# butcher block counter top finish



## Pabs (Dec 10, 2008)

hey all

I just finished a set of butcher block counter tops for my mini kitchen reno
I've been reading a fair on how to finish it. many point to the Mineral oil option. several coats of it to saturate the wood and you're done. I've also heard people putting on mineral oil and once saturated they would use a salad bowl finish (mineral oil and beeswax) for the final coat
the other one that seems to come up is Waterlox… but not sure on the food safe issue for that one.

what do you guys recommend?

also, when applying mineral oil I presume it will raise the grain… I would scrap off or sand between each coat until there is no more grain coming up?

any tips are appreciated as always!

thanks


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## FancyShoes (Aug 31, 2014)

You ahouldnt have to worry about sanding after oiling, wont raise grain much at all, as you can tell from all the youtube videos of people using them on the cutting boards.

I would stick with the first option, 2nd option might shine a bit more if you want that look, and when the finish starts getting dull, you should reapply what ever choice you went with. You can also use the oil once a week or so because it just helps the grain to push dirt and debre out of the wood.

Im not familiar with the 3rd option of finishing, so I cant give any asvice there.


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## Kirk650 (May 8, 2016)

I make cutting boards and wooden kitchen tools. For a finish, I've used Mineral oil, Tung Oil, Walnut oil, an expensive mix of oil and wax, and one other (Watco?) that dried with a hard finish. I really can't say that one is better than the rest, though I mostly use Tung Oil (the pure stuff) these days.

I suppose that Walnut Oil and Tung Oil, being nut oils, could possibly cause problems if someone had a serious nut allergy. No problems so far, however.


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## Pabs (Dec 10, 2008)

what would be the big difference between mineral oil and tung oil? I've used Tung oil in the past for furniture and like it but was warned by someone against using it for this purpose as it chip? from my experience the oil just gets absorbed and eventually fades away and you simply apply more.. .no need to scrape anything off

as for raising grain.. I brought it up because last night I used a damp cloth to remove the dust on them and noticed the grain had raised a fair bit this morning. I'll need to sand that off for sure and figured the oil might have a similar effect…


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## BinghamtonEd (Nov 30, 2011)

Your damp cloth I assume was dampened with water, which would raise the grain, the oil will not. When I finish my cutting boards, I use mineral oil. It's dirt cheap at the pharmacy (look in the laxatives section), and food-safe, and doesn't go bad, and there's nothing to chip off. I do each side, and pour on enough so I can see it sitting on the surface, I let it sit for about 20 minutes, then wipe off the excess. I do that a couple times, and it stops absorbing oil. I have a mixture of mineral oil, which I heated and melted beeswax into, that I use for the last coat. It seems to give the surface a nicer sheen and softer feel. Every so often I will rub in another coat of mineral oil, or the mixture. I made an island with a hard maple butcher block top, and it's held up well. I oil both sides (the underside I just rub it in where I can with a paper towel soaked in the oil).


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## Pabs (Dec 10, 2008)

> Your damp cloth I assume was dampened with water, which would raise the grain, the oil will not. When I finish my cutting boards, I use mineral oil. It s dirt cheap at the pharmacy (look in the laxatives section), and food-safe, and doesn t go bad, and there s nothing to chip off. I do each side, and pour on enough so I can see it sitting on the surface, I let it sit for about 20 minutes, then wipe off the excess. I do that a couple times, and it stops absorbing oil. I have a mixture of mineral oil, which I heated and melted beeswax into, that I use for the last coat. It seems to give the surface a nicer sheen and softer feel. Every so often I will rub in another coat of mineral oil, or the mixture. I made an island with a hard maple butcher block top, and it s held up well. I oil both sides (the underside I just rub it in where I can with a paper towel soaked in the oil).
> 
> - BinghamtonEd


yes, it is dampened with water. is it a good idea to do this a few times to raise and remove the raised grain? then go to town with the oils? or it's not necessary?
when you say you let it sit and wipe off then repeat.. .do you do this in the same day? or is it better to do the coats more spread out ? like once a day or something like that

and your mixture of beeswax and oil… what's the proportions? I've heard of it before but never found a recipe for it

thanks


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## waho6o9 (May 6, 2011)

Practice on some scraps first.

I like using the Good Stuff:


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## Pabs (Dec 10, 2008)

strong smell when applied? never seen it around here..would have to order online


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## Pabs (Dec 10, 2008)

holy smokes….they want 100$ a quart! I'll stick to less expensive methods


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## BinghamtonEd (Nov 30, 2011)

> when you say you let it sit and wipe off then repeat.. .do you do this in the same day? or is it better to do the coats more spread out ? like once a day or something like that
> 
> and your mixture of beeswax and oil… what s the proportions? I ve heard of it before but never found a recipe for it
> 
> ...


