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My second woodworking project is nearing completion – A customized, compact version of Mike Dunbar’s workbench in the “Tools and Shops” issue of FW. Like in the article, the benchtop is made from a thick piece of maple and birch plywood, but the legs are of oak. Any advice on a nice bench finish?
I realize that the author finished his bench with “several coats of boiled linseed oil thinned with a little turpentine.” Perhaps this is a good choice, even though the legs of my bench are oak? If so, I’m not too sure about using boiled linseed oil. Is this an off-the-shelf product? I have some “Tried and True Original Wood Finish,” which I understand is a “real” oil finish. Is this similar?
Thanks for any advice,
Bob Shonk
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I finished my bench with a mixture of beeswax, turpentine and linseed oil. I shave some wax into the turpentine, and let it sit until the wax dissolves. Then I heated the linseed oil, pour in the wax/turp mixture (after taking the oil off the heat). Slap this on bench, wait an hour and rub off as much as you can. Make sure you get the top extra dry, so you don’t transfer oil to your work. I do this once or twice a year, on a Saturday; so the bench can dry all day Sunday, and be ready for me again come Monday morning.
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