# Best finish for White Oak bench



## ddreese (Aug 16, 2012)

I'm working on a prayer kneeler for my mother-in-law for Christmas made from White Oak. I don't do many furniture pieces and was wondering what finish I should use to protect it? Since I'm not staining it, is there anything else I need to do in addition to just the finish?


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

There are a lot of different finishes you could use. Best would be the one you're able to work and get done by Christmas. This time of year temperature is usually an issue with a finish. If you're able to spray I would probably use a cab-acrylic lacquer or fast dry polyurethane. They would work in colder weather and should stop emitting fumes in about a week. Another option would be a water based polyurethane. It is non-flammable so you could dry it somewhere heated. Not using a stain you might want to use linseed oil on the wood first to give it some warmth. Water based poly covers so clear it gives a bland look to the wood. The linseed oil would also seal the wood from the water some so it doesn't raise the grain so much. You could also use an oil based polyurethane but if it cold where you are, you would have to finish it pretty soon or it wouldn't be fully dry. Another finish if you have the means of spraying is shellac. It would be a durable finish and is easily touched up if damaged. You could also use a oil finish such as a danish oil finish but I wouldn't use tung oil because of the drying time. Tung oil dries slow.


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## nblasa (Nov 29, 2011)

Steve Neul said:


> There are a lot of different finishes you could use. Best would be the one you're able to work and get done by Christmas.


:laughing: Well put and probably words to live by for all of us right now. 

I like the look of oak with linseed oil. I recently did a few oak projects with linseed, followed by shellac, followed by spray lacquer. Though the guys usually seem to recommend staying away from lacquer if it will get wet


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## ddreese (Aug 16, 2012)

Thanks for the info. I tried the linseed oil on a scrap piece. Wow! It really makes a huge difference over the unfinished oak. I have a little more assembly to do then I'm ready to finish it.

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## ddreese (Aug 16, 2012)

How long do you have to wait between the linseed oil and the starting with the lacquer?

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## mengtian (Nov 8, 2012)

linseed oil or boiled linseed oil?


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## ddreese (Aug 16, 2012)

Boiled linseed oil.

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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

ddreese said:


> How long do you have to wait between the linseed oil and the starting with the lacquer?
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Wood Forum


 If you have your project somewhere 75 degrees or more then I would let the linseed oil dry 24 hours. If its kept 50 to 75 degrees I would wait 48 hours. Colder I would probably wait a week. The thing about lacquer is if it has an adverse reaction the linseed oil it will turn white in the grain or cracks and crevasses which looks like paint. If this happens stop and let the linseed oil dry a lot longer. Then when you go back to it, spray the project with lacquer thinner and see if the white spots melt away. It may take repeated treatments to get the white marks out. If there is no adverse reaction you are good to go.


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## ddreese (Aug 16, 2012)

Is that why it was recommended to use a coat of shellac before the lacquer?

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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

Shellac may give somewhat of a barrier coat between the linseed oil and the lacquer but its better not to rush it. The linseed oil needs to dry before proceeding. Linseed oil will pretty much stop drying cut off from air if you shellac over it. Then when you put lacquer over the shellac the solvents are so strong it will melt through the shellac and get to the linseed oil and could still have a chemical reaction. 

If you are trying to rush the project I would apply linseed oil to a scrap piece of wood preferably molding and wipe it and the project down with lacquer thinner on a rag and get the excess linseed oil off. Then let it dry overnight and try the finish on the scrap molding first to see what happens. If it doesn't turn white you are probably good.


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## Da Aardvark (Oct 11, 2012)

So why use lacquer? I would be concerned about compatibility to oils with lacquer.
I would top with a oil based poly or just hand rub it with another oil product like lemon oil or tung oil and call it good.


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## Bill White 2 (Jun 23, 2012)

I've gotta wade in on the lemon oil.
Commercial lemon oil is mineral oil with lemon scent added. Just plain oil mineral oil will do the oiling just fine, and is a bunch cheaper. I used mineral oil on piano finishes for years. Even sanded with it.
Bill


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## trendylook786 (Dec 17, 2012)

Use boiled linseed oil for oak bench finishing. I have bought oak furniture and using this oil for finishing. It is perfect finishing oil for oak furniture.

Thanks.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

I would use BLO thinned about 50% with Naptha as a wipe on. This will dry fairly fast. A waterbase polyurethane would be a good choice, as it dries fast and some are as durable as oil base poly or solvent base lacquers. I would stay away from mineral or lemon oil, as they won't dry as fast as you might need, or be as active as the BLO will be with the grain. White Oak is a closed pore wood, and it finishes well.









 







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## ddreese (Aug 16, 2012)

I had some oak left and a pair of antlers that needed mounted, so I used the antler mount as a test piece. The shellac and lacquer worked well, no streaking at all. The prayer bench is also finished with no issues. Thanks for all of the help on this. I still have to assemble the bench, but will post pictures when it is finished.


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