Driftwood Finishing

[Harris Ogburn]

I recently found an old piece of "driftwood" on the beach. It looks as if it might have been a plank from an old ship. It's approximately 2"x10"x9' and has wonderful aged markings and configurations. It is the typical gray color of driftwood. I would like to oil/finish it to bring out the grain and color so i can wall mount it. Does anyone have suggestions? Thanks.

[Steve Schoene]

I think you run a risk with an oil finish that the grey turns nearly black and obscures the markings. You can test this by applying a little naptha to see what happens, the effects won't be exactly the same, but pretty close. Naptha is a particularly light solvent so it won't leave residue behind when it evaporates.

Personally, I would just hose it off, let it dry, and hang it.