Solid oak table - nothing fancy, but has served us well for many years. Made up of separate blocks glued together.
It is located pretty closed to a window, and due to that and the constant use over the years has now lost its shine. I am no expert on the matter, but I believe that it was treated with some sort of oil when we bought it - definitely not varnish.
Planning to give it a gentle sanding first, but What should I use to treat it with please? Needs to be safe for food obviously.
TIA.
May have been boiled linseed oil.
that's matt though
I always wipe most of it off after it's soaked in as much as it's going to, leaving just what the wood would have normally looked like, but a little darker and shinier. If you let it pool and shrivel up, it looks like crap, of course :-)
Oddly, I find it works well with old shoes, too.
Danish oil is pretty good for bringing out the grain and making it waterproof. Or beeswax polish if you don't mind a lot of elbow grease.
Depends a bit on the final surface finish you want to achieve.
A mixture of one third oil-based varnish, one third white spirits, and one third danish oil works well and is pretty bullet-proof. You need to apply 5
-10 layers, leaving it for a few minutes before wiping off the surplus. Abo ut 30 minutes later you can add the next layer.
Jonathan
Does this work well with exterior woodwork, too?
Use Epifanes Hard Wood Oil outside. Despite the name it is a varnish
Thanks, I'll write that down somewhere...
:
d one third danish oil works well and is pretty bullet-proof. You need to a pply 5-10 layers, leaving it for a few minutes before wiping off the surplu s. About 30 minutes later you can add the next layer.
Just one point of interest. 'Danish Oil' is not a defined product. Differen t manufacturers use different mixes. Some better than others. It appears to have garnered the same mystical beliefs as 'hand waxed'. All nonsense of c ourse.
one third danish oil works well and is pretty bullet-proof. You need to app ly 5-10 layers, leaving it for a few minutes before wiping off the surplus. About 30 minutes later you can add the next layer.
I don't know. I've never tried it.
Jonathan
The Dutch have independently have several times tested wood coatings for boats. Only Epifanes Hard Wood Oil lasted more than one summer. Ten coats applied to a tiller on my boat lasted 10 years
Oil is a common way of finishing many woods. I use it frequently on projects. The original is probably a Tung oil blend of some kind.
If its an oiled finish, then its usually easy to top up the finish. However you will need to strip any build up of wax or polish first.
Wipe on a coat, leave to sink in for a few mins then wipe off any excess. Wait a few hours for it to dry, and repeat. Do at least 4 coats, but as many as you want to get the amount of lustre you are after. Wax when done. If you apply the wax with the rough side of a nylon kitchen scourer[1] then you will clean off any "nibs" in the finish as well as knocking back the shine a bit to a nice satin finish.
[1] Traditionally 0000 wire wool is used for this stage, but that is not advisable on Oak since there is a possibility that any tiny fragments of metal that get left could react with oak's high tannin content, and cause black stainsNormally a "pure tung oil" is used for that... although how food safe a dining table needs to be is debatable (assuming you are using plates! ;-)
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.