Recommend a finish for an Iroko besktop

[Britman]

I'm in the presses of making a new desktop out of some Iroko and I'm looking for recommendations on a durable finish.

My first though was Osmo polyX clear gloss but as I don't have any I didn't want to folk out and find out it's no suitable.

I want to keep the natural colour as much as possible as there is are some lovely patterned boards.

Bear in mind I have never work with Iroko before.

Just an aside, my usual go-to finish is Danish Oil.

 

[Eshmiel]

Will the desktop get a lot of scrub-wear or liquid squirts/spills over it or is it likely to be treated very kindly as you use it? Lots of potential wear is best shoved orf with Osmo Top Oil if its an oil finish that you want. It won't change the colour other than to amplify the actual colour of your iroko. It's made to resist spills and goos whereas the PolyX is more about resisting the scuffing of shoes on floors or other serious rubbings.

I made an iroko desk many years ago from a rather nice tranche of light/yellow coloured iroko. I finished it with 6 coats of Liberon Finishing Oil (Osmo was unknown to me then) rubbed on with fine garnet paper wrapped around a hard maple block. This created just enough dust to make a slurry perfek for filling the teeny open grain of iroko. It also produced a near French Polish shine but was much tougher. That top is still pristine after some 16 years of use by a daughter (computer) then my wife as one of her sewing and leather-stuff making spots. It does have a dent or two, though.

Iroko is very tough stuff. You can leave it bare outside in all weathers for years and not finish it. If you do finish it after leaving it bare for years, the colour still pops out as iroko seems impervious even to sunlight, as well as to all the stormy weather stuff. I have two outside tables made of it that will look just-made after a light sand and a slather of oil. Brass screws and those dark-wood rot-proof dominoes with Titebond III hold them together.

 

[Keith 66]

When first cut most iroko is a dark creamy colour, this rapidly darkens in sunlight but will fade a bit after a few years. Some of it starts off dark brown & is hard as hell.