Pallmann Magic Oil 2K-Neutral

I am a woodworker, and appreciate a good finish. The product pictured is on #2 Cherry floor 2 years into my kitchen with high traffic. This includes 2 English Setters. Very durable and easy to care for. Am about to finish the balance of my cherry flooring with the same finish. Easy to apply, with a floor buffer and appropriate pads with trowel. Divided the product by weight, (my wife’s kitchen scales) and used half with each coat. Highly recommended if you are looking for a durable finish with matte gloss. No stain applied.

Mixes easily, dries quickly for an oil, smell is not a problem.I little bit of a pain to mix if you are not going to use the whole can, but I worked around that. The ratios are very important. My biggest beef is the price - $150 for a quart is outrageous. I don't think it costs them $5 for the materials... I would use this 5x as much if it were 1/2 the price.

The finish looks beautiful, but we hate the color. The color name is “neutral" and looked as such from the color charts online. However, the color is an orangey/amber color. It is very much the 1990s look. We thought it would dry lighter, but it did not. There is no actual neutral or clear color available. Just be aware. It was our fault for trusting the charts. We also already have scratch marks, but we're hoping we can easily fix those. We thought it would be a little more durable, but we may try putting some polyurethane over it if we get used to the color. It actually looks more orange in person, but picture to the left is after. Picture to the right is before, and the color we wanted to keep.

Love. Love We were leary about using this in our kitchen renovation. Easy to apply and looks BEAUTIFUL. It doesn't scratch like poly or leave water spots. I can't recommend enough.

After doing a lot of research, I decided to use this floor finish on our new red oak floor, and I had a professional hardwood floor contractor apply it. I wanted a natural look and durability, and I wanted to avoid toxic chemicals. I am happy with the look of the floor, as the finish brings out the natural grain. There was no noxious smell when the floor was finished, and it actually has a pleasant odor. However, I was disappointed to see that the floor easily stains. Everything from dirt to food to dog saliva leaves permanent stains. I put a large rug in the kitchen, and it is now surrounded by stains on the uncovered part of the floor. I wanted to avoid having to worry about my floor; when it is time to refinish, I will use something else.

super easy to use. I finished my oak floors that had been untreated for 20+ years. Turned out great! I

I've been using Pallmann Magic 2k on all of my woodworking projects for 10 years. The combo of low VOC, quick drying, and really popping and enhancing the grain of the wood are the best selling points. If you want to read a comprehensive review/guide, do a web search for Naperville Pallmann in your search engine and you can read a very helpful guy's blog where he breaks down application instructions and shows before/after photos.The main difference between a finish like Magic Oil vs. polyurethane, is Magic penetrates into the wood. When there are scratches, the scratches are in the wood. With polyurethane or another type of heavy "film finish", the scratches are in the finish -which gets cloudy over time. It's a trade-off. It's less bullet-proof, but Magic Oil lets you see the natural grain of the wood vs. a glossy, plastic-y layer.To some of the other reviews: any product with oil of any kind will amber the wood it's applied to somewhat. Pallmann will bring out more contrast in the wood than most other finishes (which is why I like it). If you want your wood to appear closer to its natural, raw, "unfinished" color, you have to apply 1-2 coats of the white pigmented Magic oil first. Make sure that your buffing is consistent to avoid blotchiness. The pigment will fill the pores and then you can do a top-coat of the neutral.When it's dry, the white will counteract the natural ambering of the oil and appear raw. Over years though, high traffic areas may wear through the white pigment and look darker.... another trade-off.Also, I've talked to Pallmann reps and the ratio of oil to hardener is not SUPER crucial (obviously, since weight or volume measurements would be different, and the liter can is sold to mixed with exact volume of hardener provided.) The two main tips from the rep were: it's okay to go a little heavy on the hardener if necessary. And, it's really helpful (like, almost vital) to "water-pop" the wood before finishing. That means, just wiping the freshly sanded surface with a damp rag (not flooding it) to raise the grain and open the pores. Then, let it fully dry before finishing.In my experience, freshly sanded wood will absorb 2X! the amount of oil when water-popped vs. dry -so, you get much deeper penetration/protection. I do 2 coats minimum and sometimes as much as 5 coats -but by then there's no more penetration, just adding gloss.

We've used Magic Oil on our kitchen floor and our counter tops (it's food safe!). Gorgeous finish. Very durable. I highly recommend it. Just follow the instructions.