Replies

1. 
   Westchester | Mar 29, 2013 06:05am | #1

   Favorites

   For natural finish = BLO, and top coat of shellac sealer - lacquer top coat.  For stained finish substitute water dye stain for BLO.

   SA

2. 
   hackmeister | Apr 01, 2013 12:08am | #2

   Staining Oak: Watco of all things

   Actually, Watco medium and dark walnut work well as a stain for oak.  Dark walnut, in particular, gives a nice turn of the century look.  Applying it just like a stain with a rag lets you control the color.  I like finishing it with a dewaxed shellac, the amber color helps warm the look and gives better protection than just the Watco (I don't like Watco as finish).

   I don't think dye stains highlight the contrast of the ray fleck enough, and pigment stains sometimes don't penetrate the rays enough, making for too much contrast.  The Watco walnut colors seems to be a good balance.

3. 
   AnselmFraser | Apr 24, 2013 01:51pm | #3

   Oil Finishes

   On this side of the pond  we use stuff called Osmo Oil  , it is very good  but our favourite finish is boiled linseed oil 60% and natural turpentine  40% mix it up and pour on a liberal coat  , wipe it over the oak and then take the excess off half an hour later  . Beautiful finish and easy to do , we give the customer a bottle of our  "special oil " and when they feel that the piece of furniture needs a bit more care they can easily apply a coat themselves , it makes them   "bond " with the piece  !  Over time this makes a totally waterproof surface .   This finish is totally time tested it has been used in the UK for hundreds of years , the old saying was "put the oil on once a day ,once a week ,once a month , once 1/2 year  then once every 2 or 3 years....... Good luck !

1. 
   SteveSchoene | Apr 28, 2013 09:49am | #4

   BLO is not a satisfactory finish.  It's value is in enhancing figure, but it never offers meaningful protection.  It does NOT become waterproof.  You can achieve very similar "in the wood" look with mix oil and varnish which will have more protection and needs less often refreshing.

2. 
   roc | Apr 28, 2013 01:48pm | #5

   Coulda sworn I heard the rattle of sabers ?

   Distant cannon perhaps.

   Well . . . you know me . . . well the regulars do . . . aaaaah . . . lets not go there right now.  I'm sorry . . . I didn't know . . . I was young . . . (ish) . . . and inexperienced . . . I've paid my debt . . .

   :   )

   Any way I usually hang on every word Steve says and agree with him and follow him around (the forum) and learn from him.  God . . . I sound like a fan boy.

   But . . .

   arguing with an Englishman about how to finish oak . . .

    . . . it is oak we are talking about . . . O A K ?

   Well sir . . . that takes cojones.

   What do I know I put shellac on my dinning table.

    PS: It just occurred . . .

   . . . oil paintings on canvas.  That is ground up dirt, well minerals, and what else ?

   hmmm . . . oh yah oil.  What kind of oil ?  hmmmm . . . linseed usually.  Am I right ?

   Stand oil.  That is pretty close to boiled linseed oil.  The difference being it doesn't have those awful metallic catalytic driers in it that we are always arguing about.

   sooo . . . the oil in the oil paint doesn't dry as "WELL" or as quickly as the BLO.

   And yet.  And yet I know from being around this stuff for the last fifteen years and more that Queenmasteroftheuniverseandbabybunnytrainer's oil paintings , eventually, set up and dry just like plastic.  I bet if you put the stuff on a linen cloth hulled boat and let it dry for a year you could row across the Thames in't.

   B . . . U . . . T . . .  we are getting off the mark.  The OP just wanted a pretty boat errrr I mean oak board.