My First Workbench Finishing The Top

[pollys13]

My bench will have a solid Beech top. Someone told me not to wax it, as would likely mark any timber in contact with it.
I would like it to look as nice as possible and also to be protected. Are there any things I can do?
Cheers.

 

[mugginsNO1]

A few good coats of Danish oil should do the trick. Easy to apply and re-apply when you flatten your bench in a year or two.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Yes, a couple of coats of Danish, linseed, a coat of Osmo, a few coats of thin sanding sealer - anything really - just enough to help throw off paint, glue and so on. Just don't overdo it and make it shiny.

 

[pollys13]

Yes, a couple of coats of Danish, linseed, a coat of Osmo, a few coats of thin sanding sealer - anything really - just enough to help throw off paint, glue and so on. Just don't overdo it and make it shiny.

Is that one or other, or sort of all together, boiled linseed oil?

 

[undergroundhunter]

Boiled linseed oil the trad way is once a day for a week, once a week for a month, once a month for a year then once a year for a lifetime.

Matt

 

[ED65]

Someone told me not to wax it, as would likely mark any timber in contact with it.

:?: You don't have to worry about that, thousands of workbenches have been waxed without it causing a problem. If there were an issue with this we couldn't wax the soles of our planes to make them slide better.

I would like it to look as nice as possible and also to be protected.

If you want to provide more protection than wax alone would provide you have a choice between a film finish (shellac or varnish) or penetrating finish (an oil or 'oil finish' such as Danish oil).

These days film finishes for workbenches have many detractors but you'd join a long line of woodworkers if you chose to use one. It's actually not uncommon advice to shellac and then wax on top of it, to further help the surface shrug off glue spills and what not.

 

[ED65]

Boiled linseed oil the trad way is once a day for a week, once a week for a month, once a month for a year then once a year for a lifetime.

That's for finishing fine furniture Matt, not just to give something like a bench a quick oiling. Only two or three coats was the norm I think when linseed oil was commonly recommended for this.

 

[AndyT]

My bench has a built up softwood top. I gave it a couple of coats of boiled linseed oil.
It's tough enough to make it easier to clean off dirt from occasional metalwork or restoration projects and glue wipes off easier than it would from bare wood.

It's easy to touch up when necessary and not too slippery.

It's also cheap - about £3.50 for a half litre bottle.

 

[undergroundhunter]

Boiled linseed oil the trad way is once a day for a week, once a week for a month, once a month for a year then once a year for a lifetime.

That's for finishing fine furniture Matt, not just to give something like a bench a quick oiling. Only two or three coats was the norm I think when linseed oil was commonly recommended for this.

I don't think I'd want to oil my furniture in this fashion as it would take too long to complete the process. This quote came from one of Chris Schwarz's books on benches. I wouldn't want to wax my bench it would make it too slippery. Some go as far as to use a toothing plane on the top for more grip. I really wouldn't worry about the odd glue spot, let it dry then pop it off with a chisel. After all a bench is for making nice things not really to be "nice" itself. I'm not saying if you want to shellac the thing then go right ahead but my bench is for working on.

This is my bench top as of last year, its much more worn in now.

 

[ED65]

I don't think I'd want to oil my furniture in this fashion as it would take too long to complete the process.

You're in good company: nobody does. Can't remember the last time I heard of someone using a finishing process where you were only half done after a month :lol:

The more I read that line the more I'm doubtful that it was ever usual or common to oil a piece that extensively, unless it was in rural workshops where they could have stock sitting around taking up space for six months or a year.

 

[MarkDennehy]

once a day for a week, once a week for a month, once a month for a year then once a year for a lifetime

Then start back at scratch when you flatten the worktop in a year or two?
Seems... impractical.

 

[Rorschach]

Boiled linseed oil the trad way is once a day for a week, once a week for a month, once a month for a year then once a year for a lifetime.

Matt

I have heard this as well but only applying to tool handles which makes much more sense than furniture etc.

 

[undergroundhunter]

once a day for a week, once a week for a month, once a month for a year then once a year for a lifetime

Then start back at scratch when you flatten the worktop in a year or two?
Seems... impractical.

True, do we possibly obsess over a dead flat workbench, I think so. I've flattened mine twice in 4 years, once when I made it and again last year because I did a crap job the first time. Once I had planed it I just gave the top a couple of good coats of BLO but the legs and frame get done once a year (or whenever I fancy) along with the top.

 

[pollys13]

Someone told me not to wax it, as would likely mark any timber in contact with it.

:?: You don't have to worry about that, thousands of workbenches have been waxed without it causing a problem. If there were an issue with this we couldn't wax the soles of our planes to make them slide better.

I would like it to look as nice as possible and also to be protected.

If you want to provide more protection than wax alone would provide you have a choice between a film finish (shellac or varnish) or penetrating finish (an oil or 'oil finish' such as Danish oil).

These days film finishes for workbenches have many detractors but you'd join a long line of woodworkers if you chose to use one. It's actually not uncommon advice to shellac and then wax on top of it, to further help the surface shrug off glue spills and what not.

OK thanks for that.