Hello, Fellow Knotheads,
I’m using Danish oil as a finish for my bench top. I’m doing the finishing in the garage. I have two coats on already. It’s cool and damp out today. Shall I continue with another coat or wait for warmer weather?
Cool is about 68-70 degrees. Light intermittent mist.
Jonnieboy
Replies
Mist implies damp and THAT is not your friend. I find that cool is not a problem but anything over 70% RH is a killer.
Dave,
Yes, it's very humid, so I'll wait. Thanks!
jonnieboy
That mid-west humidity, eh JB?? If you were in a pinch, you could try my technique of setting up a couple of big halogen work-lights blazing across the workpiece. Not to close, of course, but it sure warms things up and (I think) cuts the dampness a bit.
Forestgirl,
I got the midwest blues, and I miss Oregon so. much.
Thanks for the light suggestion. I'll be patient and let the weather straighten out. It's not like this project hasn't taken about eight months already.
It makes me wonder where I'll do finishing this winter, though. The garage is attached and doesn't get all that cold, but still. Halogen, I guess.
--jonnieboy
jonnieboy,
I was just responding with regard to the top, you can wax everythang else if ye wanna.
It makes me wonder where I'll do finishing this winter, though.
Ahhh, now winter is the time for me to practice carving, research/plan new projects, get on Knots and debate sharpening and planes, learn a new skill. Huh, why not some shellacing - not to be confused with planes or sharpening though. Think French Polish.
It doesn't smell bad and the smell doesn't last very long either. Just don't make a whole bunch of thangs or you'll be spending the warm weather putting finish on.
All kinds of things to do,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Well, I like French toast. Why not French polish? Can I put cinnamon in it?
I'm changing gears myself after nearing completion on the bench project and all that entailed.
It's time for the wiring upgrade, and shelves, and cabinets. You just wait! It's going to be so great!
I won't know what to do without taking that fourth step into the shop in a really long stride to clear the boxes of screws and nails, and the odd assortment of wrenches that fit nothing. And how did that pile ever become a "safe" place for the box of more precise measuring tools? A strange sort of default, I guess. But not for long.
Oh yeah, wax on the bench top. Don't know how that's not supposed to make things a little too slick, but they say it doesn't.
-Jonnieboy
I like the halogen lamp idea but have you ever had a problem where the finish coat "skins over", trapping wet finish underneath?I had this happen once to a dinghy deck, probably because of a breeze. It was not amusing!
The "skinning" could certainly be a problem, but I don't put the lamps really close to the project, I just try to get a nice warm "surround" going.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
What "Danish Oil" are you referring to? Most danish oil is just an oil/varnish mixture which you can make yourself. Humidity will not have any affect on its application, Danish oil you just slather on, let set for 15-20 minutes and then wipe dry. Then do it again the next day. More than two coats is not a good idea. Oil/varnish is a penetrating finish but the varnish component will seal the surface preventing any further penetration after two coats.
Is this a workbench? If so, the following may be of assistance:
A film finish (lacquer, shellac, varnish, poly varnish) is not the way to finish a workbench top. A workbench is going to get dinged and film finishes will crack or craze or be otherwise damaged. Once a film finish is penetrated, it looses its effectiveness and adjacent areas begin to fail. No treatment is going to make a soft wood benchtop harder. I much favor a "in the wood finish". Here are two that lots of folks find effective.
First, is an boiled linseed oil and wax finish. Sand the surface to 180 grit. Mix paraffin or bees wax into heated boiled linseed oil. USE A DOUBLE BOILER TO HEAT THE OIL. The ratio is not critical but about 5-6 parts of boiled linseed oil in a double boiler with one part paraffin or beeswax shaved in. Take it off the stove. Thin this mixture about 50/50 with mineral spirits to make a heavy cream like liquid. Apply this mixture to the benchtop liberally and allow to set overnight. Do it again the next day and again the following day if the top continues to absorb it. After a final overnight, lightly scrape off any excess wax and buff. This finish will minimize the absorbsion of any water and you can use a damp rag to wipe up any glue excess. Dried glue will pop right off the surface. Renewal or repair is easy. Just use a scraper to remove and hardened stuff, wipe down with mineral spirits using a 3/0 steel wool pad (a non-woven green or gray abrasive pad is better), wipe off the gunk and apply another coat of mineral oil/wax mixture.
