Advice needed - Oil finish for Ash?

I am building a bed out of ash for my son. Most of my projects have been maple or cherry. (I'm using ash for this to match an existing dresser.) I'm really pleased with how workable ash is, and the project has turned out great, but have questions on finishing it. I really like using an oil finish on my projects. Anybody have thoughts or suggestions on this? Some form of Danish oil or Tung oil? Other thoughts? I would appreciate any feedback. Thanks in advance, Ben

Reply to
BM Cooper
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Why not?

Danish oils of various flavors are oil/varnish mixes, so they would give you a bit more stain protection than a strictly oil finish, but not as much as varnish. Doubt you'll need much additional protection on a bed.

That said, you'll want to pay special attention in the wipe off stage of oiling, because ash doesn't exactly wick oil in, and oil left on the surface can remain tacky, with all that implies about being a dirt magnet, for a long time.

Minwax Wood Finish #209 (Natural) was all my dad used on his furniture, and the 50 year stuff is still as nice as the 15 year.

Reply to
George

this past spring i made a set of bunk beds for someone out of ash and i agree it was a great wood to work with. I sprayed three coats of "pre catalyzed varnish" fro woodcraft on them to protect them from the boys that were going to use them. they still look new as of yesterday. i hope this helped

jimmy

Reply to
Jim & Sharon

Oil finishes work on ash like any other wood. As ash has a slightly open grain, you can apply the oil by wet sanding it on, allowing the oil/dust slurry to fill the grain. Try it out on scrap, ash can be a really nice, bright looking wood.

I use it all the time as a substitute for red oak, if the project will be stained. The figure is pretty much identical to oak, but I prefer the working properties of ash.

Barry

Reply to
B a r r y B u r k e J r .

Ash finishes really nicely with oil. Just make sure you have a good surface finish on it beforehand.

If you want a "rustic" quality to it (good for Windsor chairs) then a coloured wax applied beforehand can highlight the open grain. I use brown ochre mixed hot into my usual beeswax recipe, then applied very thinly on a stiff brush and worked well into the grain.

-- Die Gotterspammerung - Junkmail of the Gods

Reply to
Andy Dingley

I used a "Teak Oil Finish" which is just another wiping varnish on the legs of a table I made. Worked great.

Reply to
Larry Bud

Reply to
Joseph Smith

BM, As some others here have pointed out, the grain in ash is very open. And oil will soak in then leach back out of the pores over time. You may have to wipe it several times following your application. Danish oil is a nice finish on ash. I have used it as well as a pore filler and water-clear poly. You may also want to apply several coats of oil allowing each coat to fully dry. And Danish oil smells pretty bad for a short time. So you might want it to cure in the finishing room before moving it into the house.

Best Regards, Philski

BM Co> I am building a bed out of ash for my son. Most of my projects have been

Reply to
Philski

You've got lots of good answers. All I can really add is- I have noticed yellowing when I've used Watco on ash. Not a bad look, mind you, but unexpected. I'm talking, two years after finishing.

And yes, it smells bad, I routinely cure the projects for a week or three, when time permits.

Did you notice any nasty reactions to the ash dust? I generally get a cough that hangs on for a week or two, I have not had that trouble with other woods. I suspect my sloppy housekeeping dosen't do much to help with that. One of these days I'll get a real dust collector.

-Dan V.

Reply to
Dan Valleskey

Thanks for the suggestion. I'm thinking of trying "Watco teak oil" for this. I've never used teak oil, but I tested some on scrap and I like the look. How many coats do you usually apply? Are there special tricks to using teak oil? Do you apply similar to Minwax tung oil? Thanks everyone for all of the great advice! Ben

Reply to
BM Cooper

Reply to
BM Cooper

Finishing oil, teak oil, danish oil - they're all much the same stuff, a mixture of oil, driers, thinners and varnish. Exactly what's in each one depends on the brands, so you have to be specific and not just talk about "danish oil". Get used to what you have available ad make your own decisions about what it's best for.

Teak oil is a thin oil intended to soak into timber and replace natural oils in teak that have been lost by outdoor weathering. They don't build up, so you get a very "natural" but not particularly "finished" effect.

Finishing oils are generally near-plain oils, modified a little to make them easier to apply. They have a thinner and chemical driers to get them onto the timber easily (without over-thick coatings) and to dry reliably afterwards. They're slow to build a finish, but they can do it with enough coats.

Danish oils are a mixture of oil and varnish. Traditionally they're UV-resistant and value longevity over visual quality. They may also have reduced drying, so as to give a more flexible result. Personally I use a Danish oil (Screwfix's) on workshop tool handles, but not anything I care about.

-- Die Gotterspammerung - Junkmail of the Gods

Reply to
Andy Dingley

Try Waterlox. It's tung oil and varnish. I degloss it with steel wool and paste wax. It wipes on and dries quickly. The smell is

1/3 that of Watco and much nicer. Highly recommended.

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Reply to
Larry Jaques

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