Todays flavor was gray oil based porch floor paint with a floor sander
Jim is right, film forming finishes can make a composting bag for green timbers, Sikkens is particular about being under 19% for that reason. I've seen it and poly come off green timbers in sheets, the vaporizing moisture blew it right off.
Shellac would qualify as film forming. Sanding, not finish build, is how to smooth wood. An Osborne brush does a pretty good job of smoothing hewn or rough sawn wood without removing the character. It is a cup type brush like a wire cup with abrasive embedded nylon bristles. I used one to clean up an old log cabin and was quite pleased with the results.
Land Ark is pine rosin and other "natural" resins and oils that make a breathable finish that is water repellant. What you are shooting for normally in large timbers with unknown moisture inside is a finish that will repel water droplets but will allow water vapor to escape. In log construction where the timber is exposed, bulk water can often enter through a check. It takes alot of "breathability" to let that amount of vapor back out before it raises the moisture content of the wood into the danger zone. Any of their finishes should do a good job on a timberframe also.
If you know a timber is dry and will stay that way, your old barn beams in an enclosed structure, then there is reason to use a tough film forming finish. Mrs powderpost beetle can't bite through the finish to uncap cells to poke her ovipositor in.
