Finish on school bench?

Can you suggest a stain and finish. It's 2 metres long, solid Vic-ash type hardwood. Sits in a corridor of Hughesdale primary school and is used everyday. There's a little plaque that dates it to 1948, perhaps a memorial for a couple of teachers who went off to war. Copped a few bashes but still rock solid.
It's been dipped and I'm moving through the grades of sandpaper now.
The back and seat are 1 inch slats at right angles to each other and there's a hard white bog where they fit together. So it needs a stain. The slats are screwed down and there's a lot a broken fibre where they are countersunk. Looks great but obviously homemade, which makes it even more interesting.
The slats make sanding tedious, I figure an oil finish would make it easier the next time around.
What's a tough, gentle, durable finish that guarentees it will still be standing after the next giant asteroid strikes?
Cheers,
Curly

While I usually prefer laquer or shellac for most furniture pieces the tough type of environment this piece will have to endure means the most practical finish is polyurethane. None of the usual furniture stains is likely to work over the "white bog" unless it is an old plaster filler. In such case it may accept a furniture stain.
However you may need to touch up just the white areas with artists paint and brush. Perhaps your arts teacher could tint up some for you so it will blend with the general timber color.

Unfortunatly that great big asteriod probably hit when you got the thing dipped! :eek:

Anyway, you'll need to leave it sit so the timber can re-season. The cells in the timber will need to dry out again after being dipped. Lets not also forget to mention that the acid will have made its way into the joints almost certainly damaging any adhesive that may have been present.
By your description of the screws it kinda sounds like the cells of the timber have already started to collapse, but without actually seeing the piece this is just hear-say.

As echidna suggested you will be best off going to a hard wearing finish. Oil just won't cut it in this environment. You can get good quality hard wearing traditional finish's such as button shellac or you could opt for a more modern approach using laqcuers or even two-part lacquers but any finish put on before the piece has re-seasoned and the acid properly neutralised will be useless.

That bog stuff can be removed if you want and filled properly with the correct stuff or again as Echidna suggested these areas can be treated seperatly, though I would avoid artists paints and opt more towards a mix of shellac and tints to the desired colour, same principle different avenue.

HTH..

Cheers..

Ps, sorry to paint a bleak piccie! ;)

Curly,

Get the Principal to give you a hand. Although he is not the most practical person, he has tons of team since his football team was disgraced!

His ability to colour match is incredible! Ask him about Ford Tango Orange.

- Wood Borer

Curly,

I have been thinking!!!!

If it is for the school, my offer is to restore it for you from a construction aspect free of charge. You can do all the finishing but that way it will be rock solid, will last a lot longer and there won't be any of that white filler.

If you want to take advantage of the offer, the Principal knows how to contact me and where I live to drop it off etc.

He won't know me as Wood Borer but my earlier reply will give him sufficient clues.

Have a Coopers ......


- Wood Borer