My wife and I bought a large pine unit for the kitchen. Eventually we plan to install all pine. My question is about the best finish for the top. I think it has been waxed or polished. My son left some water on a part of it and it has slightly lightened the area. Should I wash it all down and refinish? What would be the best finish for it? Thanks in advance!
Finishing old pine
- Thread starter Davegree
- Start date
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I should add the idea is to warm it up, not get it HOT as this may damage the finish. Sometimes the lighter marks can be moisture trapped under the finish.
I found out about this quite a few years ago when a hot tea cup left a ring on a customers expensive looking table and instant panic set in
a quick google and 2 minutes later it was gone
I found out about this quite a few years ago when a hot tea cup left a ring on a customers expensive looking table and instant panic set in
a quick google and 2 minutes later it was goneThanks, I’ll give this a go! What about finishing. I heard about Osmo, but never tried it? Another option is Danish oil, again never tried it.I should add the idea is to warm it up, not get it HOT as this may damage the finish. Sometimes the lighter marks can be moisture trapped under the finish.
I found out about this quite a few years ago when a hot tea cup left a ring on a customers expensive looking table and instant panic set in
Droogs
Not the Sharpest Moderator in the box
From your description, it sounds like you have bought an old pine Welsh Dresser. It probably has just a wax finish on it, which is great but and there are 2 buts, and they are:
a. The piece has probably been polished to death over the years with Pledge etc and this is not good as it will now be covered in silicon which will react/interfere with any finish you decide to use. So you probably want to consider just stripping it to bare wood anyway unless you want to keep any patina that has built up, then you need a light sanding 400g over the whole piece and a clean done with some acetone damped rags.
b. wax can look great and be as shinny as you want, depending on how much elbow grease you are prepared to put in and it is easily repairable. Water ring are no problem at all, just a splash of lighter fluid over the top of it and light it - give it a few seconds and blow it out when the ring disappears. Let it cool a little and apply fresh wax. The But is remember it is not a waterproof finish merely repellent and does not like hot things on it at all.
If you go the route of putting on an oil finish then you will have to go back to bare wood (as you don't really know what is on it) starting with 120g and then working up to 320g not skipping any grits in between as each is needed to remove the scratches from the previous lower grit. Then you need to flash off with some acetone to get rid of the larger dust particles without raising the grain and then go over the whole piece with a tack rag. Once done apply your oil. For the best results you should follow the old maxim about the application rate for a new piece "Once a day for a week, once a week for a month and then once a month for a year." When you put it on leave it for around 20 to 30 mins (surrounding temp dependant) and wipe off.
DO NOT PUT OILY RAGS IN BIN - lay them out flat outside to dry or hang on washing line until dry. There is a high risk of the oily rags spontaneously combusting and burning the house down.
a. The piece has probably been polished to death over the years with Pledge etc and this is not good as it will now be covered in silicon which will react/interfere with any finish you decide to use. So you probably want to consider just stripping it to bare wood anyway unless you want to keep any patina that has built up, then you need a light sanding 400g over the whole piece and a clean done with some acetone damped rags.
b. wax can look great and be as shinny as you want, depending on how much elbow grease you are prepared to put in and it is easily repairable. Water ring are no problem at all, just a splash of lighter fluid over the top of it and light it - give it a few seconds and blow it out when the ring disappears. Let it cool a little and apply fresh wax. The But is remember it is not a waterproof finish merely repellent and does not like hot things on it at all.
If you go the route of putting on an oil finish then you will have to go back to bare wood (as you don't really know what is on it) starting with 120g and then working up to 320g not skipping any grits in between as each is needed to remove the scratches from the previous lower grit. Then you need to flash off with some acetone to get rid of the larger dust particles without raising the grain and then go over the whole piece with a tack rag. Once done apply your oil. For the best results you should follow the old maxim about the application rate for a new piece "Once a day for a week, once a week for a month and then once a month for a year." When you put it on leave it for around 20 to 30 mins (surrounding temp dependant) and wipe off.
DO NOT PUT OILY RAGS IN BIN - lay them out flat outside to dry or hang on washing line until dry. There is a high risk of the oily rags spontaneously combusting and burning the house down.
To use a different finish you'll need to remove the existing. Osmo finishes are very good and easy to use. I used Osmo top wax on a customers worktops recently and was impressed it looks like it will wear better than the oil I have used before which is still good stuff.
Molynoox
Established Member
that is some incredible depth of knowledge there!
Thanks, that’s a brilliant reply and I appreciate the time!
Agree with the above. After removing the old finish I would use Osmo. I have put it onto scores of worktops over the past 10 years and never had a problem. It is a great product. You don’t need any particular skill to put it down: but you do need good ventilation. It is heat resistant and most importantly food safe. Also, if the worktop is later damaged in any way you can make your repair and you only need to refinish the repaired area and not the entire surface.
I realise this is for your own house but as a side note the best thing about Osmo for me is that I am control of the finish of the worktop I install. If you lay down some Danish oil - which does look good and is also certified food-safe - it is in the hands of the customer to keep it maintained with the ongoing reapplications. In my experience it doesn’t take long for many customers to completely forget about maintenance on an oiled worktop and several years down the line the scuzzy finish will somehow be unfairly attributed to the installer. Finally, if you are going to use a wax finish in a kitchen make sure it is food-safe.
I realise this is for your own house but as a side note the best thing about Osmo for me is that I am control of the finish of the worktop I install. If you lay down some Danish oil - which does look good and is also certified food-safe - it is in the hands of the customer to keep it maintained with the ongoing reapplications. In my experience it doesn’t take long for many customers to completely forget about maintenance on an oiled worktop and several years down the line the scuzzy finish will somehow be unfairly attributed to the installer. Finally, if you are going to use a wax finish in a kitchen make sure it is food-safe.
maryaswoodworker
Member
Osmo should work for you providing the preparation is good.
Osmo Top Oil is designed to absorb deep into the wood, leaving a flexible, micro porous, waxed finish, which protects and maintains the natural beauty of the wood. It protects against normal household liquids including water, wine, beer, fruit juice, tea, coffee and many more, yet still leaving the wood with a natural look and feel.
It is toy safe, conforming to EN71.3 and food safe to EN1186 part 5/14
Osmo Top Oil is designed to absorb deep into the wood, leaving a flexible, micro porous, waxed finish, which protects and maintains the natural beauty of the wood. It protects against normal household liquids including water, wine, beer, fruit juice, tea, coffee and many more, yet still leaving the wood with a natural look and feel.
It is toy safe, conforming to EN71.3 and food safe to EN1186 part 5/14
