An Oil Finish for a Modern Bench

  STEP-BY-STEP

1. Scrape and sand
Plane and scrape away any machine marks. Hand-sand all the surfaces, beginning with P180 grit and working up through the grits, finishing with P400.

2. Mask joinery areas
Wrap all tenons in blue painter’s tape. Apply small pieces of the tape over each mortise, to keep finish from getting on the area covered by the tenon shoulders. Be sure that the tape doesn’t extend past the shoulder areas.

3. Make a finishing pad
Tightly wrap a golf ball-sized wad of cheesecloth in an old white cotton rag. Make a pigtail with the excess rag, wrap it two or three times with blue tape, and cut off the excess.

4. Wipe on the oil
Dip the finishing pad into a small cup of oil. Lay down an even coat, using long straight strokes parallel to the grain. Overlap each stroke half-way.

5. Wait, sand, repeat
Wait 16 to 24 hours, then sand vigorously with P320-grit paper. Vacuum and wipe the surfaces to remove all the sanding dust, then apply a second coat of oil. Wait another 16 to 24 hours and sand again, this time with P400-grit. Apply a final coat of oil. When it’s dry, carefully sand down any dust nibs with 1000-grit automotive paper. Just skim the sandpaper over the surface, without applying any pressure, to avoid rounding over the edges.

To protect the finish during glue-up, pad clamping pads and cauls with scraps of leather.