Best finish for three plank pine table and chairs

[whatknot]

Hi all

I have a large well used three plank table and chairs, I suppose you would call it farmhouse style, we have enjoyed using for some years, but now with children gone its just to big

Its not had a finish applied to it since it came to us so is fairly bare having just been regularly washed down

Now before putting it up for sale I wanted to give it a finish but am unsure what best to apply

Wax is not hard wearing for a kitchen table, polyurethane varnish perhaps

Any suggestions gratefully received

 

[MikeG.]

Lime it, or paint it with an emulsion and wipe it back off again. Pine will always look like pine, whatever you do with it.

 

[whatknot]

Thanks for that Mike

I can't say I like the sound of it though

Lime or painted sound rather grim

Not looking to change the appearance as such, just liven it up and make it more sellable

What I am looking for is the best (easiest perhaps) to apply to get a better price

I don't see much value in spending time waxing

Lime it, or paint it with an emulsion and wipe it back off again. Pine will always look like pine, whatever you do with it.

 

[sunnybob]

Youre selling it, whats wrong with a coat of clear gloss polyurathane?

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Osmo's probably quickest and easiest.

 

[Jacob]

Raw linseed oil is quickest and cheapest. Takes 2 days to dry though. Will polish up nicely.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I did mention Osmo, but if you pay the better part of £30 a litre, you'll probably have spent half of what it'll fetch in an auction, though.

 

[whatknot]

Thanks for yours

Not discounting it just looking for options, varnish is a bit of a one way street though I was wondering how desirable it would be in varnish but will keep it in mind

Youre selling it, whats wrong with a coat of clear gloss polyurathane?

 

[whatknot]

Funny as I hadn't heard of it until yesterday

Pricey though, I might have used it if I were keeping it

Looks good stuff though

Osmo's probably quickest and easiest.

 

[whatknot]

That is certainly a thought, I may try a test under one of the chairs just to see how it looks

It would be a quick way to do it and I have it already

Raw linseed oil is quickest and cheapest. Takes 2 days to dry though. Will polish up nicely.

 

[Sheffield Tony]

What was it originally finished with ? Whether you have flaking varnish or a residue of wax or oil might have a bearing.

If you are just looking to tart it up for sale, I'd slop on some wax. Maintaining it won't be your problem. I'm sure its value is not going to reward much effort or investment in expensive finishes. For best price though, slop on some paint, knock it about a bit and sell it to an idiot as "distressed" :lol:

 

[Jacob]

That is certainly a thought, I may try a test under one of the chairs just to see how it looks

.......

Raw linseed oil is quickest and cheapest. Takes 2 days to dry though. Will polish up nicely.

it looks oily at first but soaks in and settles very nicely, so give it a day or so. Wipe off excess - it won't harden if too thick - just skins over instead.

 

[ED65]

Raw linseed oil is quickest and cheapest. Takes 2 days to dry though. Will polish up nicely.

It will not. It'll take more like two weeks.

If you are just looking to tart it up for sale, I'd slop on some wax. Maintaining it won't be your problem.

This.

In addition to wax being your safest option (it'll stick to anything and won't peel off or bead as nearly all other finishes might do) wax is an easily reversed thing for the next owner. Also nice and quick for you. And very cheap which doesn't hurt any!

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I wondered that - I wouldn't think BLO would be dry in two days.

 

[Jacob]

Boiled is faster. "Boiled" means having hardeners added but it tends to be more varnish like.
Raw goes off OK in warm room with ventilation, but not if too thickly applied. Can be brushed on freely but then left for a bit (say half hour max to allow to soak in) and wiped off to avoid thick patches or drips - which won't go off for weeks.
2nd coats best delayed for a few days but you probably won't want it on your pine stuff.

 

[MattRoberts]

I've just refinished a pine kitchen table myself, using danish oil and then a couple of coats of water based poly. It's come up a treat.

 

[whatknot]

Thanks for that, I confess I read it as Linseed oil and hadn't noticed the "raw" word ;-)

Still considering options but BLO is one possible which I may try but will also test waxing

I wasn't sure if wax would be very durable for a kitchen table

Raw linseed oil is quickest and cheapest. Takes 2 days to dry though. Will polish up nicely.

It will not. It'll take more like two weeks.

If you are just looking to tart it up for sale, I'd slop on some wax. Maintaining it won't be your problem.

This.

In addition to wax being your safest option (it'll stick to anything and won't peel off or bead as nearly all other finishes might do) wax is an easily reversed thing for the next owner. Also nice and quick for you. And very cheap which doesn't hurt any!

 

[custard]

Raw linseed oil will stink your house out. If your wife opens a kitchen window after frying then forget about raw linseed oil as a furniture finish, she'll never forgive you.

Wax is the least durable and least protective finish, it's okay to apply it over another finish, but on it's own it's not recommended for a table top.

Finishing pine can be tricky because oil based finishes can make it blotchy, and they can also turn pine a sort of fake tan orange. To keep the surface pale and give a reasonable degree of protection think about a water based polyurethane varnish, matt or satin matt is more contemporary, gloss if you like the 1970's knotty pine look.

 

[Jacob]

Raw linseed oil will stink your house out......

Nonsense it hardly smells at all.
One of the big plusses of linseed oil is precisely the lack of VOCs compared to all solvent based varnishes/paints. Though it's got a faint odour so it must evaporate something. You must be thinking of cod liver oil!
NB And it's extremely durable.
PS and not blotchy - it goes on very well, though it may look blotchy for the first half hour or so - then it might need a quick wipe over.
It's out of fashion mainly because it's unprofitable compared to the over-sold magic new/improved formulations of proprietary stuff, but it's very good nevertheless. I just used it to revive a teak veneered scandi-mod type table and it works brilliantly.
PS I often use it half n half with real turps. Not sure why - someone recommended it. Then it does smell strongly of real turps - which anyway is quite nice compared to white spirit, thinners etc.

 

[whatknot]

Thanks for yours

Raw linseed is out as I don't have any and no use for it

I do use BLO for some small items I do

So my wife is used to the smell of that, although it doesn't linger to long

Unlike her whinging about vinegar as I derust items ;-)

Raw linseed oil will stink your house out. If your wife opens a kitchen window after frying then forget about raw linseed oil as a furniture finish, she'll never forgive you.

Wax is the least durable and least protective finish, it's okay to apply it over another finish, but on it's own it's not recommended for a table top.

Finishing pine can be tricky because oil based finishes can make it blotchy, and they can also turn pine a sort of fake tan orange. To keep the surface pale and give a reasonable degree of protection think about a water based polyurethane varnish, matt or satin matt is more contemporary, gloss if you like the 1970's knotty pine look.