Finish for a wooden work-bench

[Sgian Dubh]

Erm - not trying to be funny, but it's a workbench. Why bother 'finishing' it at all (beyond taking off rough edges)?

There is a pretty good reason to apply a simple finish. Things like squeezed out glue from glue-ups, and Isopon type filler (frequently used in some types of joinery prior to painting, e.g., stage sets, exhibition build-ups, and the like) adhere very well to bare wood, leaving a rough surface and sharp blobs (urea formaldehyde adhesive for example) that can damage veneered boards, solid wood, p-lam, etc. A simple finish such as boiled linseed oil makes it relatively easy to scrape off things like dried adhesive or filler, and many other things that might adhere well to bare wood, but not very well to the linseed oil, thus leaving a smooth(er?) work surface less likely to damage other valuable or important surfaces. Slainte.

 

[Osvaldd]

oh man, that is a nice bench!

 

[Bodgers]

What about the colour though?, nicer to have it as bright as possible if its a dark hardwood.
I was thinking of using Osmo for when I make my iroko bench as it seems a bit brighter than BLO,
Judging by an Osmo video...the only iroko thing I have seen with the stuff applied.

I made an iroko microphone profiled camera holder to fit in a stand before I got a lathe (rough job) and covered it in BLO.
It looks quite snotty and dark, so I was glad I made a well finished handle (sanded to somewhat of a polish) for a chisel recently,
All of the handles I made prior to this are a bit rough.
It is still very dark, but at least not snotty looking.

I am wondering on what you folks think about Osmo compared to BLO, as there could be camera tricks with lighting going on.
Mainly interested on the durability and other qualities compared to BLO though.
To be contrary, I like having a ultra smooth surface that you can blow the dust away easily.

Sorry if its derailing the thread, hopefully it's in the OP's interest also.
Thanks for your input.
I must apply some paste wax to see if the chisel handle changes much.
Cheers
Tom

I was going to go with Osmo for my Beech bench, but ended up going with Fiddes Hardwax Oil. It came out better on a test I saw of various brands of Hardwax oil. It has been almost a year now, and it is holding up very well.


A Hardwax oil is probably going to be a bit more durable that plain BLO. The Fiddes stuff seems to cure to a ‘proper’ hardened finish, which is unlike BLO to me. But then BLO is cheap and you can keep slapping it on easily.

Somebody made a comment about not going with a finish at all. I won’t argue with that, but having a finish does help with stuff like peeling glue off and it generally keeps a bit cleaner. I like it tidy in the workshop, but obviously some aren’t that bothered.

 

[Ttrees]

Thanks Bodgers
I will definitely be doing some research on the stuff.
Farm labourer
That's a stunning workbench, may it serve you well, and get you plenty of commissions.

Tom

 

[Orraloon]

As others have said it's a seriously nice bench so deserves to look good at least for the first few weeks. Dont listen to those unkempt cave dwellers who work on grime smeared encrusted gnawed on scarred and battered old boards but give it a couple of coats of something nice.
Regards
John

 

[MikeG.]

....... I like it tidy in the workshop, but obviously some aren’t that bothered.

It's not about being tidy. You can be scrupulously tidy and yet have a battered looking bench. To me, this is about treating a bench as a working place, not a piece of furniture.

 

[ED65]

What about the colour though?, nicer to have it as bright as possible if its a dark hardwood.

Oh man, a choice between one of the cheapest finishes going and one of the most expensive Tom? I do know what you mean about the colour, and BLO is king for depth but this means it darkens dark wood a lot (possibly more than anything else).

If you want the wood brighter just thin down some varnish and wipe it on. Varnish is tougher, much more resistant to glue adhesion, more stain-resistant (to both oil- and water-based stuff) than BLO anyway. And if you buy right it'll be about four or five times cheaper than anything made by Osmo.

...there could be camera tricks with lighting going on.

Without being cynical it is good to be wary about this, and not singling out Osmo in any way. Every finish company will shoot their product so that it looks the best. If a maker of BLO wanted to do the same they could just as easily light a sample so that in the photos the wood looks much 'brighter' or 'clearer' than it would in the hand, with plenty of diffuse light and/or the primary lighting direction relative to the wood surface and the camera lens being picked carefully.

 

[Bodgers]

....... I like it tidy in the workshop, but obviously some aren’t that bothered.

It's not about being tidy. You can be scrupulously tidy and yet have a battered looking bench. To me, this is about treating a bench as a working place, not a piece of furniture.

True, but if I look down at a glue stained, paint stained bench, to me it is a mess

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