What Finish do I use?

Paste wax maybe?

I am utilizing the timber for coat hook backs – would the wax rub off on clothes??? Thanks for your help by the way :)

-- Terina C

Pictures would help a lot. Any oil base finish will darken the wood. Water base is clear. Either of those will work. bob

-- Bob www.bobkloes.com

I would think about amber dewaxed shellac.

-- W James Brokenbourgh Custom furniture maker http://artisticwoodstudio.com/

You guys ROCK – I am having the timber milled tomorrow – then I will start dressing it – how rough I want to leave it may offend some of you guys who work so hard at refining the finish and bringing out the grain – I am more focused on showing off the weathered and rustic age – I didn’t know that oil based would darken the timber – Thank you for that – I will take some pics when I get it back – I am not even sure what timber it is – I am assuming based on the age and that they used to be cross beams on electricity poles here in Oz that they are probably some type of eucalypt – it is certainly heavy enough!Thanks again for your help!

-- Terina C

That “grunge” is called patina and milling your timber is going to expose new (un-grungey) wood. Trying to get the freshly exposed areas to match the grungey areas may be a real challenge.

Several years ago, I made some picture frames from old, heavily weathered, redwood fencing. It took several boards, but the only newly milled surface was the inside edge. Since they were rabbeted for the glass and picture backing, there was only a thin strip of “new” wood. A liberal application of BLO made that very unobtrusive.

-- Adversity doesn't build character...................it reveals it.

I am having it milled only to halve the depth of the timber – as most of it is 4×4 – and too heavy to hang on a wall – Sawkerf – what is BLO??? I am going to attempt to clean the grungy sides with a wire brush – to get any loose bits and lichen off and with the old fence palings I was thinking I would hit it with a pressure cleaner to get the dirt off – will take some pics later today to show you guys what I am working with – THANK YOU all so much – my grandfather was a wood worker, and my Dad was pretty handy too – and they have been gone for many years now so I don’t really have anyone to ask these questions of. I am very grateful for all your help. A1Jim – what is dewaxed shellac? I have never heard shellac called that?have an awesome day fellas!

-- Terina C

Terina

De- waxed Shellac is shellac with the wax removed.The wax in shellac can cause adhesion problems. You can buy it in flake form and mix it with denatured alcohol or premixed .

http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/sealcoatdewaxedshellacsealerquart.aspx

-- W James Brokenbourgh Custom furniture maker http://artisticwoodstudio.com/

Welcome to Lumberjocks!! Glad to have you join us!!

-- Jim Jakosh.....Practical Wood Products...........Learn something new every day!!

BLO is boiled linseed oil. Has drying/hardening agents added. NOT to be confused with raw linseed oil.
Bill

-- bill@magraphics.us

BLO = Boiled Linseed Oil

-- Adversity doesn't build character...................it reveals it.

Ha ha ha – thanks guys – learning something new every hour or so – the timber looks great after milling – didn’t realize I had some tallowwood in there – is all very exciting!

-- Terina C