Woodwork: Oil, Wax Or Nowt?

[floydraser]

This is the underside of the lovely table from my boat. I am in the process of refinishing the top with varnish but what about underneath? the extending supports are taped to stop them moving while I handle the table but what does the team think I should do, if anything? I have wax and teak oil to hand, and a bottle of something called tung oil which I know not from were it came. I also have a wee bit of gun stock oil left over from my shooting days but probably not enough.

Thanks in anticipation.

[ranworthbreeze]

1 hour ago, floydraser said:

This is the underside of the lovely table from my boat. I am in the process of refinishing the top with varnish but what about underneath? the extending supports are taped to stop them moving while I handle the table but what does the team think I should do, if anything? I have wax and teak oil to hand, and a bottle of something called tung oil which I know not from were it came. I also have a wee bit of gun stock oil left over from my shooting days but probably not enough.

Thanks in anticipation.

I tend to like Danish Oil but to get a good finish you have to use many coats, it can be waxed polished afterwards. 

Have a look at my dresser finished as per above.

[floydraser]

1 hour ago, ranworthbreeze said:

I tend to like Danish Oil but to get a good finish you have to use many coats, it can be waxed polished afterwards. 

Have a look at my dresser finished as per above.

That's lovely Alan, thank you, I'll take it!  Can I have the clock too? Mrs R likes the figures.

[stumpy]

Another vote from me for Danish oil, wiped on with a bit of old T shirt, light rub down between as many coats as you like with 0000 wire wool and jobs a good 'un! Doesn't chip like varnish and a doddle to re-coat.

[grendel]

I used danish oil on my work bench, umpteen layers, so that its now a nice solid bench top and doesnt scuff or mark particularly, if you want a tough finish, danish oil seems yo be the stuff to use

[ChrisB]

2 hours ago, ranworthbreeze said:

I tend to like Danish Oil but to get a good finish you have to use many coats, it can be waxed polished afterwards. 

Have a look at my dresser finished as per above.

I am glad that I am not your daily help Alan! Dusting persons nightmare.

[ranworthbreeze]

Hi Chris,

I tend not to do it too often, it is a case of clearing it all onto the table, dust and wax polish it all and put the china back into place.

Regards

Alan

[floydraser]

2 hours ago, ranworthbreeze said:

Hi Chris,

I tend not to do it too often, it is a case of clearing it all onto the table, dust and wax polish it all and put the china back into place.

And by then it's time to start again. 

[floydraser]

Blimey, what do the Danes put in their oil?

As no one has mentioned it, I presume using Danish oil won't affect the ability of the supports to slide?

I have a space in the saloon under the deck 1300mm x 660mm (h) x 410mm (d). I fancy something like this on rollers to slide out:

 

I'm dreaming of course, although I'd probably get more volunteers of help than I did for the poo pipe. 

[Timbo]

I have an alternative suggestion...Osmo. It's a hardening wax made from natural plant extracts. It's tough stuff formulated by the Germans or Scandinavians to be applied to wooden floors. However, it is food safe, water and stain resistant and very, very easy to apply with a square of vileda sponge or a sponge brush. It is a product used by the canal boating community for finishing interior wood on barges. It comes in a variety of finishes from satin to gloss. The first couple of coats dry very quickly to the touch, we are talking minutes here, and the next couple of coats take a little bit longer. A final period of 12 hours to cure fully before use.

Dip a small piece of vileda washing up sponge in the Osmo and wipe is onto the finished wooden surface. When dry to touch apply the second coat. After the third coat rub down with some 400 grit sandpaper and apply a fourth coat. Let is cure over night. Job done.

I use Osmo on all kinds of woodwork from chopping boards to the safari bar I'm currently firkling with.

Danish Oil is one third white spirit, one third tung oil and one third spirit varnish. You can adjust the quantities to fit the object it's being applied to and where the final object will be used. For something that is going to get a lot of knocks etc I increase the amount of varnish. Again, just apply with a lint free cloth. It's not as tough as Osmo, takes longer to cure although it is cheaper than Osmo.

