Bench help please

[Paul Smith]

Le Tonkinois is very nice stuff!

 

We tend to use an oil finish- either Osmo exterior oils or Liberon clear decking oil which works out a fair bit cheaper.

 

If you want a matt treatment that keeps the rain off and slows down moisture loss and timber cracking you should have a play with Thompsons Water Seal.... impressive stuff.

 

I have used Thompsons on boots and cloths, work very well!

[TrollSpiel]

Cheers!

 

 

I put a thread up about this here http://arbtalk.co.uk/forum/alaskan-mill/29088-clear-exterior-oil-varnish-lasts.html about this.

 

I've never tried lacquers are they complicated to apply? And are they good for outside?

 

 

 

Your elboes will know about it after sanding that bench!

 

Rob. Lacquers outside? cars, yachts, my sea kayak are smothered in the stuff.But I don't know a product that isn't going to suffer some degradation over time - even a wax, in its various ways.

 

Products have moved on since the cracking & yellowing problems of nitrocellulose; there are acryllics, PU, acid & pre-cat lacquers. The water based PU are the hardest, which is what goes on bar tops etc nowadays. You can spray or brush. For me, I want a water clear finish (if it is to stand water, mugs, kitchen worktops etc. There i'd use PU. For lesser durability but not inferior, for dining tables etc, an acid cat.

 

Oils like danish etc, I'm no lover of. Brittle, flakey, yellowey sun-damanged in no time at all. It's all a bit B&Q diy wood finishing for my tastes.

 

This week i'm going to spray a monster gnarly outside bench, of chestnut - I'll post pics.

 

As far as spraying, that's no black art. There's some cheap enough gear out there (packs of compressors & guns <200). experiment on timber you dont want, with ghosting / & wet coats & rubbing out - a little reading will prevent you having mistakes like runs & ridges, orange peel; at the end of the day, it's all done with a fluid wrist & right arm - a technique I'm sure most men have mastered by now in their lives

Edited September 13, 2011 by TrollSpiel

[TrollSpiel]

This man is the holy grail on finishing - just listen to his words. & he puts out some class videos. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkUaVadnYR4]Charles Neil on Finishing - YouTube[/ame]

 

My view on finishing.. I know some guys are just starting to make suff cos they started milling, but your piece you spent all that time & affection on, can be murdered by what you finish it with.

 

Would you french polish a floor? No. You french polish a Louis 14th pedestal desk. On that 12mm european oak floor, you slap on a load of danish oil - cos that's all that stuff is good for (maybe even on a tucked away window sill). I probably wouldn't lacquer a yew top, I'd try and compliment the "butteriness" of the wood with something soft, like wax.

 

Its not only the style of your piece, or its placement; but it's texture, feel, look, that should dictate its finish. Perhaps you don't want all that light wood at the edge, then 'tobacco burst' it (spray) and give that edge a nice dark look, fading in to lighter wood before you lacquer it - that is, using darker bursts to highlight the wilder grains further into the board.

 

you know, the diy stores do a great dis-service to wood finishing, people rush out, pick the first tin of rubbish on the shelves & then slap it over the wood; and when it's dry they think, hmm, doesn't look like it did in my head.

 

research your materials, theres some awesome gear out there.

buy yourself an orbital, and some spraying gear, learn to rub out - then the only obstacle is your imagination.

 

& stay away from diy stores!

 

that's my lecturing views of finishing over :-)

Edited September 13, 2011 by TrollSpiel

[slackbladder]

Hi

The best stuff to use is OSMO wood protector and OSMO poly x oil

they also do an oudoor version and a uv protection version

Truist me its the best stuff invented and a little goes a long way

comes in matt and satin,waterproof

any body else had any experience with this stuff

[TrollSpiel]

you might be right steve.

 

had a look at their website, I'll be ordering a few products myself; & i'm not even slightly put off by the fact that, reading the bio, it was likely invented by yogurt weaving vegetarians who's children have an allergy to everything

[bob]

well that,s the final version.

I used the Osmo stuff in the end:thumbup:

will see how it goes:thumbup:

[TrollSpiel]

Impressive. it certainly gives it the colour. I'll be trying the stuff myself.

 

btw, nice n beefy.

[bob]

Bench Number 2

Osmo stuff is still wet on these pics but just thought I would share:thumbup: