raw unfinished wood. I prefer a product that cleanup just requires soap and water, if possible.....but, I'm also wanting it to look like the picture I've attached. Any ideas? Thanks in advance.
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gcrank1
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# Posted: 9 Jun 2025 07:01pm
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For decades Ive been using a diy mix of 50/50 odorless mineral spirits and boiled linseed oil as a basic wood treatment as it can be touched up easily and would make a fine base for any varnish topcoat (but I never have). Goes on easy, no runs or streaks.The mineral spirits evaporate off so you must
be Well Ventilated and No Flames nearby.
My 3/4/5" t&g cherry in my living room got one heavy coat once done 30ish years ago and has not needed another coat.
I pretty much use it as my first coat on my wood projects, especially those I think I might just do a little more work on as it blends right in,
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Fanman
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# Posted: 9 Jun 2025 08:22pm
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I like shellac. Thin and clean up with denatured alcohol, which while not soap and water is still pretty benign, easy to apply, easy to touch up.
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DRP
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# Posted: 9 Jun 2025 08:45pm
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For that amber/yellow oil based look, use an oil based product like the spirits mix or oil based poly, Waterlox, Danish oil for a more matte look. For closer to water white use water based poly, it has the cleanup you desire and a coat an hour if humidity is low.
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GoneCountry
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# Posted: 9 Jun 2025 10:49pm - Edited by: GoneCountry
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DRP, I've been thinking about using oil based poly too since I've heard it will leave a golden finish but wasn't sure how safe it would be for health/air quality indoors...even though it will be applied in a ventilated garage. Wasn't sure about how strong the fumes would be after the siding has cured outside and then been installed inside. However, it's just for a bedroom that's going to be a mancave so I could leave the door shut with the windows open in that particular room for a good while.
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DRP
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# Posted: 10 Jun 2025 01:23am
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I can't say anything is safe or effective but its a very common floor finish. Cleanup is going to be mineral spirits or stronger solvents.
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GoneCountry
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# Posted: 11 Jun 2025 10:31am
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I may consider water base since it's easier to work with but I've heard it doesn't do anything for the wood since it's crystal clear. I just want it to at least look like it has a finish and enhance the woods grain. I guess I can buy some to sample it.
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MtnDon
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# Posted: 11 Jun 2025 02:45pm - Edited by: MtnDon
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I am a big fan of the water based clear coats for the very reason that they do dry completely clear and never yellow. I generally do not like the yellow color that is common with oil finishes. If I want some color I first stain with whatever I want, then clear coat.
Our cabin has one wall that is 1x6 T&G pine as well a the ceiling. Those are unstained and clear coated with a water based Minwax. The clear coat is satin finish. We love the look.
We have tan painted drywall on the other walls. Tile floor. Door and window trim, baseboards are redwood finished in Minwax clear coat. The window sills are clear coated pine for contrast and because I could not find redwood 1x8 at a price I would pay. (2x6 wall framing)
...different strokes for different folks, as we used to say in the 60s
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GoneCountry
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# Posted: 11 Jun 2025 11:17pm
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MtnDon, does the water base polyurethane give it a different look at all? Like a wet look or anything???
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MtnDon
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# Posted: 12 Jun 2025 09:59am
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If buy glossy it is shiny, pretty much like oil based. We like the satin finish and the oil and water base seem to have about the same sheen. Mainly no yellowish coloration to the water based.
One thing to know; the water based clear coats are milky white in the can. It dries crystal clear. But if you have drips and runs they dry white. I brush it out well with a high quality brush. I am pleased with it and love the soap & water cleanup and ability to recoat so much sooner than oil base. Love the lower/different odor too. I've used countless gallons over 20 years.
However, I have yet to find a water based stain that I like. So I use the oil based type you apply, let soak in and wipe. The water based clear coat can be used over oil stain as long as the oil stain is dried well. I use a 24 hour wait but the may depend on humidity. We are 30% or less most of the time.
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DRP
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# Posted: 12 Jun 2025 09:15pm
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We have oil based poly on the floors upstairs and water based downstairs. We applied the oil based, about this time of year. The humidity has just turned on for the summer. We have been running 50% or below. I just checked outside, 78% and swampy. The poly took about a week to dry to traffic hardness. Water based is much thinner but I can usually do a couple of coats per day if needed. Do backprime with a coat on the backside to help prevent cupping from the 2 sides absorbing moisture at different rates.
For a gloss test, apply a few drops of various finishes on a scrap of glass. That lets you see what the film is doing, whether matte, satin or gloss.
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GoneCountry
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# Posted: 14 Jun 2025 12:05am - Edited by: GoneCountry
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Thanks for the info everyone. I'm a little worried about the fumes that will linger in the house with oil based even after the siding has airred outside for a week (we have a 17 month old girl in the house so didn't want to chance it)...so I bought a can of Varathane water based polyurethane today and anxious to see how it'll look. Just hoping it will get rid of the chalky bland raw wood look even though the polyurethane is crystal clear.
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MtnDon
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# Posted: 14 Jun 2025 03:01pm - Edited by: MtnDon
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I have no before and after images, but this is a section of our locally sourced T&G ponderosa pine and redwood ceiling today. Minwax polycrylic satin. The redwood is not local  . The pine is actually slightly warmer that the image shows.
