Timber Oiling/Staining Advice....

oHUTCHYo

oHUTCHYo

oHUTCHYo

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I've spoken with an online company about selling me some American Black Walnut timber, so I can build myself a nice solid walnut A/V unit for our lounge.

I asked for a sample.
KnuI2dwl.jpg

What I want to look like.
fbJSBaol.jpg

I was an idiot expecting freshly milled walnut to look like that, but had a stark reminder it is likely oiled or stained when being used for furniture. Can anyone recommend what treatment I should use to achieve the same colour as wanted?
 
Wet an area and that should give an indication of the final colour, it'll darken a lot when finished. You wouldn't normally stain American black walnut as it is already quite dark.

There are different species and grades of Walnut, so it might not match the bottom picture even when finished.
 
Mark A said:
Wet an area and that should give an indication of the final colour, it'll darken a lot when finished. You wouldn't normally stain American black walnut as it is already quite dark.

There are different species and grades of Walnut, so it might not match the bottom picture even when finished.
Click to expand...

I expected the sample being darker than it is to be honest, it almost has a hue of pink.

So what oil do you think? Tung oil seems to be popular. Will pop to B&Q tomorrow and update this thread.
 
Did it darken to what you were after when you wet it? That's the only way to tell what it'll look like. Some timbers drastically change colour after oiling. The second pic you posted isn't a good gauge as to what colour it should be as it depends on a lot of factors like white balance, post processing and even your monitor being set up correctly.

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Here's an English Walnut knife handle I made before and after oiling. That's just after 1 coat of oil, it went a bit darker still after a couple more.


I'd personally go for Osmo oil, its expensive but supposed to be very good. You have more control over the finish as you can buy it in Matt, semi-matt, satin or gloss and can get small tester pots.
 
Just double checking here:
I'm assuming you just intend oiling the wood sample for now, and waiting until your mate builds the unit before doing anything further.
 
Well didn't have much to choose from, no Tung oil. Was a choice between Teak Oil or Linseed Oil. A quick Google whilst in the shop led me to pick Linseed.

Result after just one light coat, absolutely delighted....

Tr8RlH7l.jpg
 
When you do the real deal 50 50 oil and white spirit first then flat off lightly then full coats of oil and keep brushing till it goes very slightly tacky. About 5 coats would be ideal lightly sanding each and reducing the grit till the final coat is just a green scourer.
 
Is it boiled linseed? Raw linseed can take a long time to dry. I love the smell of linseed oil.

Hope you will post a pic of the finished av unit. Nice to see people still using real timber instead of going the Ikea route. Should look awesome when its all done.
 
Thanks guys. Yes it's boiled linseed.

Just had a word with my mate and we are good to go. Just sitting now and calculating how much walnut I need. Will start a fresh thread once the project commences :)

Thanks for your help chaps.
 
Sorry to hijack the thread but would using some of the Osmo Polyx Oil on my wood veneered worktops be a good way to protect them?

According to the spec on Ikea (Karlby) the worktops are already pre-treated with a hardwax oil but just wondering if adding something like the Polyx Oil or the Top Oil myself would be a good way of preserving them further?

I had it in my mind that hard wax oils gave a noticeable protective layer onto wood surfaces however the worktops look quite "bare" if that makes sense?
 
What's the main differences between Danish oil, linseed oil, osmo oil etc?

I've just opened the boxes on one of my new walnut floor standers and to my surprise the walnut sample I've oiled is damn close, maybe 90%, a tad lighter but very close indeed.
 
Danish oil is a bit of a generic term and different brands can vary quite a bit. Some are more like a oil based varnish and contain resins and hardeners and will have a strong chemical smell. Some are a mixture of tung oil and linseed with other ingredients to improve drying.

Boiled linseed can darken darker woods and turn lighter woods yellow. It's not as hard wearing as other oil and doesn't provide as much protection against water spills etc. Provides a higher shine the more coats you apply.

Tung is a clearer oil and wont yellow or darken as much as boiled linseed. Provides a tougher finish with better protection against spills than linseed. Will develop a matt to satin sheen depending on how many coats applied.

Some people prefer to use 100% natural oils like tung and linseed as they are much nicer to work with and dont have the strong chemical smell you get with some oils.

Hardwax oils like osmo give you more control over the finish you want. instead of adding more coats to build up to the sheen you require, you can buy the gloss version if that's what you want. They are supposed to be harder wearing and more resistant to stains and water ingress than other oils. Might cost more to buy, but you'd use a lot less oil to achieve a glossy finish.

Apply a few more coats of the linseed oil and then if you are happy with the result and can achieve the level of sheen you require then there's no reason not to use that. It should darken a bit more with more coats, so might match the speakers even better.
 
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