I've done a couple coats in a day, but usually end up just doing one, due to other unrelated things going on.

I heated the mineral oil on a hot plate and just started shaving pieces of beeswax into it. I don't know of what the ratio is, and this was a few years back. If I had to guess, it would probably be a small chunk, maybe 1" cube, into a few cups of mineral oil. I still have a decent amount left, it goes a long way. When it cools, it has a Crisco-like consistency. When I need it, I stick a bit of it in a bowl in the microwave until it's softened (maybe 30 seconds), and apply it warm, then wipe it off and buff it out after a half hour or so.


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## Kirk650 (May 8, 2016)

Regarding raising the grain, as someone said, the oil won't raise the grain. That said, as wooden cooking tools and cutting boards get washed, the grain will eventually raise. So, it's a good idea to raise the grain a few times and dewhisker. But, I made a kitchen island for the wife and topped it with a long grain butcher block top in cherry. Since it doesn't get washed in the sink, the grain has never raised.


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## Pabs (Dec 10, 2008)

found this regarding beeswax/min oil recipe

http://lumberjocks.com/maugust/blog/21079


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## waho6o9 (May 6, 2011)

http://www.amazon.com/Emmets-H2372-1-Quintol-Stuff-Finish/dp/B0000DD2S2/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1463073188&sr=8-12&keywords=michigan+maple+block

It's around 40.00 a quart from Amazon


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## Pabs (Dec 10, 2008)

> http://www.amazon.com/Emmets-H2372-1-Quintol-Stuff-Finish/dp/B0000DD2S2/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1463073188&sr=8-12&keywords=michigan+maple+block
> 
> It s around 40.00 a quart from Amazon
> 
> - waho6o9


I noticed it was way cheaper in the states….93 plus tax up here…madness


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## Cooler (Feb 3, 2016)

I just went through this identical conversation at another site. I just put in a L-shaped butcher block counter top. I don't use the counter for a cutting board (I have cutting boards for that). So I decided to put down 4 coats of oil based poly. It will be far more durable and require far less maintenance.

Poly, when dry, is food safe, so that is no worry. And as long as you never use any wax or spray it with silicone spray it is a simple light sanding and a fresh coat of the same poly to refinish.

*But you must wait for the full cure of the finish before putting it into use.* With oil base that is about 200 hours.


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## BinghamtonEd (Nov 30, 2011)

> found this regarding beeswax/min oil recipe
> 
> http://lumberjocks.com/maugust/blog/21079
> 
> - Pabs


That's the same beeswax I got. I got it at A.C. Moore craft store, and used a coupon, it was cheap. I only used a little of it, so I keep the block by the bench and rub a couple swipes on my hand plane sole every once in a while, and it makes them glide so easy.


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## jdh122 (Sep 8, 2010)

I would use either Tung oil or the Tried and True Danish oil (polymerized linseed oil, not at all the same thing as BLO, and if you use Tung, make sure it's really tung oil and not a mix of BLO and resins). I've never liked mineral oil, as it doesn't dry and offers little protection. The wax is basically what's giving you the waterproofing in this case, which is fine, but will need to be renewed frequently. Then again, lost of people use it and swear by it.

Ikea sells a "waterbased" penetrating oil (seems like an oxymoron to me) for their wood countertops and I've applied it in two kitchens where I was helping with renovations. It seemed to work OK.


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## Pabs (Dec 10, 2008)

ok…I'm about to do this.. I may end up using Tung oil as I have a fair amount kicking around.. still undecided. 
I did find some local beeswax and am interested in doing the mix of oil and beeswax for the final coat. From what I've read it can be done with ether oil (mineral or tung). my question is if I do go with the extra layer with the wax how easily will it be to reapply the next coat of oil? will I need to remove that layer somehow or will it still remain porous enough to allow oil to penetrate?


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## OSU55 (Dec 14, 2012)

Oil based poly. Thin 1:1 1st coat and let it soak in for up to an hour or more keeping the surface wet, then wipe off. You can add coats and build a film, or leave it like an oil finish. Tougher than all these oil finishes, and can be touched up easily, unless built up into a thick film. Cheap too. Lockwood dye can be mixed into the poly for coloring if desired.


