Dining chair finish

I'd love some advice please. After a long search for dining chairs I've found some that tick most of the boxes (natural wood, arms that fit under the table, low back and are comfortable), only issue is they are second hand and I need to do a lot of work to them! Not sure of the timber, they are made in WA and carbatec guys think maybe a Malaysian hardwood. I'm stuck on what finish to put on them. Carbatec have suggested hard burnishing oil. Has anyone used this on dining chairs before? I have spent 4hrs per chair sanding (40, 80, 120 grit) them back (6 more to go) so want to get the finish right. Hubby says that this is my project so no help from him! Thanks (Pictures attached)

Organoil Hard Burnishing oil will give you a smooth, attractive finish when done correctly, but then no-one doesn't use the protocol

Pic 1 HBO used to finish a Red Gum slab table. 2.HBO used to finish a box..a very large box! The grain in the Red Gum is very clear and so is the resolution of the grain in the Silky Oak. The finish is highly resistant to liquids and heat. You will need to sand with an orbital sander to get the finish you want. The oil is burnished into the wood this way. But the oil can be hand applied and still get an eye popping finish



https://www.woodworkforums.com/attach...015515&thumb=1https://www.woodworkforums.com/asset....2&d=1490063971

Just some info about the finish.

Pic 1 HBO used to finish a Red Gum slab table. 2.HBO used to finish a box..a very large box! The grain in the Blackwood is very clear and so is the resolution of the grain in the Silky Oak. The finish is highly resistant to liquids and heat



https://www.woodworkforums.com/attach...015515&thumb=1https://www.woodworkforums.com/asset....2&d=1490063971

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Originally Posted by LGS

Just some info about the finish.

Pic 1 HBO used to finish a Red Gum slab table. 2.HBO used to finish a box..a very large box! The grain in the Blackwood is very clear and so is the resolution of the grain in the Silky Oak. The finish is highly resistant to liquids and heat
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https://www.woodworkforums.com/attach...015515&thumb=1https://www.woodworkforums.com/asset....2&d=1490063971

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Thanks for the reply! The slab looks amazing. Sorry couldn't find the box pic.
Should a complete novice try HBO? I watched a video demo for applying HBO, 1 coat with a paintbrush, then 2nd before it dried, then sand with 600 grit wet/dry sandpaper. Does this sound right? How many coats would you recommend? My hubby has an orbital sander, but haven't tried using it on the chairs, will it be very difficult?

I would like the finish to be satin, to darken the wood a couple of shades, easy clean and pretty much maintenance free. Would HBO the right product?
Last question, have you used it on a chair before and any pictures?

Sorry to bombard you with so many questions! Thanks for helping me out

Hi again,
If you are concerned about using the oil on chairs, give Organoil a call and ask them how they would do it.. From my point of view, I have used HBO on chairs, picture frames and other thin timber profiles. You may need to get some foam pads for the sander and these should be available at Festool dealers or your usual supplier of pads. You can get a satisfactory result using pads from 400g up to 1500g (or higher if you can get them). You'll find that the sanding with higher grits (which is really a burnishing process) you'll still get good cover with the orbital sander. If you need any further info, just let me know.

Regards,

Rob

Thanks for your advice Rob. I'll given Organoil a call ��

I'm a finishing newbie myself (overall newbie as well), but you may want to sand the wood to 180 or 240 grit. Danish oils are very easy to apply and would be well suited to chairs. Basically their application is flood the surface, wait a few minutes, wipe off the excess. Repeat several times. Some danish oil manufacturers will say to do a fine sand between coats. I did a few tests on Watco Danish oil, Haymes Danish oil, and Feast Watson Scandinavian oil, all three looked extremely similar after two coats and felt quite similar as well. These oils will darken and color the wood somewhat, I'll try to find my tests and upload a photo if you're interested.

If you want to keep the white color of your freshly sanded chairs, you'll need either lacquer, water based poly, or white/blonde shellac. These last three won't darken the wood anymore than wetting it with water does. These last three are definitely more difficult to apply than danish oil though.

Yeah,I was thinking the same thing. 240 is the minimum, in my opinion anyway.

Personally, I would sand 120/240/400. I would use 2-3 coats of Ubeaut White Shellac (mixed 50-50 with methylated spirits). Just rub it on - it dries very rapidly. De-nib with grey pads (they look like scourer pads but at around 400 grit) between coats.

This finish is durable enough and looks stunning. Importantly, it is very easy to apply (I just use a cloth) and very easy to repair - simply add another coat of shellac. It mixes in.

Regards from Perth

Derek

I agree with Derek. However, given these are relatively high use items, you could give hard shellac a try. I did this on a study desk top, results lovely.

I'm building a chair at the moment and plan to use the finish that Sam Maloof recommends.

It's a mix of 1/3 linseed oil, 1/3 raw tung oil and 1/3 semigloss urethane varnish. Do a search of it if you're interested but if it's good enough for Sam, it's good enough for me.

Thanks for all your replies. I've managed to HBO one chair & happy with the finish. Sanded at 400 grit then applied 1st coat, waited 2-3hrs then 2nd coat. Then sanded (with same 400 grit sandpaper) to create a slurry (like toothpaste). Then papertowel finish to remove excess oil. Organoil recommend then sanding with 1200 grit and then paper towel again. Unfortunately it was late and the sander is loud. So I called it quits that night. But will try the whole process on the weekend on another chair.