# Finish for pine dining table



## Shedman

Please can someone give me some advice. I have a pine table to finish and would like a rustic look. My idea is to wax this, but am concerned this would not be suitable for a dining table because the heat of the dishes and plates might damage this. Any ideas please??


----------



## DaveyP

Using table / place mats is about the best way to protect a wooden table


----------



## beatsme

Yep, I love wooden tables for dining and coffee and pretty much everything else, but you always have to use something on top of them (well, at least I do). We have a big cover on the dining one and then just small mats on the coffee table, plus the coasters, which people never use lol


----------



## alan2001

Haha. Ever since I was given a lovely antique oak dining table & chairs as a wedding present, I've turned into THAT type of person who really must insist on coasters and placemats at all times. In other words, the type of person I used to hate.


----------



## Shedman

Perhaps I ought to get on the lathe and make some funky coasters. Would solve two problems!


----------



## AnselmFraser

The best finish for your pine table top is NO finish at all!!!!!
Have the nerve to do this and YOU will be very surprised.
Historically all the kitchens in the olden days were just pine with no finish on because the furniture was just for the servants to use.BUT paradoxically this was the best way to treat a kitchen table,after only SIX months it looks fantastic.To begin with though it looks awful,but after a while it looks very good,red wine stains the top but after each meal you wash the table down with a damp cloth and even this stain miracously disappears .Whats more you do not have to use coasters.
Good luck.
Anselm


----------



## handmade oak tables

No finish would definitely be the way forward - if you're patient with it you will be rewarded. Use it as a scrub top table, get yourself a churn brush and some soda crystals. When you want to scrub it, put a sprinkle of soda crystals into some warm water, then put the brush in the water and scrub the table. This will bleach it over time and remove any stains that appear.


----------



## soulboy

handmade oak tables":117mfl09 said:


> No finish would definitely be the way forward - if you're patient with it you will be rewarded. Use it as a scrub top table, get yourself a churn brush and some soda crystals. When you want to scrub it, put a sprinkle of soda crystals into some warm water, then put the brush in the water and scrub the table. This will bleach it over time and remove any stains that appear.


 yeah, I'd love to see some before & after pics of this  chris


----------



## Shedman

Thank you. I am plucking up the courage to give this method a try!!


----------



## handmade oak tables

Why not give it a go - if you've got a decent sander (preferably orbital), then you can always sand it back after a while if you decide the scrub top look's not for you and put a finish on it. Apparantly my account doesn't have permission to post links on, but if you search google images and use scrub top tables as the search term, you'll see some examples. The proper scrub tops are the one's where the tops look really bleached, all the rest are just 'rustic' really.

Hope this helps - Tom


----------



## Shedman

Thank you!


----------



## SeanJ

sand with 120 grit, then 240, best stain for softwood is usually a water based stain (many on the market, liberon are good) white is especially good for reducing the orange/redness. Then finish with whatever really: Varnish (thinned at first), French Polish (shellac), Danish Oil, or even some tinned spry lacquer (clear) like they sell at Wickes or Halfords. The point being whatever you've any experiene with would be the favourite, if you've not any i'd suggest Danish Oil as it's wipe on/wipe off and you can't go far wrong, hope that helps you a bit. 

sorry just noticed you said 'rustic' so substitute my stain suggestion for any of the rustic type waterstain colours (antique pine, med oak etc.)


----------

