Finishing Silky Oak

[Sam Bridgham]

Hi folks

I'm in deep with a silky oak project. I'm nearly certain the species is grevillea robusta, which means it is softer than teak and light pink in its unfinished form. I've had it sanded down to 400 and found that steel wool leaves it grubby in spots, though it brings the shine up to about where I'd like it. I've applied boiled linseed oil and then beeswax, but still am not satisfied that the figure is as high as I can get it.

Any practical advice on this? Is there a stain that would work well with linseed? How have people dealt with the softness?

Sam

[reeves]

am not sure if this will help u, as far as i know boiled linseed is not the best choice but others may have a different view..

on softer wood i have been using organoil, basiclaly Tung and the technique after sanding is to oil heavily, leave overnite, oil again, leave for 1 hour or so and then burnish with wet and dry up to 1200, putting oil on the paper only....then buff when hard..its gets surpisingly hard...

i have also pre rpeppered it with oil then sanded the oil back again, increaising the fine ness.....then doing the above method

i have used this with good effect....

the oil tends to soak in well and harden to a sheen if done right..

cheeeers

[PAH1]

I have found silky to be a bitinteresting to get looking good. Steel wool is a definite no no, aside from the fragments of steel left behind it cuts the wax and leaves marks behind. I have had success with two different methods.
1. A coat of shellac sanding sealer (good old Ubeaut) and then the traditional paste wax over the top. Very nice finish and looks damn good, high lustre and brings out the figure nicely.
2. Use organoil with wet on wet burnishing. This also works well, results in a high lustre and picks out the grain nicely.

I would not stain silky, the medullary rays would soak up a heck of a lot of the stain and result in a blotchy appearance. I have heard of sealing first but I have not done this.