Best finish for three plank pine table and chairs

[whatknot]

I know what you mean re varnishes etc being over hyped (and very profitable to some) but its useful all the same for some things

But I like cheap ;-) so will give BLO a try first I think and see how it looks

Raw linseed oil will stink your house out......

Nonsense it hardly smells at all.
One of the big plusses of linseed oil is precisely the lack of VOCs compared to all solvent based varnishes/paints. Though it's got a faint odour so it must evaporate something. You must be thinking of cod liver oil!
NB And it's extremely durable.
PS and not blotchy - it goes on very well, though it may look blotchy for the first half hour or so - then it might need a quick wipe over.
It's out of fashion mainly because it's unprofitable compared to the over-sold magic new/improved formulations of proprietary stuff, but it's very good nevertheless. I just used it to revive a teak veneered scandi-mod type table and it works brilliantly.
PS I often use it half n half with real turps. Not sure why - someone recommended it. Then it does smell strongly of real turps - which anyway is quite nice compared to white spirit, thinners etc.

 

[whatknot]

Thanks for your input

I don't have any danish oil so can't try that, I will try BLO first and see how it looks

I will keep the water based poly in mind

I've just refinished a pine kitchen table myself, using danish oil and then a couple of coats of water based poly. It's come up a treat.

 

[Sheffield Tony]

I find linseed a bit smelly, though more a lingering aroma than the fierce VOC smells. It is also quite the worst for turning things yellow, with some woods surprisingly vividly.

I know wax is not greatly durable, but surely no worse than effectively no finish at all, as the OP has been using it till now.

I read with interest, as an ash dining table is on my to do list, to go with my ash greenwood chairs. On the chairs I've used Danish oil followed by a beeswax/linseed/turpentine polish. I've been told by plenty of people that this will mark horribly, but I like the result. I'm not looking for a high shine, but do want a finish that looks and feels like natural wood rather than plastic. Whether I can use this on a table top though ... maybe Osmo ?

 

[MrTeroo]

You probably already know of the danger with linseed oil of spontaneous combustion, but just in case:


http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/ConsumerNews/summer-safety-diy-dangers-linseed-oil/story?id=11328546

 

[whatknot]

Yes thank you I am well aware but it doesn't hurt to make sure I was

Thanks for the thought

So far I have never had that problem but its wise to be aware of potential problems

You probably already know of the danger with linseed oil of spontaneous combustion, but just in case:


http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/ConsumerNews/summer-safety-diy-dangers-linseed-oil/story?id=11328546

 

[custard]

I read with interest, as an ash dining table is on my to do list, to go with my ash greenwood chairs. On the chairs I've used Danish oil followed by a beeswax/linseed/turpentine polish. I've been told by plenty of people that this will mark horribly, but I like the result. I'm not looking for a high shine, but do want a finish that looks and feels like natural wood rather than plastic. Whether I can use this on a table top though ... maybe Osmo ?

The thing about Ash is the very open grain. What it looks like when first finished is nothing like it'll look in ten or twenty years. Over time those pores will fill with grime and the already pronounced grain pattern on Ash will become even more heavily delineated. Is this a problem? It's a personal choice, but for my money I don't like it. I can just about live with it on Oak, and on equally open grained Walnut it's absolutely not a problem, but on paler Ash it just jars a bit.

I was reflecting on this earlier this year when I got a commission from the original client to copy some children's windsor chairs that I'd made twenty or more years ago. I'm pretty sure these original chairs just had a Danish Oil and wax finish.

It's always a treat to be re-united after many years with furniture you've previously made. I was pleased with how these original chairs had held up, the joinery was still tight, but I didn't like the look of the Ash components. I have heard it said that antique Ash looks grimy because of domestic coal fires, but these children's windsors have lived in a centrally heated house so that can't be the explanation. My take out was that any Ash I use in the future will be fully grain filled, that or use the soap finish that Scandinavians favour for Ash.

 

[Jacob]

I find linseed a bit smelly, though more a lingering aroma than the fierce VOC smells. It is also quite the worst for turning things yellow, with some woods surprisingly vividly........

It's brilliant on dark hardwoods - really brings out and restores colour. but yes on new light coloured wood it can be yellowish. On old pine like the OPs table and chairs, or old ash like the chairs above, I'd expect it to finish looking a fairly rich fawney brown rather than yellow.