Best finish for a pine breakfast bar?

[Gazz30]

Hello everyone, first time posting on the site so .

Since coronavirus has been getting in the way of doing most things recently, I’ve had more time to learn and practice making various little projects. Starting small making cutting boards, coffee tables and in the process of making a yew slab hallway bench for the new house ( maybe a bit over my skill level for now).

Anyway I have made a breakfast bar top out of pine for a friend and I want to darken the pine for a more rustic look. I was persuaded by my partner to buy some Frenchic browning wax to do this.... Is this a bad choice? Will it withstand the use it will get? Or do I have to admit my partner is right again.

Thanks.

 

[AJB Temple]

Hello. Frenchic is just very expensive branding for ......wax. May contain pigments. Breakfast bars get fat, tea, coffee, acidic juices etc spilt.

If it were me, I would stain the pine to the desired colour and apply a finishing oil such as one of the Oslo range that will dry. Might apply wax then if you really want.

Wax finish will mark easily, especially with heat and wet, and is not durable.

 

[thetyreman]

it's a bad choice imo, you want durability for a breakfast bar, I'd do something similar to AJB's suggestion, dye it then decide what your finish is, you could varnish, lacquer, or a hardwax oil like osmo polyx.

 

[Gazz30]

Thanks, advice taken. Just need to google the night away on how to dye pine wood. Cheers

 

[jim1950]

I've used a product called timbertec from ccc ltd in cumbria expensive but I finished a wooden sink with this 2 year ago still looks great and customer very happy, also used on a few table tops you will not get cup ring marks no matter how long the wet ring is on the top