Oak table finishing advice

[Andy]

Hi
I recently bought an oak table from ebay. Contrary to the sellers description, the table is not in 'excellent condition', in fact it looks as though it has participated in a few battles, and there is glitter thoroughly embedded in the finish. That said, I still like the table and I managed to get a partial refund from the seller in view of the mis-description. I now intend to strip the table top back to bare wood and refinish it. Can anyone recommend a good finish that is durable without being overly gloopy?
thanks in advance, Andy

 

[Cabinetman]

Water based satin polyurethane varnish, thin down first coat with 10% water then two more coats and lightly denib between, I like Johnstone’s but others will be along in a minute with their favourite. Gives a very tough and hot drink resistant finish, I apply it with a brush. Ian

 

[gcusick]

Polyvine wax finish varnish. 2 coats of satin, brushed and denibbed between coats with a grey scouring pad, them a final coat of dead matt. Looks (and feels) a lot like wax, but much harder wearing

 

[jonn]

Hi
I recently bought an oak table from ebay. Contrary to the sellers description, the table is not in 'excellent condition', in fact it looks as though it has participated in a few battles, and there is glitter thoroughly embedded in the finish. That said, I still like the table and I managed to get a partial refund from the seller in view of the mis-description. I now intend to strip the table top back to bare wood and refinish it. Can anyone recommend a good finish that is durable without being overly gloopy?
thanks in advance, Andy

Strip it back and apply two coats of Osmo Hardwax Oil. Use the standard one if you want the darker oak, or go for the white one which will give a beautiful, a bit lighter finish. With the white, just be careful to assert the first coat is very thin and worked well into the wood. Being meant as a floor varnish, Osmo is definitely NOT gloopy if applied properly. It also is much harder if each coat is applied very thinly.

 

[Andy]

Thanks guys, that's really useful and much appreciated

 

[profchris]

Oak has deep pores, so the glitter might have worked its way a long way down!

I'd use a cabinet scraper to remove the old finish - quicker and less dust than sanding. Then try an old toothbrush to remove any remaining glitter. If that doesn't work ...

Carry on scraping until you get a clean surface, then choose a finish.

But do check this is solid, not veneered - scraping or sanding can go through veneer pretty fast!

 

[Mark Karacsonyi]

I would agree with profchris, get a cabinet scraper on there first. If you need to sand after, it prevents the sheets or pads being ‘gunged’, up within the first minute or two.

A cabinet scraper if correctly tuned up should prevent sanding though.

 

[eribaMotters]

Scrape if you can, sand if you cannot. A soft brass suede brush can help when trying to get into any open grain. I applied a satin polyurethane oil based varnish to a dining table I made many years ago. It did not yellow as I thought it may and offered excellent protection. If I was finishing it today I would use danish Oil.

Colin

 

[Sean33]

Hi
I recently bought an oak table from ebay. Contrary to the sellers description, the table is not in 'excellent condition', in fact it looks as though it has participated in a few battles, and there is glitter thoroughly embedded in the finish. That said, I still like the table and I managed to get a partial refund from the seller in view of the mis-description. I now intend to strip the table top back to bare wood and refinish it. Can anyone recommend a good finish that is durable without being overly gloopy?
thanks in advance, Andy

Hi Andy, as others have said Osmo is great, alternatively if you want a bit more of a sheen/gloss finish i have found woodoc 10 to be very good. you'll need 3 coats of this though just de-nib with wire wool between each one