AO finish tips

[praveen nathaniel]

Hi there
long term lurker first time poster. In awe of the amazing work I see here.
Anyway managed to pick up some antique oil for the first time here in Australia and wondering what tips people have in using it? Use only two coats? Buff after how long? Sealer coat first?
thanks

[Steve Schlumpf]

Praveen - Welcome to posting on the Creek!! Looking forward to getting to know you!

I don't use AO very much but when I do, I apply a saturating coat and let it soak into the wood for a few minutes and then wipe off the excess and let the finish dry. Usually a day later, I repeat the process and am done with the AO. I know you can add additional layers of AO but you have to make sure the AO is dry before adding another or you will create a gummy mess.

I don't use a sealer because I want the AO to really soak into the wood and bring out any curl/shimmer that the wood has to offer. Also, when it comes buffing, I wait at least a week to make sure the finish has cured. I go with the long-time standard - if you can still smell the finish - its not cured!

Good luck! Looking forward to seeing some of your work!

[Bernie Weishapl]

Welcome to SMC Praveen. I use AO a lot and pretty much as Steve said. I don't use a sealer because I want the oil to soak in and pop the grain. On the first coat I saturate it till it won't take any more. After 10 minutes or so I will wipe it down. I generally wait 24 hrs or longer to apply the second coat. I also put it on pretty heavy letting it sit for then wiping off the excess. If I add a 3rd coat I put a light wipe on coat. Between coats I use 0000 steel wool or 000 synthetic wool to make sure it is smooth and nibs are removed. As was said make sure it is dry or you will have a gummy mess. I like a little more sheen so I generally do 3 coats. I wait a week before I buff with light pressure to make sure it has cured.

[Curt Fuller]

Praveen, I use a similar process to Steve and Bernie but I only use one coat. I think it's important to give it a really heavy coat the first time, just dripping from all areas, and let that soak in for 15 minutes or so. If it gets sticky you can apply a little more to loosen it up and then wipe off the excess. If you use more coats it begins to build but doesn't penetrate any deeper into the wood. So if you like a built up finish, use more coats. I personally like to feel the wood through the finish so I prefer just one. You can actually buff immediately after wiping it off (wipe it as clean as possible) using the tripoli, white diamond, carnuba wax series (the Keith Burns 10 minute finish) but it will gum up your tripoli wheel eventually. Or you can wait a day and let the oil harden. I seem to get the same results, it just depends on how my patience is running at the moment.