Natural Plant Varnish Launched at SFMA Exhibition
The first British made natural plant varnish on the market!
Many furniture makers use linseed oil, tung oil, shellac or beeswax (or more than one) on their wood. Natural products for natural timber. But these finishes have limitations. Either they are not water resistant or they dry slowly. And many cabinetmakers decide to use synthetic finishes, ranging from modified linseed oil to pure plastics (acrylic varnish).Using centuries old recipes, one Scottish cabinet maker has sought to recreate old varnishes using only natural plant products. The result has been the Linseed Paint Company, which has been producing natural paints for the last year or two. The paint is for external use. Its elasticity comes into its own when timber moves as it absorbs water and shrinks when it dries out. The paint stretches with it. But this elasticity means the surface isn't that hard and thus far from ideal as a finish for furniture.
Two Tree Varnish is made from the resin of pine trees and the oil of the nut of the Chinese tung tree. With a miniscule amount of metallic drier added, the varnish dries very quickly. Anyone who has used tung oil regularly will be amazed, for the pure oil takes days if not weeks to dry. It doesn't have the toughness of modern varnishes or, indeed, of natural oil varnishes of yesteryear. Unrestrained consumption of natural resources a century ago resulted in the almost complete exhaustion of European prehistoric resin (amber), ancient kauri resin (in New Zealand), and copal (semi-prehistoric resin from South America). Using resin from living conifers is ecologically sound. It also happens to be the only natural commercial alternative.
The SFMA exhibition will see the "launch" of Two Tree Varnish. It will be available for purchase for the first time ever. But, more importantly, small samples of the varnish will be given to the SFMA's top furniture makers to test. But at least three pieces at the show will have been finished with Two Tree Varnish, so you can see for yourself how successful is the first British made natural plant varnish.