Sanding and oiling doors

[GMM]

Our place has ~40 year old 'hardwood' doors which the previous owners in their infinite wisdom splodged a load of varnish onto, leaving thick streaks and runs. I got the random orbital sander out at the weekend and sanded one down: This has to be one of the best power tool I've bought in recent years, so much better than anything I've used before for a large flattish surface (wish I'd bought a better quality one now!). I gave the door a coat of Danish oil and it looks pretty good to me. Whenever I've used Danish oil before (on eg a table), it has taken multiple ( 5 - 6) coats to get it up to a good uniform finish, but this looks fine after one. So the question is, should I give another coat or two (and risk overdoing it and winding up with a gungy surface) or should I just leave it as is? (I'm sort of wondering if the door will absorb water - or do something that I haven't thought of

- if it's not sealed properly).

Cheers all

[spamlet]

I have one of those chopping boards made out of little squares stuck together. Unfortunately in its habitual position by the sink, no matter how many warnings and attempts to raise it up were made, it always ended up in a puddle of water, with inevitable results. After some time in a drying oven, I filled all the cracks with wood filler and sanded it down nice again.

Then came the water proofing. Now I do not know where this stuff goes but for maybe a week, I poured a pool of Danish oil on it, alternating sides, and it seemed to have an infinite capacity to soak it up! Eventually I did manage to get a smoothish 'varnish' surface, which I then scraped off. This board is only about 18" x 12" x 1.5" and it used most of a bottle of oil - and still needs regular top ups.

So, the answer to your question: if you did get all the varnish off, so that the oil can soak in, I think you are very unlikely to be able to saturate a whole door - and if my chopping board is anything to go by, some water would still find a way in even if you did!

Oh, and I'm very surprised to hear you got a nice finish on a door with a sander: I would have expected it to be scratched to splinters. Scrapers - down the grain - every time for varnish.

S

[SS]

"I poured a pool of Danish oil on it, alternating sides, and it seemed to have an infinite capacity to soak it up! "

Are chopping boards not end grain cubes which would soak up more oil?

[dennis]

Mine isn't, "butchers blocks" are as you describe.

[spamlet]

Yup, but you would still be amazed at how much. I think I used more on this than it took to soak a 4.5ft diameter table - and even that took about a week. If this door is not lying down you'd need to put it in an oil bath to really get it saturated. That's why a lot of these finishes have a wax like carnauba in them as well. But persevering with French polish is well worth the effort for indoor furniture, as the finish is v satisfying.

S S

[spamlet]

Trouble with the non-end grain ones is that they soon become non-flat ones. Then you have to have v curved knives/cleavers to chop anything on them. Once you've tried a good heavy end grain one, you won't want to swap back to your old 'bread board'. That'd be like asking a blacksmith to use a rubber anvil.

S

[dennis]

Yes but mine covers the sink and a decent butchers block would be too heavy. I use a plastic cutting board on top to stop the wood being cut. I have several so meats and veg get done on different boards too.