Finish for a Bamboo kitchen benchtop

Hi guys,

We've made the decision, rightly or wrongly, to go with the Bunnings Kaboodle bamboo benchtops for our new kitchen. I thought it was all good, but now I've done some more research I've thoroughly confused myself re: the best finish for these benches.

From what I can tell, my options are something like the below. But I'd love some experienced opinions / comments as I'm not sure all of my information is accurate.

Tung Oil
+ good waterproofing provided time is spent to ensure decent penetration
+ small defects can be patched easily
- takes a long time to apply / cure properly
- if it doesn't dry you might end up with a permanently "oily" surface
- stains may still penetrate and leave permanent marks (eg: glass / coffee cup rings)
- regular refinishing required

Tung Oil + Beeswax
+ / - same as above, possibly with better waterproofing without the same penetration level
- seems to be difficult to find (possibly needs to be made using the 2 ingredients separately)

Floor Polyurethane
+ easier / quicker finish to achieve waterproofing
+ better protection against stains etc
- small scratches / marks can allow water underneath
- fixing these small imperfections means sanding and refinishing the entire benchtop

Livos Kunos Counter top oil
+ / - I'm not quite sure what the pros and cons are here.


Other?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Cheers.

The belowis from experience with these products and articles I have researched andwritten and are my viewpoint and not made in stone. Any product, if not appliedas it should, will create problems. Also, keep an eye on temperature, sandinggrits for the finish that you will use and curing times of products. Speak directly withmanufactures or someone who has actually used the specific product.

Tung oil...dependson the product. If natural tung oil, it has no body so you will need many coatsto create some sort of seal. If modified, you create a type of coating thatwhen scratched or worn, may be difficult to fix..and it is not food safe.
Beeswax..againdepending on the product will need maintenance as it wears and as it sits ontop of the surface, it can leave duller sections in areas where is used often.
Poly, yeseasier, smeller and all the issues you state.
LivosKunos Countertop oil...Ok, I am a bit biased here so have a listen to what NeilScobie has to say about it and then give Livos a call. Why furniture craftsman and woodturner Neil Scobie chooses Livos natural oils - YouTube=

Always good to do a test application too as often bamboo is pretreated and being so dense will not absorb much product.
Good luck with it.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by AngelaPetruzzi

... as often bamboo is pretreated and being so dense will not absorb much product.

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Thanks for the response. I had thought about the above quote. What products are better suited to a material that doesn't absorb as much? My logic lends me to think that if it doesn't absorb, then a non-absorbing (ie: poly rather than oil) coating would be better?

Disclaimer: I do not work or advertise for Organoil, I have simply found that Hard Burnishing Oil gives a better finish than most other Oils. I have not tried Livos.

Hi JDellit,
I
have used Tung oil from several different sources and from personal experience working with everything from Wenge through Huon Pine and down to Australian Oak.
The product that I use most is Organoil Hard Burnishing Oil, which is Tung Oil with some dryers and other bits and pieces in it. But it is mainly Tung Oil.
I'd like to say right up that Tung Oil is described as Food Safe by the FDA in America, I'd also like to say that you don't need lots of coats to get a finish resistant to heat and moisture.

Bamboo can be difficult because of it's polished natural appearance, which may affect hard burnishing, but unless you try this method out on some scrap, you won't know.

If you look at this thread you will see pictures of several oils being evaluated for their finish and durability.

Regardless of what you use, you will need to be careful to properly finish around the sink area.

I'm happy to talk further with regard to the method if you want. Just PM me.

Incidentally, where in Australia do you live?

Regards,

Rob

What sort of look do you want?

If you want a really high gloss and a "None shall pass!" style of waterproof coating, then one of the tabletop epoxies would be your best bet.

That said, there's a lot to be praised about the refinishability of oil.