They may have a bit more versatility in terms of sheen and color options. They soak into the wood and provide a thin, natural-looking finish that’s easy to apply. Where it works: In most instances, oil-varnish blends work in much the same way and in much the same capacity as rub-in oils. Many times, a host of products are cleverly named as a marketing ploy to increase sales (e.g., “teak oil” for Teak furniture, “antique oil” for antique furniture, etc.) At times, an oil product may be nothing more than a drastically thinned-down version of a pure rub-in oil with added driers to make it easier to recoat in less time. In nearly all cases, they will use a linseed or tung oil base, but beyond that, there’s no telling what exactly is in each product. One of the biggest drawbacks to these sorts of finishes is that they are somewhat of a mystery in terms of their composition. Depending on the composition of the blend, it may be more able to build up a moderate sheen (semi-gloss) on the wood surface. Various other additives may be found as well, such as dyes/pigments, driers, or UV inhibitors. They combine the ease-of-application of rub-in oils, but are fortified with resins to give them a bit more durability. ![]() The Lowdown: Oil-varnish blends are an extremely popular wood finish. Also, linseed oil isn’t the best for woods like padauk, purpleheart, or cocobolo (if you like the color of the wood as-is, this isn’t the finish to use light-colored woods will yellow, and colorful woods age/darken much faster). However, because it’s in the wood rather than on it, these oils don’t offer the best protection and wear/moisture resistance, and should be used on places that receive minimal wear, or on pieces where fresh coats of oil can easily be reapplied.īest Bets: Walnut, mahogany, oak, cherry (if you’re looking for a darker, richer natural patina with low sheen).įails: Anywhere a glossy, high-sheen finish is desired, or any place where wear/durability will be an issue. They tend to impart a satiny sheen that isn’t too glossy, replicating a “natural” wood look. ![]() ![]() Where it works: These oils give a rich warmth to the wood surface, and linseed oil in particular tends to accelerate and exaggerate the natural patina of the wood. Many “tung oil” finishes sold on the market today are not truly pure tung oil, but may incorporate a portion of tung oil with other resins and could really be considered an oil-varnish blend, discussed further down. (Look for words such as “raw,” “pure,” or “100%” in the name to find the straight oil.) There are also heated/altered versions of tung oil which, like linseed oil, helps the oil polymerize (fancy chemistry word for “dry”) faster. Tung oil is very similar, except that raw tung oil still eventually dries and can be used as-is. For something closer to a true boiled linseed oil without the added chemicals, try something like Tried & True Original Wood Finish, which is FDA approved for direct food contact in both its cured and uncured state. Quartersawn White Oak box finished with boiled linseed oilīoiled linseed oil (BLO) tends to be the cheaper of these two oils, and since raw linseed oil can take a very long time to dry, heavy-metal driers (cobalt/manganese salts) are added to accelerate the curing process in lieu of actually “boiling” the oil.
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