Help wanted for oiling first table

[rich.h]

I'm getting towards the finishing stages of a small handmade table project for my woodwork evening course. The wood used is just cheap softwood from the local timber yard, having seen the store room in the back of the collage I can see they are simply buying 6x3 timbers and ripping them to suit, so I would guess it is pine.

I'm at the stage where I have only the top surface section to sand down, and each piece has been sanding from 40-240 grit progressively. I intended to give it as a gift and so don't want to leave the wood bare as it wouldn't last too long. Rather than splashing on paint I would like to get a good finish and oiling seems a better option than varnish. After abit of reading I think Danish oil could be my best option but any better oil suggestions would be welcome?

So my main issue here is that currently the table is still in pieces and ready to glue up, but should I oil all the parts first and then glue up or oil up a fully made table?

My other issue is tips on how to fix a mistake on my part. The brace for the legs has been made with two pieces with a halved joint, initially I was lucky and this fitted perfectly first time, however in a sanding trance I accidently sanded down the sections that overlap on both pieces. Now I have a joint that only just makes contact and is far from tight. Any tips on how I can bulk it out a little so as to ensure a snug fit once more? There is around a 1.5mm gap now split between either side of the joint.

 

[MARK.B.]

Cant help with the finish Rich but perhaps the use of a polyurathane glue such as gorrila glue would work as it expands ( just started using it a few weeks ago and find it works really well on ahem ahem minor lapses of attention #-o ), A little goes a long way and clean up with a sharp chisel is easy. Not a expert on these matters but it works for me

 

[Hudson Carpentry]

Expanding glue is good but not as strong as decent carpenters glues and the larger the gaps the weaker it gets.

Your options are:

Bodge.
Expanding glue and some pegs like on a pegged m&t joint. Fit the pegs while gluing up and if you wish not to see them or don't want to do it to all drive them in from the unseen side. Instead of pegs you could use a floating m&t, biscuits etc.

Repair.
Cut the half lap joints down more to create say a 6mm gap. Sandwich a 6mm filler piece in between the two.

Replace.
Simply do them again.

Regarding oil before glue up, don't. You will create weaker glue joints, visible glue lines and any glue you need to clean up after will ruining the finish.

 

[tekno.mage]

Regarding the finish, I would use a hardwax oil like Osmo Top Oil. I made some furniture with some friend a year or so back and we used Osmo Oil on cheap pine and it worked really well. Hardwax oils repell water and hot liquids surprisingly well - to the extent that hot coffee rings just wipe off the surface and don't leave a mark. You need to apply 2 thin coats (I usually put on with a brush, then wipe off the excess with paper towels) leaving at good 24 hours between each. The finish will be matte/satin and really enances the wood grain.

Can't help you with the repair, I'm afraid. I'd finish & assemble the table before applying the oil, BTW. I used Titebond extended PVA glue for the furniture I made. It dries quite hard and is easy to sand when dry, but it is important to wipe away all excess glue with a wey sponge before it dries.

 

[Woodfinish Man]

Kym,

Can I ask, is the Osmo Top Oil a thin version of their Polyx HWO?

The reason I ask is that I always presumed that to be the case and therefore have never stocked it.

Cheers
Ian

 

[tekno.mage]

It's not really any thinner than the standard Polyx Oil - but if you read their documentation the Polyx Oil is intended for floors, and the Top Oil for worktops.

I've tried both types on turned items & flatwork and found they perform in a similar way in terms of durability and ease of use. I tend to buy the Top Oil myself as I prefer the style of packaging it comes in (tin with a small screw on lid rather than the traditional paint tin style tin.

Having said all that - the last tin of Top Oil I bought a couple of months ago was clearly labelled "food safe" with various standards numbers (previous ones were not so labelled, although I don't think what is in the tin has changed) which is of great interest to anyone using it for bowls, boards and any other surfaces used for food preparation.

I would imagine (but have not actually tested this myself) that the Polyx Oil may be more durable in terms of abrasion resistance (as it is intended for floors which get walked on and worn) and the Top Oil may be better in terms of hot liquid & food resistance (as it is intended for kitchen worktops). I used Top Oil on my coffee table and that certainly resisted hot coffee spills very well!

