Advice need for finishing pine

[273k]

I need some advice on finishing a pine rocking horse. It's very light in colour. The rockers are plywood.
I made it out of recycled timber which has cleaned up quite nicely.

I've given it a couple of coats of the food-safe oil that IKEA sells for their wooden kitchen furniture. I believe it's basically linseed oil. It's effectively clear and I'm not totally happy with the reulsting colour (I'd like it a bit darker). I don't want to stain/varnish it though, I guess I'm just trying to enhance the pine, make it richer if that makes sense? I've been reading about tung oil, and was wondering can this go over the oil I've already applied? I've also got some beeswax lying around which I'd like to use up if possible as I don't do a lot of woodworking. Again, can this be applied over the linseed, or the tung oil for that matter? Would either of these two darken the wood? Is there anything else I should consider?

It's important to me that whatever I use is non-toxic and kid safe. Any suggestions?

Thanks

 

[SeanJ]

as you've applied the oil you have in effect sealed the timber so without stripping it your options are limited, one way to push it darker would be to apply a coat of tinted oil, by tinted i mean mixing a white spirit based wood dye with the oil, probably quit a bit of it, and wiping it off evenly of course. I push our danish oil at work to a medium oak colour sometimes, id say you can persuade the wood colour slightly with it, but nothing like dyeing the actual timber of course. Colouring with wax - aside from antiquing - is not really a good option as you should be taking most of the wax off when you buff it, and it's colour. Argueabley an oil based coloured varnish might suffice, but this would require a very even application and even results could be a challenge.

Sean

 

[AndyT]

In my experience, your simplest option is to wait a few years. As a very broad generalisation, sunlight makes light woods darker and dark woods lighter. The oil you have used won't stop the ultraviolet part of daylight from working on the pale pine.

An easy way to see what I mean is to look at the colour difference on the inside or underside of a piece of furniture.

Maybe worth storing the finished item somewhere with plenty of light, such as a conservatory.

 

[Jacob]

Yes just leave it and it'll darken, but probably variegated with the different materials you are using. What about paint instead?

 

[AndyT]

Yes just leave it and it'll darken, but probably variegated with the different materials you are using. What about paint instead?

Yes, but where can you get rocking horse paint these days? :wink: