Thread: How oil helps.

I started another Buckeye burl brush this week and decided to try just a clear finish on it this time, without any oil. So the finish I planned on doing was 2 coats of water based sanding sealer, and then a final CA finish. After the first coat of Sanding sealer, I wasn't happy with how the handle looked. The grain just had no depth, and hardly an contrast.



The CA would have popped the grain a bit more than what these pictures show, but at this point, I wasn't happy with how it looked.

So I decided to sand off the thin layer of sanding sealer and do my normal oil procedure. The thing I like about oil is, it penetrates wood and gets down in deep. Especially if you help it a bit with a vacuum. It will protect from water, wood movement, and with some oils, UV as well.

From an appearance stand point, well, you be the judge.

The oil really does make it pop. The finish by itself isn't bad, but is much more understated. Thanks for showing the difference, very interesting.

Very Nice.Natural oils (esp. those that penetrate) always look better on natural materials IMO

Yeah I like the look too. Even though you have to reapply, it's not all that often and it just looks good.

This one will also be sprayed with polyurethane. Eliminates any maintenance on the handle, other than drying after use.

Drying well after use is a must for sure.
These are 8 yrs old,two coats of natural oil. 6 coats of ren-wax.

Very nice pixel. So you've done nothing to those, to keep the finish looking good? Because they still look amazing.

Originally Posted by HARRYWALLY

Very nice pixel. So you've done nothing to those, to keep the finish looking good? Because they still look amazing.

Dry Well,ren-wax once per yr,soap residue makes any material look bad,esp woods as you know.
Curious, will the poly adhere to the oil finish?

Yes, it will. I've done a bunch like this now. Mostly just on woods that have absolutely no natural oil content. After I do the oiling, I let it dry for at least a week. I put it out in the sun on nice days too, to help the oil cure. After that, I spray the urethane. Works well.

Oil content of woods is I think very important in coming up with a natural Shine that lasts with some care.
In the pic above the two on the right are Lignum,I just wax them (no oil needed as Lig. is 40% oil by wgt from the gitgo.
The CoCo is also a high oil wood,The two Ebonys got oil and wax.