Vic Ash and Jarrah. best finish?

[timberpassion]

Gday!

Got a Glory box/blanket chest made out of Vic Ash and Jarrah (pics be posted of finished product next week)

Want to finish it in a way that will bring out all the beautiful grain in the wood.
Some kind of oil maybe?

Only really had experience with stains so would appreciate some help, possibly pics of sample work to see the finished product.

And if oil is used, does it need a clear coat of some kind over the top to the wood isnt greasy?

If anyone else has some otehr suggestions id love to hear them


Cheers

[timberpassion]

tricky question aye?

[watson]

G'day TP,
I tend to use a wipe on / wipe off finish and then follow the with Traditional wax. Works great for me.
The wipe on/wipe off finish I use is:
4 Parts Satin Polyurethane
1 Part Boiled linseed Oil
6 Parts Mineral Turpentine
Wipe on...leave for 10 minutes...wipe off.

[RufflyRustic]

My two favourite finishes are:
1. Wipe on Poly - very similar to Watson recipe but mine is store bought.
2. UBeaut's Shellac and Traditional Wax

cheers
Wendy

[Tung tied]

I'm keen on Danish oil and Tung oil (may be a little obvious that one...:doh:). They give a good grain enhancing finish, are fairly hard wearing and are reasonably easy to repair if your piece gets used and abused.

Keep chippin' away.

cheers

Bryan

[Chesand]

I am with Wendy

U-Beaut Hard Shellac or Minwax Wipe-on Poly.

Let them harden for a few days then rub with U-Beaut EEE and 0000 steel wool to remove any nibs or dust marks. Finally polish with Trad Wax.

[echnidna]

Oil finishes will darken the Jarrah so much you will lose some of the grain features.

White shellac or Cabots Clear Floor - a water based clear floor finish which is very hard when cured and does not yellow with age.

[andrewsd]

I would grain fill and french polish it. For carved or very detailed areas, mop the polish on. Finish with steel wool and wax for a rich, soft lustre.

[Gibbo]

I'm a fan of Ubeaut dewaxed white shellac with traditional wax over the top. It's reasonably easy to apply, easy to repair and enhances the look of the timber beautifully. Not as hard wearing as danish oil or poly type finishes though (unless you use the hard shellac).

Here's a link to a sample of this finish on jarrah.

http://www.woodworkforums.com/showthread.php?p=810390#post810390

Cheers,
Gibbo.

[timberpassion]

lots of wonderful ideas thanks, have a fair bit of scrap so might try a few of them and see what i like.

[Tex B]

Oil finishes will darken the Jarrah so much you will lose some of the grain features.

Hasn't been my experience. I've finished a couple of jarrah pieces with Minwax wipe on poly, and the grain features really stand out (Here (http://www.woodworkforums.com/showthread.php?t=38367) is a pic). Have also used a finish similar to Watson's (equal parts boiled linseed oil, polyurethane, and tung oil) and haven't noticed the loss of grain features.

The oil or wipe on poly will dry hard after a while (thought it might take 2-3 weeks to fully cure), so the box will not be oily. However, a coat or three of Ubeaut traditional wax does a great job of making it shine and protecting the furniture.

Best idea is to use your scraps to try different finishes, see which one you like and are comfortable with.

Tex