What to Finish

[Saint Simon]

I'm a bit embarrassed to show the depth of my ignorance of finishing but help please.
I am getting to the last stages of making an oak desk and have to decide on the finish or more precisely what to finish. On earlier simpler furniture projects I have been very happy with the toughness and look achieved with hard wax oil and intend to use it here unless you convince me otherwise.
But what I need help with is what to apply finish to. Obviously the desk top, drawer fronts and exterior surfaces of the carcass need protection but what about all the normally unseen areas and areas like the drawer runners and guides? Do the desk top underside, drawer backs and sides and the internal faces of the legs and side panels need a coat?
Guidance please.
Simon

 

[Droogs]

Hi Simon,
My practice is to cover everythng tht isn't a joint mating face. that way the piece will react evenly to changes in humidity and help prevent cracking, warping etc

 

[RogerP]

I........... I have been very happy with the toughness and look achieved with hard wax oil and intend to use it here unless you convince me otherwise..................
Simon

These days I use hard wax oil for almost all my furniture projects. I do like the soft shine or sheen it gives.

Rightly or wrongly I only finish the surfaces that show and have had no problems over many years.

 

[marcros]

i would also only finish what you can see and would use the hard wax oil. do not use it inside the drawers- I would use sanding sealer inside drawers

 

[custard]

Putting a coat of paste wax on the drawer runners really makes a difference as to how smoothly they run, I use Black Bison but they're all pretty much the same. As marcros said, don't finish inside drawers as you'll never get rid of the smell, a thin coat of shellac or sanding sealer is okay, as is leaving the inside of drawers completely unfinished. Personally I'd coat both faces of the top, but if you're using hard wax (and that or Danish Oil would be my preferences too with oak) it's such a poor moisture barrier that there's no real need to do both faces in terms of preventing warping, I do it because if the top does warp I at least want to know I did everything I could to prevent it!

Good luck.