Keeping Oak Light

[Fitzroy]

Hi all,

I’m about done with my latest project and trying to workout what to finish it with.

The piece is made of oak and the view of my son and wife is that it’ll look best if it stays light.

My available finishes are Danish Oil and BriWax. Having prepared a sample of each both interested parties are voting for the BriWax.

I also like the colour however it’s a very fragile finish, and marks with the lightest brush of a nail. For a set of child’s book shelves I don’t think it’s suitable.

Can any one suggest a finish that’ll retain the light colour but prove harder wearing?

Thanks

F.

 

[AndyT]

Water based polyurethane eg by Polyvine is good and easy to use.

 

[AJB Temple]

There are several ways I use to keep interior oak light.

Wipe down with Oxalic acid and then neutralise.

Then either:

Apply no finish at all. You get a vey natural look and I have taken to doing this on a lot of oak internal joinery I make. Exceedingly easy to touch up (oddly enough) with a light wipe of fine abrasive.

Use Polyx dead flat with the light white pigment. Use sparingly and don't let it pool or collect anywhere. This imparts very little colour change.

Lime finish very sparingly.

Cellulose lacquer, flatted back.

These only work if you want a matt or flat finish. Any glossy or satin finish will darken the wood at least a little bit.

 

[W666]

Does the oxalic acid work on all woods?

 

[Lons]

Have you considered Osmo raw? I've used it on a couple of small projects now including a small ash worktop and it hardly changed the surface colour.
I think you can get sample sachets to try before spending too much as it's not a cheap product, goes a long way though.

Some people like it but if you ask RogerS he'll tell you it's devil juice. :lol:

 

[Fitzroy]

Thanks all for the thoughts. I think I’ll order some polyvine and some Osmo Raw and give them both a try.

Regards the water based poly do I need to do anything different. Ie do I need to raise the grain with a hot water wipe and then sand back? Thinking, guessing, I might as it’s a water based finish.

Thanks.

Fitz.

 

[AJB Temple]

Sorry, I meant Osmo Raw.  That has the white pigment. There is no harm raising the grain and flatting back, but probably you won't need to.

The key thing is to mix it really really well and do not allow it to accumulate in crevices. Less is more. It helps to work fast.

 

[Horsee1]

A bit of discussion on the subject of OSMO application here.

 

[woodbloke66]

Thanks all for the thoughts. I think I’ll order some polyvine and some Osmo Raw and give them both a try.

Regards the water based poly do I need to do anything different. Ie do I need to raise the grain with a hot water wipe and then sand back? Thinking, guessing, I might as it’s a water based finish.

Thanks.

Fitz.

Osmo Raw contains a white pigment and will 'kill' the natural colour of the oak; I would advise against it as it's only really suitable for whitish timbers like ash, sycamore and maple.
Polyvine is a water base acrylic and I believe it's wrong to classify it as polyurethane. There are several sorts available but the wax version was used extensively ....

...to finish this copy of an Alan Peters blanket chest in Olive Ash. The timber contained some white sections of ash that I wanted to keep light and not darken, so the Polyvine is ideal for this sort of job. There were about four coats applied to each piece before gluing and each was rubbed back with 0000g wire wool and thoroughly vacuumed before the next coat. Each coat dried bone hard in twenty minutes; no need to raise the grain as the Polyvine will do it for you...just rub back thoroughly - Rob