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## BinghamtonEd (Nov 30, 2011)

> ok…I m about to do this.. I may end up using Tung oil as I have a fair amount kicking around.. still undecided.
> I did find some local beeswax and am interested in doing the mix of oil and beeswax for the final coat. From what I ve read it can be done with ether oil (mineral or tung). my question is if I do go with the extra layer with the wax how easily will it be to reapply the next coat of oil? will I need to remove that layer somehow or will it still remain porous enough to allow oil to penetrate?
> 
> - Pabs


Don't know about tung oil, but if you go the mineral oil route, you don't need to worry about removing layers to add more oil. When it looks like it needs refreshing, just rub in some oil, or oil/wax blend. If there's any residual wax, it'll just gets mixed in with the new coat. If some wax is in the pores of the wood, well, that spot probably isn't dried out, I imagine. Either way, just slap on a new coat, let it sit for a bit, then wipe off the excess.


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## Pabs (Dec 10, 2008)

> Oil based poly. Thin 1:1 1st coat and let it soak in for up to an hour or more keeping the surface wet, then wipe off. You can add coats and build a film, or leave it like an oil finish. Tougher than all these oil finishes, and can be touched up easily, unless built up into a thick film. Cheap too. Lockwood dye can be mixed into the poly for coloring if desired.
> 
> - OSU55


not a fan of oil for many reasons… i don't like working with it. The fumes get to me and since this will be a food contact area I want to keep as natural as possible…that's why I'm going the route of oil/beeswax


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## jdh122 (Sep 8, 2010)

Since I've discovered Lee Valley's high gloss tung oil (that you mix with their sealer tung oil to get the sheen you want) I've stopped using wax over tung oil altogether. I would expect that the wax coat could cause a problem if you subsequently tried to apply just tung oil on top of it. On the other hand, you might be able to get away with applying a tung oil-wax blend as a refresher coat.


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## Pabs (Dec 10, 2008)

> Since I ve discovered Lee Valley s high gloss tung oil (that you mix with their sealer tung oil to get the sheen you want) I ve stopped using wax over tung oil altogether. I would expect that the wax coat could cause a problem if you subsequently tried to apply just tung oil on top of it. On the other hand, you might be able to get away with applying a tung oil-wax blend as a refresher coat.
> 
> - jdh122


you must be talking about this? 
http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=20050&cat=1,190,42942


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## Pabs (Dec 10, 2008)

> Don t know about tung oil, but if you go the mineral oil route, you don t need to worry about removing layers to add more oil. When it looks like it needs refreshing, just rub in some oil, or oil/wax blend. If there s any residual wax, it ll just gets mixed in with the new coat. If some wax is in the pores of the wood, well, that spot probably isn t dried out, I imagine. Either way, just slap on a new coat, let it sit for a bit, then wipe off the excess.
> - BinghamtonEd


I can't see why there would be a difference between the oils in regards to the wax thing… you never know but I would suspect they behave in the same manner


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## Cooler (Feb 3, 2016)

> Don t know about tung oil, but if you go the mineral oil route, you don t need to worry about removing layers to add more oil. When it looks like it needs refreshing, just rub in some oil, or oil/wax blend. If there s any residual wax, it ll just gets mixed in with the new coat. If some wax is in the pores of the wood, well, that spot probably isn t dried out, I imagine. Either way, just slap on a new coat, let it sit for a bit, then wipe off the excess.
> - BinghamtonEd
> 
> I can t see why there would be a difference between the oils in regards to the wax thing… you never know but I would suspect they behave in the same manner
> ...


One is polymerized and the other is not. The polymerization changes the physical properties.


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## jdh122 (Sep 8, 2010)

Yes, that's the high gloss one. They also sell sealer to mix with it (http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=20051&cat=1,190,42942), which is the low gloss. But the stuff is pretty expensive, so I only buy the high gloss and then mix it with hardware store tung oil (Gautreault's).

you must be talking about this? 
http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=20050&cat=1,190,42942

- Pabs
[/QUOTE]


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## Pabs (Dec 10, 2008)

hey Jeremy..
yeah, seen that stuff but it's not rated for food contact… I don't plan to cut on my counters but there will be food contact for sure…so trying to stay away from potential poisons
I know they say most of the bad stuff evaporates but if that were the case why would those products not be classified OK for food contact? I'm guessing there is always some left over.


