I just finished building a 36" X 84" workbench top made of steam treated European beech. I would like to use the best finish for it that will darken the wood the least. It is a very pale color just sanded, but I tried Watco oil on a scrap and it looks almost as dark as mahogony. Any suggestions for what will give goodotection without darkening the wood so much?
Thanks
While it's a matter of personal preference, a combination that gets a lot of use on workbenches is two parts boiled linseed oil mixed with one part turpentine.
On 25 Nov 2003 15:08:46 -0800, snipped-for-privacy@aol.com (Carol) brought forth from the murky depths:
Try some good old Johnson's paste wax. It doesn't darken wood nearly as much as oils do. A single application won't make the bench too slippery but it will allow glue drips to be removed easily.
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I used a pale pine, finished with several coats of shellac. I used orange, which does give an orange tint, but you should use blond. Then rubbed in several coats of soya bean oil (once a day for a week, once a week for a month, once a month for a year, once a year forever) It looks very nice, and neither PVA nor epoxy dribbles stick to it.
Barry Lennox
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