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Fanman
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# Posted: 14 Jun 2025 11:01pm
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When we redid our walls with ply-bead (beaded plywood) I wanted to sort of match the color the existing chestnut roof and and exposed log rafters; I used a translucent exterior oil based stain (Cabot "heartwood"). It stunk for a week or so, but I really like the way it came out. Later when I did the last bedroom, the oil based product was no longer available so I used the new water based version, it's not quite as nice but very close (no pic of that room though).
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gcrank1
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# Posted: 15 Jun 2025 08:47am
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Do you have a specific Cabot name and product number for future ref?
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paulz
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# Posted: 15 Jun 2025 10:11am
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Looks great Fanman!
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Fanman
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# Posted: 15 Jun 2025 11:01am
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Quoting: gcrank1 Do you have a specific Cabot name and product number for future ref?
I don't know the number, but it's Cabot Heartwood translucent exterior stain. It comes in both water and oil based versions. I thought the oil version was discontinued when all I could find was the water based, but I've since seen the oil version in stores. It may depend on what state it's sold in.
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DRP
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# Posted: 15 Jun 2025 12:01pm
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Do call the tech phone number on the can before using an exterior product inside. I've had insecticide and mildewcide in those.
and then my mind wanders down that lane, usually boiled linseed oil was cut with turps and often a varnish was added for a wiping finish. The "boil" was to polymerize the oil, originally actually boiled, usually it is chemically polymerized with heavy metals like cobalt and we would often dump in a bit of japan dryer for even more  .
So I guess just be mindful, especially if there is a need, like here with young ones, to really pay attention. The MSDS, material safety data sheet, should be available online for any commercially available finish.
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GoneCountry
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# Posted: 15 Jun 2025 03:48pm - Edited by: GoneCountry
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Sampled the water based polyurethane today and couldn't tell it did anything at all to the wood. Was hoping it would at least make it look wet to give it somewhat of a finished look. Will be returning it back to the store. Definitely going to look into an oil next, like linseed oil as DRP and gcrank1 mentioned...or danish or tung oil.
I prefer something that is going to brighten the wood, not necessarily change the color much...now it's dull and bland. I may still consider oil based polyurethane as I have a big garage to let the siding air before bringing it inside but definitely looking into oils next. Based on my research, tung oil looks to be the best choice for toxic odor concerns. Anyone here used tung oil???
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DRP
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# Posted: 16 Jun 2025 07:30am
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You can build a sheen or gloss with water based poly. 1st coat will soak in and raise the grain. knock that down with 320 grit sandpaper and apply a couple more, then sand lightly, wipe with a tack cloth and apply the top coat.
Chances are you will find tung oil "finish". Pure tung oil is pretty pricey and since people think of it as a drying oil, the finish companies have doctored it until it resembles what people say about it. My favorite go to in that situation is Waterlox, I believe it is tung, varnish, spirits in a wiping finish. Danish oil would be boiled linseed oil (BLO in the lingo), varnish, spirits.
Where I said to apply drops to a piece of glass, that would show a relatively smooth film with the waterlox and a crinkly film with the BLO. The waterlox will look "wetter" where the danish is more buff, to my eye even dry looking. Waterlox is high fume but hardens and clears odor quickly. Danish is lower odor but smells of linseed for longer. Pure tung is slower than that with no vehicle odor just the oil smell for awhile. I think you would be disappointed in a pure tung oil finish but feel free to experiment. I've used it but not in years, I prefer a faster build, tougher finish. I view most of what I read about it as heirloom hype, I build shelter. BLO would be slower still to harden and finally raw linseed which will likely never harden. Never use raw linseed oil, it will not dry, gets gummy and black and in our humidity turns green with mold. It needs help to make it "kick".
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GoneCountry
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# Posted: 1 Jul 2025 12:18am
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UPDATE: I decided to go with oil based polyurethane. I sampled it and it enriched and brightened the wood like I wanted. This car siding will be installed over existing sheetrock...any need to polyurethane the back of the siding???
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Brettny
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# Posted: 1 Jul 2025 06:02am
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I sprayed our pine tongue and groove. I layed all the bottom side up, gave it one light coat, flipped it and gave the front 2 coats with minimal aboit 15min dry time between the 1st and 2nd. Granted this was going on the bottom of my roof so I wanted to seal any possible leaks from getting into the wood.
For your use, over drywall I wouldnt do a back coat. I would apply the poly before its installed. This stuff will move a bit and any cracks may show up with no poly if you spray poly later.
I used the harbor freight electric airless spray gun. I believe it was about $60. I ran 5gal of water based ploy though it with no issues. Il never brush or roll on poly or paint ever again for even a medium sized job.
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DRP
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# Posted: 1 Jul 2025 10:51am - Edited by: DRP
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Always backprime, balance the absorption 
Edit: looking back up the thread I mentioned some of the heavy metal "driers" that have been used through the years to help polymerize oils. I've come across mention of litharge in old finish recipes before but did not know what it was. Anyway, this definition bumped into all kinds of trivia
From the 1909 dictionary
litharge: lead oxide prepared by roasting the metal in air, oxidizing it. As it fuses and solidifies it forms bright reddish yellow scales. It is largely used in the manufacture of flint glass and as a glaze for earthenware. Also in making drying oils, as it accelerates the absorption of oxygen upon which the drying process depends.
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