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## Cooler (Feb 3, 2016)

> hey Jeremy..
> yeah, seen that stuff but it s not rated for food contact… I don t plan to cut on my counters but there will be food contact for sure…so trying to stay away from potential poisons
> I know they say most of the bad stuff evaporates but if that were the case why would those products not be classified OK for food contact? I m guessing there is always some left over.
> 
> - Pabs


http://www.sutherlandwelles.com/pdf/projects/Food-Grade.pdf

A common concern with all finishes applied to eating surfaces is whether they are considered
"food grade". Tung Oil is a non-edible vegetable oil, once it is cured it is considered inert.
This means it's not going to leach out of the wood and cannot be re-liquified, thus considered
to be food safe for contact exposure. Our Botanical solvent DiCitrusol™ is considered as
GRAS by the FDA. The finish choice is a function of the desired sheen level and the wood
species.

Here is a FDA list of GRAS items. (Generally Regarded As Safe):

http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/fdcc/?set=GRASNotices


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## jdh122 (Sep 8, 2010)

I tend to agree with Cooler and would see no issue in using Tung oil with some dryers in it for food contact. But if you're concerned about it I would think that your best bet would be Tried and True finishes. They make a pure polymeriezed linseed oil (works much better than "BLO"), a varnish (polymerized linseed oil with natural resins) and a mixture of polymerized linseed oil and wax. All of them need to be applied in super-thin coats.


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## OSU55 (Dec 14, 2012)

> not a fan of oil for many reasons… i don t like working with it. The fumes get to me and since this will be a food contact area I want to keep as natural as possible…that s why I m going the route of oil/beeswax
> 
> - Pabs


You are aware ob poly is food safe after curing? Yes, there are vapors to contend with.


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## WhoMe (Jul 9, 2009)

Like jdh, I am a Tried and True convert. Been using the original for a little while and now trying the oil resin version. So far I like both a lot. The original has less shine. But after the third coat, it does take longer for it to dry than the 24 hours advertised. As was said, use as thin a coat as possible for each coat for best results. It makes it last much longer which is good at $20+ a pint. Worth it in my opinion.
One thing I didn't read ( or I missed it) is that oil can color wood. Oils like tung, walnut, linseed, have an Amber tone and can color light colored woods towards a Amber tone. Whereas on dark woods, it can enhance color and grain or, like walnut, make it really dark. 
But mineral oil is colorless and has much less "coloration" on all woods.
One thing to also remember, using an oil wax as a top coat will hinder successive oil coats after it as the wax prevents absorption. And if you make your own brew, try not to use too much wax (I did, evidentally) in the mixture. It make drying time really long and leaves the surface sticky after several coats. 
This is a great thread.


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## Pabs (Dec 10, 2008)

Hummm. Seen that tried and true stuff in leevalelley a long time ago but never really took time to look at it

http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=45105&cat=1,190,42942

From readibg the description it seems the Danish one would be better suited for my application no?
And can this finish be re-applied over time? Like the mineral or tung oil?


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## kelvancra (May 4, 2010)

If you are going to go with tung oil, you might as well go with a oil based poly. Tung oil is a horrible working surface for the fact it lacks durability and is not water proof.

If you really want the butcher block effect, just stay with Walmart, $1.59 a pint mineral oil. The majority of that other stuff that looks like mineral oil and is marketed, at a higher price, for that is just that.

You can add bees wax, but I wouldn't. As noted, it would complicate future applications.

I've taken butcher blocks that were cracked separating and slathered on the mineral oil. As long as it would take it, I kept adding. When it quit taking it, I slathered more on and walked away. Even that soaked in. When I came back to the project, the oil has replaced lost moisture and swelled the wood again, so most the cracks and splits were gone.

A lot of people put the oil on and wipe it off in a few minutes. Why? That's just wasting it. I'd only do that at the tail end of a run, like I described above.

The oil wicks deeper into the wood with time, rather than evaporating. As such, you have to add more. However, at some point, you need to do that less and less often.


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## kelvancra (May 4, 2010)

Sorry, but it sounds like a lot of sales hype. I buy my tung oil by the gallon. It's polymerized and I add the heavy metals when it arrives (ordered with the gallons). I've used the oil on more than a few items and it will be satin or gloss just by the number of [thin] layers I add.

If I wanted several coats and a satin sheen, I'd just hit it with buff pads, after it had time to harden.



