On the waterlox site they have instructions about how to achieve different gloss levels (which they also note are subjective.) There they say to use two coats of the satin over one or two coats of the Original (which is glossier) so it sounds like you're in luck. There a lot of photos on the site so you should get an idea of what it looks like. This is my table with just a few coats of the satin: It looks more reflective here than it appears in real life. Is there any way you can get a sample of the wood with the current finish on it that you can scratch up and then test with the satin? I think it's probably what you're looking for but before you start such a big job... Here is a link that might be useful: Waterlox website

I have experience with Waterlox, which is a mixture of tung oil and resins. It is very easy to apply and makes wood beautiful. It does not completely cover the wood like a thick film of poly, but it does soak in and provide some surface protection. It is also easy to spot repair. The negatives are that is takes about 1 week before you can put the furniture back on, 2-3 weeks for the VOC smells to go away, and around 30 days before you can put the rugs down. So it is best done right before or during a vacation and may not be the best choice for those with severe respiratory impairments. I have not used the low VOC version of Waterlox, just regular in Satin. Tung Oil by itself does not really give the surface of wood much protection. It also requires the use of thinners to work it into the wood. Examples of thinners are mineral spirits or citric based solvents and both have smell issues. Some on this forum have had success with straight tung oil, but it has some limitations in durability for a heavily used floor. I don't know much about Brazilian walnut (IPE) except that it is an extremely hard or dense wood. American black walnut is hot right now both in the USA and overseas. The price of walnut lumber has been going up almost every week for the last few years. The wood has dark brown heartwood and white sapwood and the lumber is often steamed for a more uniform tone and to darker the sapwood. It is hard enough for a flooring meterial, even though it is slightly softer than red oak. Go with a satin or matte finish to mask surface scratches and dings. If you want to see some beautiful countertops with Waterlox finishes, then check out this website: Here is a link that might be useful: DeVos Custom Woodworking

Wow, lots of questions / info here. Exterior - YES, get the Sutherland Welles Exterior (link above) - that's what I would use on that Mahogany door (don't know WHY anyone would stain solid mahogany in the first place). Countertops - YES - DEFINITELY do the bottoms and edges you do not see - one-two good coats on the bottom is fine. The end grain will ALWAYS suck up a lot of any finish - oil or paint. Shine / lustre: My sealer coats from Treehouse Lab had NO shine at all. I chose Medium luster for my finish coats (Sutherland Welles), but they also sell a Low Lustre version. I never did buff the Treehouse Labs stuff though, but a bit of shine did appear after I steel wooled it, so it COULD potentially create a low-lustre finish if you buff it with a rag or car buffer. Tung oil soaking in too fast: That is normal depending on the wood, the temperature / humidity and the percentage of thinner. My really old and well-worn oak floors soaked up the Tung Oil like there's no tomorrow - that was MUCH easier to finish than my new Sassafrass flooring. New wood takes a lot longer because it is not as thirsty - so excess beads up and you MUST remove it or it'll leave ugly spots / blotches. Also, apparently plywood and veneers do not absorb it either - Sutherland Welles sells another kind of surface tung oil for veneers. Just keep applying more coats until it will not drink up the oil after 15-20 minutes. Then use steel wool, apply 2 finish coats and buff with a rag or car buffer. I used 8 coats on my oak floor. Citrus vs. Paint thinner / mineral spirits: They both work. Honestly, the citrus smell is INTENSE and (at least if you do a large surface area) the smell lasted for WEEKS in the house! It was like drowning in one of those pools filled with balls for kids, but if it was filled with oranges instead! I used that for my sealer coats (and would probably do the same on a countertop), but for my Sutherland Welles finish coats I bought the regular version thinned with Mineral Spirits (much cheaper, and if I had to smell anymore oranges I was going to kill someone). I still cleaned my brushes and rags with mineral spirits (originally I tried to save the cheesecloth by rinsing in mineral spirits, but eventually I just switched to cheap lint-free rags and threw them out when they became too saturated because the mineral spirits ended up costing more in both time and money). Raw 100% tung oil. Seriously? I have NEVER heard anyone say that that works - I have only read the opposite - it goes NOT get absorbed at all and it just sits on the surface forming an uneven surface. There are tung oil varnishes that are applied thicker, but I've never used them (Sutherland Welles has TONS of different kinds of Tung Oil for various applications - you really have to spend a long time navigating their site). But, that is a very difficult finish to apply, NOT DIY friendly. Minwax Tung Oil varnish is easy to use and is shiny - but I would NOT use that on a countertop (too many chemical dryers and other additives). Drying rags - just let them sit out on some newspaper and they will turn to "plastic" in 24-48 hours and you can throw them out. You can do this inside or outside. You can't wash them in water - the oil repels water. Some people seal them in a water-filled container before throwing out, but I don't think that's safe because the container can open up at any time. Note that it is not the Tung Oil that is combustible, it is the THINNER! Drying the rag is the same as the wood drying - the thinner evaporates out and leaves just the tung oil (and any additives if you use a varnish) behind.

"Walnut oil does NOT harden into an actual film." Not completely true. Walnut cooking oil will not harden into a film - like any other cooking oil. Polymerized walnut oil will harden into a film just like tung oil or any other polyermized oil. I use polymerized walnut oil on cutting boards. You need to flood the surface and continue applying the oil over a 20-30 minute period and then wipe off the excess. The oil will penetrate the surface and then harden at the final depth it has penetrated. Like any other polymerized oil, this forms the base for the subsequent coats. Reapply the same way another 2-3 times with at least 1-day between applications and you will have a nicely sealed surface. You can wipe the surface with soap and water to clean it, and then just follow up with another light coat of oil. We have a butcher block that has been treated like this for the past 6 years and has a beautiful surface.