Homemade Finishing brew

[royal]

Hi all
Ive been reading your excellent forum for a while and thought I would finally post. I found the below recipe elsewhere and since I dont have the knowledge to judge it, I am wondering if any of you people here could comment on it. I appoligise in advance if its a well known recipe. I was thinking of applying it to a jarrah table top, mainly coz ive got the ingredients handy to me. Would I be correct in assuming that part 1 is a sanding sealer and part 2 the actuall finish?? Many thanks

Part One.

Sand up to 400-600 grade paper & rub with 0000 steel wool. Mix equal
parts of raw tung oil, boiled linseed oil & satin poly-urethane. Rub
oil mix into timber with clean, soft cloth. Rub well in & then remove
all excess oil with clean cloth. Repeat this 3-4 times.

Part Two.

Mix equal parts of raw tung oil & boiled linseed oil in a small pot &
place inside a larger pot. Pour water into the larger pot until half
way up the outsides of the smaller pot. Then place onto hot plate &
heat up the oil mix slowly. When warm, place a handful of shredded
beeswax into the oils, & when all the wax has melted, remove from
heat. Stir until cooled (usually takes 2 beers) & then keep this
creamy mix in a air tight jar. This will keep indefinately.

Rub this into timber 3-6 times (depends on project) & make sure you
remove all excess oil. This method of polishing furniture dates back
to the 18th century & was handed down to me by my Father (Master Craftsman). Remember to soak all oily rags in water after use, as
they can self combust, (& burn down the bloody workshop). This polish
will repel water, red wine, coffee & hot plate stains. It gives the
most warm, earthy, touching feel to anything you will ever see. It
invites people to touch your furniture, as nature intended.

any thoughts? for a jarrah tabletop finish.

regards Kym

[Shane Watson]

Dates back to the 18th century, but it contains Poly-U?? http://ubb.ubeaut.com.au/ubb/confused.gif

[ubeaut]

Don't use steel wool as a final abrasive on wood. It is intended for use on METAL!! For woodwork, use it in stripping, and for over a finish not as an abrasive on raw timber.

Part one is one of a hundred similar recipes for what has become known as Danish oil and definitely doesn't date back to the 18th century.

I think you will find that - Part 2 won't penatrate part 1 as part 1 will form a coating on the timber that won't allow part 2 to be rubbed in. I also think that what you have here are 2 recipes that were not meant to be used together but as seperate finishes in their own right. Part 2 more than likely does date back to the 1700's in a roundabout way.

I don't want to put too blunt a point on it. But, if these recipes along with thousands of others actualy worked better, easier or even half as well as their modern counterparts then they would most likely be available commercially. Most fell from grace because they had shortcomings or because they took a long time to apply successfully to give a good result.

Having said all that, I really have no problem with the idea of trying and using these older formulae for polishes. Many give a really nice finish if you are repared to put in the time and effort and also give an emense feeling of satisfaction in knowing that you did it all from the raw timber to the final finish.

My 2 bobs worth.

Cheers - Neil