> Since I ve discovered Lee Valley s high gloss tung oil (that you mix with their sealer tung oil to get the sheen you want) I ve stopped using wax over tung oil altogether. I would expect that the wax coat could cause a problem if you subsequently tried to apply just tung oil on top of it. On the other hand, you might be able to get away with applying a tung oil-wax blend as a refresher coat.
> 
> - jdh122


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## Pabs (Dec 10, 2008)

ok….so now I've completed (well almost) my two main counters. the one I'm most worried about it the one the sink will go in. I 5 pieces of butcher block counters to deal with.. the first three I had put oil/wax a while back. . on my main counter I've noticed the finish is already gone and would need re-applying.. but given my concern for the section where the sink will be I'm starting to lean towards a more durable finish. Waterlox is not available in my area, could only purchase online but the price is extremely high I find. if I were to go for polyurethane finish, which would be best? I know they have some water based versions of that stuff. any recommendation from stuff I can get at the big box stores? I'm going for a finish that's resistant to water..the kind of water you would get near and around the sink…and the odd wine stain


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## kelvancra (May 4, 2010)

When I install sinks in particle board tops, I flow thinned poly inches back to give it a fighting chance against the moisture that will, eventually, hit it. One, years later, got hit and still looked good, since the water didn't flow back beyond the treated area around the sink.

Experiment on the underside. For example, hit a section with poly, let it harden, then sand it and treat it like you did the remainder and see how it looks.

Decades ago, a couple wanted a hand rubbed finish for their kitchen. It would land near steam and high humidity. I used an extremely thinned version of poly, then polished it after the fact. It still needed attention, but was water spot proof, etc.


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## kelvancra (May 4, 2010)

When I install sinks in particle board tops, I flow thinned poly inches back to give it a fighting chance against the moisture that will, eventually, hit it. One, years later, got hit and still looked good, since the water didn't flow back beyond the treated area around the sink.

Experiment on the underside. For example, hit a section with poly, let it harden, then sand it and treat it like you did the remainder and see how it looks.

Decades ago, a couple wanted a hand rubbed finish for their kitchen. It would land near steam and high humidity. I used an extremely thinned version of poly, then polished it after the fact. It still needed attention, but was water spot proof, etc.


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## Pabs (Dec 10, 2008)

> When I install sinks in particle board tops, I flow thinned poly inches back to give it a fighting chance against the moisture that will, eventually, hit it. One, years later, got hit and still looked good, since the water didn t flow back beyond the treated area around the sink.
> 
> Experiment on the underside. For example, hit a section with poly, let it harden, then sand it and treat it like you did the remainder and see how it looks.
> 
> ...


hey Kelly…do you mean you would only use the poly near the sink (where most of the threat of water exists)? so treat the rest with oil / wax say and then use thinned poly on the perimeter of the sink?
One fear I have with poly is if and when I strike it with something .. and it nicks.. you can`t just patch poly, I would need to redo completely…the oild /wax combo can be re-applied as needed…,man, this finish business is causing me some stress!


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## kelvancra (May 4, 2010)

You might just focus on the underside, near the sink, and the end grain at the sink.


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## kelvancra (May 4, 2010)

Another thing you can do is, thin the poly. Say, about 25%. That will allow it to soak in more than leave a surface coat. Most things I finish with poly, I like initial coats to penetrate, to give a base on which to build the main coat.

It the top coat fails, the penetrating finish would seem to act as a second line of defense. Too, since the final coats soak in a bit too, the hardened layers to which they adhere would seem to make for a good base for the final applications.

Anyway, by thinning, you will, probably, get what looks like about the same effect from oils, until they soak in. Like the "hand rubbed" finish I described above, they'd still need surface coat maintenance, like the rest of the board, to make them look like the rest. Like the oil, the finish would go into the wood and keep wicking, until you stopped applying it, as it soaked in. Then, unlike the oil, the finish would be hardened and would seal. As such, you couldn't add oil, but the wood shouldn't taken on and lose moisture.

Years ago, I treated a six inch slab for a table top doing this. But I started with a 50% thin. The wood sucked it up. I kept adding as long as it would take it. Every time I walked by the slab, I'd add more to spots that had soaked in.

I dropped the brush, then bent down to pick it up. I looked up, at the underside and it was all wet, where the poly and thinner was soaking through. In short, I was saturating the slab with thinned poly. Once the thinner gassed off, the two gallons of poly stayed behind so, essentially, I had a big piece of polymerized wood, which would not gain or lose moisture over the years.

For reference, that was a slab of redwood, which some say can't be poly coated well. Of course, they are talking just surface coats, and not having dealt with the natural oils in the wood. The thinner in the poly mixes with those oils fine, however, so one can get a good jumping off point (base) with thinned product for those kinds of wood.

It, certainly, didn't hurt that the redwood was more porous than maple or oak. If the maple or oak were end grain, you'd be off an running again, just like with the redwood.


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