My personal preference is for an oil/varnish mixture treatment. Either use Minwax Tung Oil Finish, Minwax Antique oil or a homebrew of equal parts of boiled linseed oil, your favorite varnish or poly varnish and mineral spirits. Sand the benchtop up to 180 grit. Apply the mixture heavily and keep it wet for 15-30 minutes. Wipe off any excess completely. Let it dry overnight and the next day, apply another coat using a gray non-woven abrasive pad. Let it set and then wipe off any excess. Let this dry 48-72 hours. To prevent glue from sticking apply a coat of furniture paste wax and you're done. This treatment is somewhat more protective than the wax and mineral oil as the varnish component adds some protection from not only water both some other chemicals also. The waxing makes the surface a little more impervious to water so you can wipe up any liquid adhesive. It also allows hardened adhesive to be scraped off. Repair and renewal is easy. Just go through the same scraping, wiping down with mineral spirits and reapplication of the BLO/varnish/mineral spirits mixture and an application of paste wax.
Both of the above treatments are quite protective but are easy to maintain and renew. They do not fail when the surface takes a ding.
Howie,
Thanks for the recipes. As I say, I've already applied two coats. I used Watco Natural colored Danish oil. Oil/varnish blend, right?
I researched and read and read researched some more and it all left me very confused. I scoured workbench videos to see if I could catch what they used as a finish. I was considering a five- or six-step (!) grain-filling and dying procedure but dropped that idea as too difficult to maintain.
I'm sure anyone who's done any finishing has seen all the contradictory information out there.
I finally settled on a Sal Marino (antique restorer) recipe, which is basically to wet-sand the first coat to a slurry to help seal the pores. Again here, I found totally opposing views on this method. Don't know if it will work for any length of time or stand up to use/abuse, but so far I'm happy with the way the grain filled in and the degree of smoothness. It's not a 'glass finish' by any means, but I didn't want that. Smooth but not slippery was what I was looking for.
The bench top is a store-bought laminated oak, and it did bleed oil back, but not drastically
I will most definitely save these recipes for future reference. Right now though, I could use suggestions on a wax or wax recipe to apply over the top of the Danish oil. Hint, hint.
--jonnieboy
jonnie,Howie is right. You're way over thinking the finishing of a work bench. Sealing the pores with a wet sanding slurry? Not necessary. His suggestion of two very thin applications (wipe ALL the wet finish off the surface before it starts to set up) followed by an optional furniture wax coat is fine. I wouldn't even use the furniture wax.The finish is to allow you to wipe spills off the wood fairly easily, and seal it sufficiently to prevent absorption of dirt, skin oils, other oils, excess moisture, etc.But you are going to be scraping the top from time to time, occasionally planing it to keep it true and flat. Forget any elaborate finishing schedule.There are many experienced woodworkers who give their benches a wipe down with boiled linseed oil once in a while, especially after scraping or planing the surface and that's it. All that's needed.It's a work bench, not a dining room table. And often, spending a lot of time on a workbench putting on an elaborate finish puts you in a mind set to be timid about using it properly, lest you mar the finish!Rich
>> I used Watco Natural colored Danish oil. Oil/varnish blend, right?Yeah, it's minimally OK. Watco has very little varnish in its mixture. It's almost totally mineral spirits with linseed oil and then just a dab of varnish. Making your own allows you to use more varnish which is the only component that really provides any protection..As to a wax, use any furniture paste wax you have. I'm slowly working myself through two cans of Johnson Wax. I've used Minwax, Trewax, and a number of others. I find little practical difference in any of them.Howie.........
Wouldn't the wax make for a slippery surface? I'd be inclined to avoid it especially where you have filled the pores already. Just my 2¢.
Regards,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Edited 8/28/2009 9:23 am ET by KiddervilleAcres
Hey, Bob. How goes it?
Re:wax. I really don't want to change course now on this finish. I'll save the wax and other suggestions for another project. I value the suggestions, and there will be plenty of opportunity down the road to use them.
It's funny, I'm all nervous beforehand, but once I actually start applying a finish I get all bold.
"Hey, I'll just paint some fleur de lis in the corners here! What's so hard about this?"
There's nothing like experience, and I know I lacks it.
--jonnieboy
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled