Replies

1. 
   SteveSchoene | Mar 17, 2009 01:29pm | #1

   Sure it will.  Just as well, with minor quibbling differences. 

2. 
   Samson | Mar 17, 2009 07:00pm | #2

   All my maple bench has ever seen is BLO straight from the can.  Just make sure to wipe off any excess within 10 minutes or so.  If it stays on too thick it might feel a little gummy here and there.  Not a big deal, in fact just SOP with applying BLO, but about the only thing to say.  

1. 
   Joe Sullivan | Mar 18, 2009 07:59pm | #3

   Right. In fact, I never have thinned BLO, have you fellows? If so, what for?Joe

3. 
   PeteBradley | Mar 19, 2009 02:51am | #4

   You can make it run better by warming it up. Don't thin it. Wipe up the excess after 15 minutes or so or you'll have a sticky mess. Don't expect it to dry quickly.

   Pete

1. 
   Bill1608 | Mar 19, 2009 03:20am | #5

   BLO seems to be the finish of choice for workbenches. I already bought it and will possibly use it, but I am starting to wonder if it really is the best choice. Many people say that it turns dark yellow later and looks bad on a maple top. I will be proud of the completed bench and would like it to continue to look as good as possible and yet be perfectly usable and not slippery. A couple applications of a wipe on poly would not have a surface film and might not turn yellow later. I would think if it was applied that way, it could be very lightly sanded in worn areas later and reapplied. Surely stripping would not be necessary. Thoughts?

1. 
   PeteBradley | Mar 19, 2009 05:36am | #6

   BLO will yellow, but it's there forever. Poly will look plasticky on day 1, will start chipping and scratching on day 2, and will look wrecked after a year. It's a bench. You're going to be twice as proud when it's showing some age.Pete

2. 
   Samson | Mar 19, 2009 05:52am | #7

   I have a maple bench with BLO, as I've said.  It is a few years old now.  It is somewhat yellow, but not in any sort of unpleasant way.  And I don't consider my bencha beater by any means:

   View Image

   BLO is easy to renew is you need to flatten your bench or otherwise just want to clean it with sandpaper or a scraper.  It makes the bench resistant to glue (something that seems to get on the bench a good deal if you are gluing up joints, even if you put down plastic or what have you).  It gets a nice patina with refreshing coats of BLO, in my opinion, but each to their own.

1. 
   Bill1608 | Mar 19, 2009 06:01am | #8

   There is nothing to complain about with the looks of that bench!

3. 
   HowardAcheson | Mar 19, 2009 06:56pm | #9

   >> A couple applications of a wipe on poly would not have a surface film and might not turn yellow later.Poly is made with linseed oil and the urethane resin is also yellow. Poly is yellow on initial application and quickly becomes more yellow.A film finish (lacquer, shellac, varnish, poly varnish) is not the way to finish a workbench top. A workbench is going to get dinged and film finishes will crack or craze or be otherwise damaged. Once a film finish is penetrated, it looses its effectiveness and adjacent areas begin to fail. No treatment is going to make a soft wood bench top harder. I much favor a "in the wood finish". Here are two that lots of folks find effective.First, is an boiled linseed oil and wax finish. Sand the surface to 180 grit. Mix paraffin or bees wax into heated boiled linseed oil. USE A DOUBLE BOILER TO HEAT THE OIL. The ratio is not critical but about 5-6 parts of boiled linseed oil in a double boiler with one part paraffin or beeswax shaved in. Take it off the stove. Thin this mixture about 50/50 with mineral spirits to make a heavy cream like liquid. Apply this mixture to the bench top liberally and allow to set overnight. Do it again the next day and again the following day if the top continues to absorb it. After a final overnight, lightly scrape off any excess wax and buff. This finish will minimize the absorption of any water and you can use a damp rag to wipe up any glue excess. Dried glue will pop right off the surface. Renewal or repair is easy. Just use a scraper to remove any hardened stuff, wipe down with mineral spirits using a 3/0 steel wool pad (a non-woven green or gray abrasive pad is better), wipe off the gunk and apply another coat of mineral oil/wax mixture.My personal preference is for an oil/varnish mixture treatment. Either use Minwax Tung Oil Finish, Minwax Antique oil or a home brew of equal parts of boiled linseed oil, your favorite varnish or poly varnish and mineral spirits. Sand the bench top up to 180 grit. Apply the mixture heavily and keep it wet for 15-30 minutes. Wipe off any excess completely. Let it dry overnight and the next day, apply another coat using a gray non-woven abrasive pad. Let it set and then wipe off any excess. Let this dry 48-72 hours. To prevent glue from sticking apply a coat of furniture paste wax and you're done. This treatment is somewhat more protective than the wax and mineral oil as the varnish component adds some protection from not only water but from some other chemicals also. The waxing makes the surface a little more impervious to water so you can wipe up any liquid adhesive. It also allows hardened adhesive to be scraped off. Repair and renewal is easy. Just go through the same scraping, wiping down with mineral spirits and reapplication of the BLO/varnish/mineral spirits mixture and an application of paste wax.Both of the above treatments are quite protective but are easy to maintain and renew. They do not fail when the surface takes a ding.Howie.........