BTW - the external grade Osmo Oil is a completely different beast - and seems thicker and darker in colour than Polyx or Top Oil, it also takes much longer to dry.

 

[RogerS]

How long before the smell of HWO wears off?

 

[tekno.mage]

Once it's properly cured, HWO doesn't really have a smell. If there is a strong smell I'd suggest it may be touch dry but not properly cured. In cool damp conditions (such as current weather in the UK) it can take several days to properly cure - depending on number & thickness of the coats applied. Try moving your item into a warm, ventilated place to help speed things up.

 

[RogerS]

Once it's properly cured, HWO doesn't really have a smell. If there is a strong smell I'd suggest it may be touch dry but not properly cured. In cool damp conditions (such as current weather in the UK) it can take several days to properly cure - depending on number & thickness of the coats applied. Try moving your item into a warm, ventilated place to help speed things up.

It's only on a small test sample....of ash, as it happens. I've never been a fan of oils, to be honest. Thin coat. Warm workshop. Three days on. Still stinks. Just hope the client doesn't want that finish otherwise I can see me throwing up in the workshop

 

[tekno.mage]

It's only on a small test sample....of ash, as it happens. I've never been a fan of oils, to be honest. Thin coat. Warm workshop. Three days on. Still stinks. Just hope the client doesn't want that finish otherwise I can see me throwing up in the workshop

That's odd. I should perhaps ask what kind of HWO you are using - I've only used the Osmo and Chestnut versions myself and never found a lasting smell on any wood (inclusing ash) with either. What does your HWO smell of? When in the tin both the Osmo & Chestnut versions smell mostly of solvent (ie white spirit) to me - and this disappears completely as the oil cures.

If you have a strong smell with a small sample patch after three days in a warm workshop, this does not sound quite right - unless you have a very small workshop & left the item in there with all doors & windows closed for the 3 days with no ventilation - which could allow the solvent from the oil to evapourate into the air and just stay there, waiting for you to come in and smell it. If this is the case take your sample somewhere with good ventilation and see if the smell disappears then.

 

[RogerS]

It's chestnut. A very small sample. Admittedly I have to hold it up close to my nose but the smell is nauseous.

 

[tekno.mage]

It may be that there is some ingrediant in the Chestnut version that has a smell you are sensitive to. Having gone and checked my own tins of both Osmo & Chestnut, they do smell slightly different to me - but the over-riding smell of both is that of the solvent. I have some items I finished with Chestnut HWO a few months ago and they have no smell at all now. You could try the Osmo version - there are small tester cans of Osmo oil available for around a fiver.

 

[Crooked Tree]

Agree that the main smell is solvent from Osmo HWO and Fiddes HWO. Not so fumey as gloss paint, for example.

As to the original question (this may be too late now anyway): it is a good idea to apply a coat of finish before glue-up, since this prevents any squeeze out or errors from marking the timber and allows it to be wiped off easily. Otherwise, you can find marks appearing over time. Apply the 2nd coat of HWO after assembly.

 

[RogerS]

It may be that there is some ingrediant in the Chestnut version that has a smell you are sensitive to. Having gone and checked my own tins of both Osmo & Chestnut, they do smell slightly different to me - but the over-riding smell of both is that of the solvent. I have some items I finished with Chestnut HWO a few months ago and they have no smell at all now. You could try the Osmo version - there are small tester cans of Osmo oil available for around a fiver.

Little smell of solvent, tbh, in the Chestnut Oil....more like really bad massage oil.

 

[tekno.mage]

Not sure what massage oil smells like. How old is your oil, and how thick and gloopy? I had to thin mine a little when it started going really thick in the tin (more like golden syrup than a finishing oil!) - which may be why mine smells of solvent! I note my tin claims to be "low odour" - and I remember early attempts at "low odour" paints from the 1970s they smelt less strongly than "normal" paints, but they smelt much nastier!

I'd definitely try the Osmo version - my brand new tin of Osmo oil smells mainly of solvent.