OIL FINISH

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Oil gives wood a soft, satin sheen that is tough and durable. Water and alcohol resistant oiled surfaces makes this finish great for tables and other household surfaces. Rub in successive layers of oil to achieve the result required. Wait for each layer to dry

Oil is suitable only on new or totally stripped wood or previously oiled wood.

Linseed oil is perhaps the most commonly used oil. However it is slow drying. Teak or Danish oils dry much faster. Depending on the temperature and humidity, you can expect these oils to dry in approximately four hours. Danish oil has less sheen than teak oil.

WAX FINISHES
Waxes are completely different to oils. Wax provides a great finish and is easy to maintain. Waxed surfaces can be marked by heat and water and they get dirty easily because the wax makes them slightly sticky. Therefore it is best to use waxes on items which are not used everyday such as glory boxes. Wax can be applied to new or newly stripped wood or to oiled surfaces.

The most commonly used wax finish is beeswax. Beeswax will vary in colour and bleached and white varieties are also available.

Camauba wax is often added to beeswax to reduce its slight tackiness and improve its durability.

Paraffin wax is a soft wax, mainly used in less expensive polishes, this is sometimes added to high-quality wax polishes to make them softer and easier to apply.

Preparing new wood
New wood needs very little preparation before it’s oiled or waxed. Sand it lightly with fine sandpaper. Wipe with a cloth moistened with white spirit to remove the dust. This will also remove any excess natural oils from oily woods.

Preparing old wood
Old wood is often marked or damaged. Common marks include fine scratches and a build-up of dirt, ring marks and cigarette burns, if the damage is only surface-deep, you can clean it up with white spirit and polish reviver, then apply fresh wax polish. However, if the wood beneath the surface is damaged, you’ll need to repair the blemishes.

CLEANING THE SURFACE
Moisten a cloth with white spirit and rub it over the surface. If the finish is hard to remove, use the wire wool to rub gently in the direction of the grain.

REMOVING STAINS
Remove drink and other watermarks by rubbing the surface with car cutting compound, metal polish or a proprietary ring remover. If the stain has penetrated to the wood, or if the surface is deeply scratched or burnt, strip back to the bare wood.

APPLYING THE REVIVER
Following the manufacturer’s instructions, apply a proprietary polish reviver to the wooden surface, then apply a fresh coat of wax.

WAXED AND OILED WOOD
Using very fine wire wool dipped in white spirit, rub the wood to remove the old finish.

FRENCH POLISH
Using very fine wire wool, rub methylated spirits over the wood to remove the old finish.

POLYURETHANE AND CELLULOSE FINISHES
Use a solvent-based varnish remover or paint stripper to remove the finish. Apply the remover sparingly. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Remove the softened residue with a paint scraper or with wire wool. Neutralise the stripper thoroughly by scrubbing the surface with white spirit.

PAINT FINISHES
Strip the paint using a blowtorch, hot-air stripper or a chemical stripper.

DEALING STAINS AND BLEMISHES

DARK STAINS
Bleach out the stain using proprietary wood bleach, hydrogen peroxide or a solution of 15m1 (1 tablespoon) of oxalic acid in 600ml water. Wear rubber gloves. These treatments will also lighten the surrounding wood, so either bleach the whole surface or restore the original colour with wood stains.

INK STAINS
Sand the stain then bleach the area with a two-part bleach or a strong solution of oxalic acid: dissolve 15m1 (1 tablespoon) of oxalic acid crystals in 3Oml (2 tablespoons) of boiling water. Wearing rubber gloves, apply the bleach with a pad of cotton wool. Leave it for a few minutes, then repeat, if necessary.

BURNS
Scrape away the charred wood using a sharp knife. Then sand the area smooth and apply several coats of finish to fill in the slight hollow. Alternatively, use a proprietary scratch remover, following the manufacturer’s instructions. With deep depressions, you may need to use coloured beeswax as a filler first.

DENTS
Use boiling water to swell the wood fibres. Sprinkle a few drops of the boiling water over the dent. Leave the wood to dry completely before applying the finish.

SCRATCHES
Fill scratches with proprietary wax furniture crayon in a colour to match the wood. Or, melt coloured beeswax into the scratches. Leave the filler to harden, then shave off the excess wax with a razor blade.

WOODWORM
Treat the insect holes with proprietary woodwarm treatment, following the manufacturer’s instructions. Then fill the holes with plastic wood, using a flexible knife on flat surfaces and a cloth on turned areas. Leave the filler to harden, then sand it smooth.