And a table

[Matthew Springer]

I made this a while back and it's what started me down the slippery slope trying to get the maple slab o' table flat and true with a trusty LN 5.5. After spending countless hours flattening the top, I caved in and bought a LN scrub plane for the bottom of the slab, took 20 minutes after that.

Quarter sawn white oak legs and stretchers with danish oil, Tried and True oil varnish on the maple slab. The whole thing comes apart and the slab is actually mortised into the top of the posts, which act as tennons. The lower short side strechers are mortised into the legs sideways, but just hold in by friction.

I'm actually going to use the same leg style for the workbench with two outer faces with perpendicular pieces in the middle. Kinda an Arts and Crafts look.

-Matthew

[Matthew Springer]

Oh, and the pink looking dust ont he stretchers is electron induced sawdust from the paduak toolbox project. This is my main workshop work table.

-Matthew

[Martin Shupe]

I have been trying to use T&T Varnish Oil, with a great deal of frustration and mixed results.

Please discuss, in detail, your methods for using T&T. I am interested in drying times between coats, what you do or do not do between coats, and if you top it with wax.

Any help would be appreciated, the more details the better.

Thank you!

[Matthew Springer]

I brushed it on with a foam brush. Two coats on top then some paste wax over that. Sanded with 400? between coats. One coat on bottom. It doesn't hold up terribly great to water, so I'll probably skip it next time, but it does look pretty good. Clogs up sandpaper like nobody's business.

I'd say my impression was mixed in that I'd probably not use it again on something that was gonna get dinged up or wet. It isn't terribly easy to apply in that it's THICK like cold honey thick, so it takes a bit of doing to apply and doesn't flow very well. I'd probaby go with straight tung oil then just plain spar varnish over that.

-Matthew

[Mark Bergman]

Martin -

Plop some in a small container and warm it up so that it becomes a clear liquid instead of opaque slush. Then apply it as a very thin coat with a rag. Wait an hour and rub it in with a clean rag. If there is visible oil on the piece, heat it with a hair dryer and it will be absorbed. It should be just about dry at this point. Next day rub it again, and apply another coat if you like.

Works for me. You'll probably need to keep it in a bath of hot water during use - it slushes up pretty quickly.

[Paul Barnard]

Martin -

Plop some in a small container and warm it up so that it becomes a clear liquid instead of opaque slush. Then apply it as a very thin coat with a rag. Wait an hour and rub it in with a clean rag. If there is visible oil on the piece, heat it with a hair dryer and it will be absorbed. It should be just about dry at this point. Next day rub it again, and apply another coat if you like.

Works for me. You'll probably need to keep it in a bath of hot water during use - it slushes up pretty quickly.

Sounds like you are using the one with bees wax. The straight oil varnish is clear from the get go, but also benifits from a very gentle warming. There are three flavours as I recall.

[Mark Bergman]

You're right, Paul. I have a can of the original oil finish (with beeswax) as well as the varnish oil finish. I just looked at the varnish oil, which I hadn't used in a while, to see what it looks like, and it is clear, although still very thick. I was thinking of the orignal oil finish, although I do warm up both to use.

[Paul Barnard]

You're right, Paul. I have a can of the original oil finish (with beeswax) as well as the varnish oil finish. I just looked at the varnish oil, which I hadn't used in a while, to see what it looks like, and it is clear, although still very thick. I was thinking of the orignal oil finish, although I do warm up both to use.

How would you compare the two types? I have only ever used the varnish oil.

[Martin Shupe]

So far I have only worked with the varnish oil, and here is my experience:

It is thick, like honey, as I think someone else has already said.

You can put it on with your hands, a brush, a rag, or a squeegee. The squeegee seems to work best for me, or else I get it on too thick.

It flows better if you warm it.

In the summer, my technique is to put it on, and then put the piece out in the sun for a couple hours. This does two things. First, it warms the piece, and helps the oil soak into the wood. Second, since I work mostly with cherry, it darkens the wood like I prefer. I don't know what to do now that it is getting cool outside, but the hair dryer trick sounds like a good idea.

So, after a couple hours, I wipe it with a rag, then wait a while, and repeat until dry.

Now, here is the part I am not good at. It seems to me that after I wipe it dry, it is still sticky to the touch for several days after applying a new coat. Can anyone else relate to this?

So do you wait until it is no longer sticky to apply the second coat? How long is that, usually?

Once, I put some table tops aside to "dry". While I was gone, oil seeped from the pores and ruined the smooth finish. So, now I get out my 400 grit sandpaper. I sand and sand, and sand some more. As someone else said, it really clogs up the paper fast, and you throw a lot of paper away. So...I saw somewhere that if you use water (I think?) or maybe mineral spirits (?) and wet sand it, it will work better and not clog up the paper so fast. I am using 400 grit wet dry paper from Autozone, in case that matters. Perhaps someone can comment on this.

Anyway, I have one table top that I sanded, then put a second coat on, and now I can see where my sanding has left some scratches. So now I will try to sand again, maybe with 600 grit.

And I thought an oil finish was easier!!

When I finally get a good finish, I will put on a coat of paste wax, does anyone have any favorite brands?

Jim Becker suggested I try the oil and beeswax mix, so I have a can of that on the shelf to try on my next project.

Thanks for all the comments. I was beginning to think I was the only guy out here trying to use this stuff.

[Paul Barnard]

Now, here is the part I am not good at. It seems to me that after I wipe it dry, it is still sticky to the touch for several days after applying a new coat. Can anyone else relate to this?

So do you wait until it is no longer sticky to apply the second coat? How long is that, usually?
.
The trick is to get it on quite thinly, wait an hour then wipe it off really well, this is the important bit! If you leave it too long it is harder to wipe off. I give it a once over with a rag to get rid of the heavier residue then change cloths a couple of times and just keep rubbing until the surface is dry. You can tell when it is dry by dragging a finger across it and it doesn't feel tacky. Leave it a full day to dry, then rather than sandpaper give it a polish with 0000 steel wool, you won't have the clogging problem. Repeat as many times as you have patience for, I find two applications to be plenty for me. I usually go straight from a planed surface to the finish but if it is an open grained wood or sanded you might like to use steel wool to apply the finish.

[Mark Bergman]

One thing which nobody said, but is probably obvious, is don't flood the surface with the stuff and then try to rub it in with a rag. Dip the rag in oil and apply it with that. After the first rub, I've never seen any stickiness. I think if you have to use sandpaper at any point, something is wrong.

The varnish oil seems to have a bit more of a sheen than the original oil finish, which in turn is a little mellower. I've never really compared the two side by side - I got the varnish oil to finish flooring, which was not a great idea. If I get a chance over the next week or so, I will apply some of each to a few wood samples and see what differences I can perceive.