Replies

1. 
   nickbrak | Jan 28, 2021 02:33pm | #1

   oil will look very nice and soaks into the wood a tiny bit, but you will not have a “sacrificial” film on the wood for wearing , so from a wear perspective, you will be rubbing fingers/clothes/stuff directly on the wood. So if you did nothing you will wear off the wood and also the oil that is in the wood. Now the nice thing about the oil finish is you can slap another coat on and bam your done, and the finish has been “restored”. If you want some sort of film you can use the usual poly, shellac, etc that actually forms a film. Again that film will wear out with use too, and it will need to be replaced/restored as well. You just need to consider the “recoating” ability such as shellac and poly.
   Finally, you can apply the oil under your film finish too...

1. 
   ivanjay205 | Jan 28, 2021 04:06pm | #4

   Thanks! That makes sense. In my experience (I have no experience with shellac only poly) it would prob be years before I would see enough before it needs a refinish. But even in that case its a quick sand and a coat or two in most cases....

2. 
   john_c2 | Jan 28, 2021 02:36pm | #2

   I'm not a fan of oil finishes, but many others are. But if you want poly or something on top, don't mess with oil underneath. A couple of coats of dewaxed Sealcoat shellac, and then a couple of coats of poly on top is what I would do.

   What I can say with absolute certainty though, is one coat of Danish oil is not nearly enough. It's not enough on a jewelry box, much less a storage bench that kids will use.

1. 
   ivanjay205 | Jan 28, 2021 04:06pm | #3

   Thanks! That sounded a bit crazy to me as when he said one coat is all it would need I was a bit surprised. I have never tried shellac before. I find that when I use poly it is certainly durable but it also def has a "coated" look to it. But maybe that is not a bad thing for the sake of keeping it looking good for awhile

1. 
   flyfisher111 | Feb 06, 2021 12:40pm | #9

   Like you, I don't like the 'plastic' look that I see with poly. I use plain old alkyd varnish. Its just as tough as poly; many will argue this point, but that's my experience over many projects. It typically dries slower than poly, but you can try Minwax's fast drying varnish as it dries quickly - too fast for me.

   I'm sitting at a desk I did 25 years ago that has 3 coats of varnish and has been used daily. There is significant wear where the mouse travels (no mouse pad), but after 25 years..........

3. 
   muskokalayne | Jan 28, 2021 06:20pm | #5

   If it were me I would use polymerized tung oil, 3 coats. This is what George Nakashima used on walnut and it looks very natural and brings out the rich qualities of the wood. I used this on a hallway bench that sees a lot of use wet jackets etc and have not done anything to it and it has lasted for years. It’s also very easy to add a coat on when it is needed. I find that a film finish will chip and ding and can be hard to re-do when needed. Use shellac inside the bench as oil won’t dry quickly enough and the smell would linger too long.

1. 
   ivanjay205 | Jan 28, 2021 07:24pm | #8

   I didnt even think about finishing the inside but I suspect you are right and I should be doing that too

4. 
   muskokalayne | Jan 28, 2021 06:28pm | #6

   One other thought to add - ask your carpenter to give you a couple of off cuts so you can test whatever finish you’re considering before you finish the bench. Cheers!

1. 
   ivanjay205 | Jan 28, 2021 07:23pm | #7

   Yes that he is going to do. Told him i want all the scraps anyway. Never know how I can use it and I paid for it :)

5. 
   Jkatzowitz | Feb 06, 2021 05:26pm | #10

   If you finish the inside with shellac, which is a good idea, be sure to tell your kids not to store their liquor in there.

6. 
   musicman_1951 | Feb 07, 2021 08:17am | #11

   I've used danish oil on quite a few finishes and it's lovely. For your project I would recommend 4-6 coats for the top. I would use a couple of wash coats of shellac for the inside as the oil would smell for quite a while in there.

   Personally, I would use wipe-on poly. Minwax makes a very reasonably priced version that comes satin or gloss. Start with a heavy coat and finish with a few light coats. I use it very much like an oil finish, wiping most of it off after 15-20 minutes. You can wet sand a coat any time you think it necessary. A wax finish after it's fully dry can be lovely as well.

7. 
   esch5995 | Feb 07, 2021 08:19am | #12

   I would vote for oil for several reasons.

   Less plasticy looking

   Easy to apply flawlessly

   Repairability, a storage bench being used by kids to throw backpacks in and as seating IS going to get nicked up.

   Here is a method I've used in the past to overcome some people's complaints that oil finishes aren't shiny enough, we've become a culture accustomed to shiny commercial finishes on our furniture. I would add that sometimes, on open grained wood like oak and walnut I apply the initial coat using 400 grit sandpaper. The resulting slurry helps fill the pores without needing to use a filler and results in a smoother overall appearance.

   https://www.finewoodworking.com/project-guides/finishing/tips-tricks-getting-sheen-oil-finish