 

[marshman]

Another one just to confuse - Deks Olje no 1. apply wet on wet 6/7 cots should do the trick and it dries to a nice matt finish Dries fairly quickly too.

[JennyMorgan]

Deks Olje for me too, Danish Oil can go dark on interior work.

[annv]

Hi Floyd I use Teak oil on my wood tables no problems just brush it on. John

[floydraser]

Wow. Who would have thought there could be so many ways to finish a bit of wood! And not one I've heard of yet!

Thanks for all the suggestions guys, much appreciated. Being the underside I was thinking more about preservation and helping it survive another 50 years service. 

[JennyMorgan]

Being undersides, e.g. underside of decks, furniture etc, I was always taught to leave it untreated so the wood could breath. The decks on my daugter's RCC are over a hundred years old now and are as naked as the day they were laid. I have furniture at home that is even older, likewise untreated where it is not normally visible.

[JennyMorgan]

Just a thought, one old Suffolk boy I worked with, as good a boat builder as any, finished his interior woodwork off with cooking oil! Can't remember if he fried an egg in it first but his work always looked good.

I have several bits of once fashionable Danish teak work from the 1970s and the instructions that came with them was to occasionally wipe with cooking oil so it's not just a far fetched suggestion.

[MauriceMynah]

Don't forget to take the egg out before applying!

[floydraser]

Thank you again, now we've seen votes for all three options and for the first time in my life I can't be wrong! 

Peter, did you ever see this old Suffolk boy apply cooking oil or did he just tell you that's what he did?  

I can't see the chucky egg making any difference, however frying up a nice bit of bacon, Norfolk turkey sausage and black pud would add fat to the oil? I'll try it and let you know how it smells. Every meal will seem like breakfast! 

 

[JanetAnne]

36 minutes ago, floydraser said:

Thank you again, now we've seen votes for all three options and for the first time in my life I can't be wrong! 

Peter, did you ever see this old Suffolk boy apply cooking oil or did he just tell you that's what he did?  

I can't see the chucky egg making any difference, however frying up a nice bit of bacon, Norfolk turkey sausage and black pud would add fat to the oil? I'll try it and let you know how it smells. Every meal will seem like breakfast! 

 

My other half uses sunflower oil on our solid wood kitchen worktops and has done for years since we ran out of the proper stuff by accident and she googled for alternatives.

 

 

[JennyMorgan]

53 minutes ago, floydraser said:

Peter, did you ever see this old Suffolk boy apply cooking oil or did he just tell you that's what he did?

I did and have done so myself on several occasions since, not least as JA's better half does. Not because we ran out of 'the proper stuff' but because that was what the instructions on the product said. I haven't tried it on wood that is subject to weathering though.

As the saying goes, suck it and see.

[grendel]

when you consider linseed oil is just another vegetable oil, it kinda makes sense.

[floydraser]

The tung oil I found is a 500ml bottle by Liberon. I've used it on the vintage back rest which has now come up a treat.

While I'm here: I've finished applying the varnish to the table topsides, how does the team think raw varnish should be finished after a hardening period?

[JennyMorgan]

26 minutes ago, floydraser said:

how does the team think raw varnish should be finished after a hardening period?

If well applied that should be it! If not then lightly wire wool and recoat,

If I were doing the top of a table, I wouldn't hesitate, West epoxy. Quick and will surely outlast varnish big time!

[Paul]

if you're varnishing the top I see no reason to do anything other than varnish the bottom.

[MauriceMynah]

I've had an idea (I do have them from time to time) which involves me creating a plywood shelf in the stern saloon. The main purpose for this shelf will be to put ones glass on whilst having one of the rare libations likely to be had onboard Nyx.

Now, this thread has been talking about oils waxes and varnishes. What I need to find out are two things. Firstly which is the easiest one to use, and what is the simplest procedure from start to finish. The required end result is a medium to gloss finish that is durable and resists the rings left when someone is less than careful with their drink!