Maple stool with Jarrah wedges - Danish oil??

[deldridg]

Hello good people,

as a relative newbie, I have attempted a (simple for you, complex for me) job building a little stool for my wife with angles everywhere, through wedged tenons etc. (See: Weekend Project: A Sturdy Footstool - Fine Woodworking Article).

I've made it in Maple with Jarrah wedges and so far I'm fairly happy with it. It will be used around the kitchen and probably get some hard use in its lifetime (the 2 weeks before it falls apart...). (Um, not that I'm implying anything about my wife... hehe).

Wanting to keep the natural timber colouring as far as possible, should I use something like a Danish oil or a low sheen varnish? Also, should I use a sealer?

I guess a broader question would be: in general, when would you choose a Danish oil and when would you choose estapol/varnish? (Is that a dumb question?).

For the record, I've just completed a Jarrah lampstand and the Danish oil is truly magnificent, hence the thought that it could be an option.

Cheers and many thanks in advance,
David (Sydney)
PS. A little pic of the post glue-up is attached.

[masoth]

Ther is no such thing a a 'dumb' question, David - however, some answers are doubtful for accuracy. I like you stool effort, and will leave it to others to answer your question on finish.

soth

[Afro Boy]

Can't help you with the finishing but wanted to say that the stool looks great so far!

[deldridg]

You are very encouraging and I appreciate it! It's truly amazing what one can do with a camera and 14 hours of Photoshop these days...

Cheers,
David

[Thornburn]

David,

Well done on the stool, I like the wood combination and you've done a good job with the joinery.

I use Danish Oil quite a bit on my work mostly because I have been told that it is easy to repair should "accidents" occur! I also find it very easy to apply. My only question about the estapol/varnish option would be how easy it would be to repair given the inevitable scratches/scuff marks that will occur from its use in your kitchen.

I will leave it to more experienced heads to discuss the relative merits of your options.

Thornburn

[Tung tied]

Hi David,

Thornburn is spot on with Danish Oil and it won't darken the wood much. You could also try Tung Oil (or China wood oil) as this gives a good sturdy finish. It's sometimes used on floors. As with Danish Oil it is easy to repair if scratches and dents occur but it will darken the wood a bit. For a really smooth finish you can sand between coats and also apply it with fine grade steel wool, wiping off the excess after a few minutes. Some Danish and Tung oils are a combination of oils and sometimes poly so it's best to check what's in it first. The product data sheet or the manufacturer's info line are a good place to start.

Good luck and don't forget to post more photos. Some of us forumites don't get out much.

Cheers

Bryan

[deldridg]

Hello again good folks - and again, I'm thrilled by your encouragement and good advice! It really makes a difference.

I have gone with some beautiful Organoil Danish Oil and attached are pics of before and after a single coat. Since these pics, I've done a 2nd coat with less oil than before and buffed with an old cotton singlet. It's looking very nice and I truly can't believe I've made it - the ham-fisted clodhopper that I generally think I am! Hehe

So now I'm determined to become somewhat expert in the finishing process, at least in a narrow band so as to develop some confidence in being able to complete projects, not just do the 'fun joinery' and let them wait patiently in the back of the shed...

I will have some more details on how I complete this stool, now having spoken to Ernie at Organoil today who was also generous with his great wisdom on burnishing and finishing. I would love to recommend Organoil - a wonderful local business who has certainly got the name in quality products from my observations!

Many thanks,
Dave (Sydney)

[masoth]

"................ I have gone with some beautiful Organoil Danish Oil and attached are pics of before and after a single coat. "

Wow. Really looking good now, eh?

soth

[deldridg]

Thank you kind Sir (I'm assuming "Sir" here!) )

I'm very happy so far and can't wait to get into the burnishing. Earlier, Ernie at Organoil said that the more heat from rubbing you can put into their products, the better the outcome. I'm going to have a last coat effort at doing some burnishing with 1200 W&D before rubbing.

His advice was not to use more than 2 coats, and not to use steel wool (which I did for the 2nd coat) as it can leave bits which then rust and colour the wood. So I will break rule 1 and do a 3rd coat, burnishing with the 1200 grain before rubbing to ensure I haven't left any steel wool in the timber.

However, it feels really nice to the touch and even the little wedges have turned out OK!

Thanks again and cheers,
Dave
PS. I love Mildura country... lucky you!

[zelk]

Nice work Dave, out of interest, what did you use to mortise the holes in the seat, I presume they are at an angle?
Zelk

[orraloon]

Dave,
The danish oil is a good choice. I think it looks more natural than estapol. You have done a top job there.
Regards
John

[deldridg]

Hi Zelk and John - thanks for your comments. It was really only a pretty simple project but I think I've learned a lot and it has been very satisfying.

The holes I carefully marked out and made a 10 degree jig (all angles on this stool are about 10 deg). I then used a 3/4" forstner bit to pre-drill the mortises with each piece on the jig and then hand chiseled them square. The outside of each was widened around 1mm on each side in the direction that the wedges would open the tenons, giving a total of around 3 - 4 mm width of the wedges at the surface, once driven in.

I was very nervous hammering the wedges in - had pre-marked each one the same, just a bit higher than where I estimated they'd stop so as to get some feel for their depth. It turned out they all pretty much stopped at the same depth and on only one tenon on a side, I heard a tiny bit of splitting but nothing was visible, thankfully!

I would truly recommend this project to a beginner like myself - can really feel some good learning through this largely hand-made process, and now have a lovely little stool to show for it!

Cheers and thanks again,
David (Sydney)

[philf]

Nice stools Dave, you did a good job on the finish well done