Finish on workbench?

when we build new benchs at school we finish them with linseed oil. they hold up very well and are easy to refinish.

-- Roper - Master of sawdust-

Watco Danish Oil is actually a wipe-on varnish. Use BLO: (Boiled Linseed Oil). I think that’s what they (Sjoberg) recommend and sometimes supply with their benches.

My workbench is home-made, so it originally received two coats of 1/3 poly, 1/3 BLO. and 1/3 MS (mineral spirits) wiped on (a close comparative of Watco). For “refinish”, it just gets coats of paste wax.

You may just want to use paste wax (ie non-silicone, like minwax or johnsons). It is easily removed with naptha or MS if you want to use something different and will make it easy to pop off any glue, etc.

Go

-- Go http://ncwoodworker.net/pp/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=730

a natural oil is the way to go here. i like danish oil the best. thinner so it soaks into the wood. you don’t want any finish because then the bench might get slippery.

John:

I have a Sjoberg Nordic plus 1660 workbench. I have found that the best finish is Johnson’s Past Wax. this bench is a teriffic gluing and clamping table. With a wax finish, glue droppings will not stick – likewise paint and varnish. Every couple of months or so I take a few minutes and buff on a new coat of wax. The bench surface still looks like new.

-- "Heaven is North of the Bridge"

What are you going to do with the bench?

If you’re going to face plane, use holdfasts and bench hooks, etc… Put nothing more than an oil or very thin wiping varnish or danish oil. You don’t want a slippery surface, and may want to occassionally plane the surface flat.

Doing mostly assembly and worried about glue? A film finish and wax will resist glues and finish spills.

Personally, I go with BLO only and have a melamine surface I put in place for glue-ups.

-- - Please help keep Lumberjocks an enjoyable escape by refusing to participate in political discussions. Simply spit out the bait and ignore the thread...

Linseed oil

If its going to be used as a work bench I would not use any finish,any film finish will chip and crack with normal use. If you feel its necessary use mineral oil,or perhaps linseed oil. Danish oil is not a natural oil (Madison Ave. hype) but a mixture of boiled linseed oil.polyurethane varnish and a lot of mineral spirits. The most commonly available”danish oils” e.g. Watco contain over 70% mineral spirits.

Regards

Jerry

-- jerry,mlchigan

Thanks to everyone who provided some info. It sounds like linseed oil is the way to go since I plan to use my bench for general hand work and assembly. I have a homemade work table for gluing and finishing so I don’t think I need a film finish on this bench.

Two other questions come to mind though; 1) is a finish really necessary if this bench is used for hand work, and 2) if I put linseed oil on the top should I also put it on the frame or should I use something else?

Thanks to all,
John

No it is not necessary to have any finish. If you choose to you can apply an oil to any,all or none of the bench. The bench I have in my shop has no applied finish but, I have a bench that I use mostly for hand work in an attached lean-to that does have an oil finish. Whatever works for you.

Regards

Jerry

-- jerry,mlchigan

I see the sign in Jerry’s shop.

“Caution… Naked Bench Ahead”

Q

P.S. mine has a light coat of tung oil…

-- I don't make sawdust...I produce vast quantities of "Micro Mulch."