Help with pallet furniture finish

Hi guys. I recently got a couple of bedside tables and a blanket box made up for me out of old pallets with no finish.

Since I know nothing about woodwork, I need some help figuring out what to finish them in. I want something that keeps the natural rustic kind of look and have posted some pics of what I would like the end result to be. I want the wood to darken and bring out the natural colours (like the sample pics) and don't want them to be shiny (varnish???) once finished.

Blanket box and bedside tables.
Attachment 367133 Attachment 367134

Sample finish that I would like to achieve
Attachment 367135 Attachment 367136

The range of different products and colours available at Bunnings was overwhelming for someone who knows nothing about wood. What do I need to get to achieve that kind of finish in the sample pictures?

Cheers

For that sort of thing and for the beginner, just plain ordinary polyeurathane (turps based Estipol) would be fine.

Get it in Satin not gloss

Just plain uncoloured product will be fine ...... if you want a darker colouring .... get some tinted polyeurathane ...... I'd recommend in walnut .( satin or gloss for this purpose don't matter)..... and put a little in with the clear.

I find the tinted polly too dark and muddy straight out of the can ...... but just a little in the clear product warms the colour up.

Don't forget to thin the product ..... this is a source of disapointment and frustration for many ...... the product flows much better thinned a little ..... but no more than 10% ..... 5% ish is good.
You can use mineral turps, but I prefer "white spirit" ( this is not metho) its like turps without the oil, and is less likly to make the poly go milky.

Now I would normally recomend the use of a sanding sealer matching product for the top coat.

But ya not doing a lot of this, so buying may be a waste.

Do your first light coat and leave it to dry at least 2 days, then sand with 240 grit to take off any roughness.
continue with coloured coats till you have the prefered tone, then go a coat of clear over the top.

If you are overcoating without sanding you must do so within 24 hours ..... of the underlying finish will cure too much for a good chemical key.

There WILL be some roughness .... the finish will not be perfect

leave to cure at least 48 hours ....... either lightly wet sand 600 grit OR rub with a scotchbrite ( preferably maroon) and give a coat of clear wax rubbing out with vigour.

cheers

What Soundman said... Note that clear satin Estapol will provide a golden colour on its own, and the timber will yellow with age, even after you coat it with Estapol. I think these effects.on their own will achieve the effect that you are after.

Sent from my C5302 using Tapatalk

Thanks for all that info guys, especially Soundman's big write up :)

I'll go grab an appropriate estapol and see how I go.

Cheers