New oak door - to wax or not to wax?

[Andrew Bodenham]

Biff,

I've not tried Le Tonkinois myself, but it was featured in a long-term varnish test by Classic Boat magazine recently. The verdict was - OK, but not much different to other marine one-pack alkyd varnishes. The 'winners' of the test were Sikkens Novatech and Coelan, an eyewateringly expensive single-pot polyurethane. All the oil finishes tested failed on durability, but were commended for ease of application and ease of recoating.

 

[Nemesis]

I don't know what I'd do without this forum!!

Well, you could always ask SPAB - free advice line, many excellent publications, over a century of experience and expertise...

 

[Schoolmarm]

So the Liberon raw linseed oil I bought from on here is the wrong stuff

 

[middi]

Tankenois is new to me,

That's the Italian version is it? Le Tonkinois in French

Nah,, The Italian version is olive oil :wink: ( it must be, the old peasant folks in Italy used it on their oak forks and hoe handles )

 

[worms]

So the Liberon raw linseed oil I bought from on here is the wrong stuff

Well I don't know, I've been using the raw feed grade stuff on anything wooden inside and out that is not still growing and nothing has gone mouldy yet!

 

[biffvernon]

Biff,

I've not tried Le Tonkinois myself, but it was featured in a long-term varnish test by Classic Boat magazine recently. The verdict was - OK, but not much different to other marine one-pack alkyd varnishes. The 'winners' of the test were Sikkens Novatech and Coelan, an eyewateringly expensive single-pot polyurethane. All the oil finishes tested failed on durability, but were commended for ease of application and ease of recoating.

Ah ha, I wonder if the ease of recoating comment is because when alkyd and polyurethane varnishes fail they partially flake off and need sanding off before recoating, whereas a natural oil varnish erodes from the outside and can be recoated more easily.

 

[Penners]

So the Liberon raw linseed oil I bought from on here is the wrong stuff

No, don't worry, marm. I've used unboiled linseed on oak several times, without problems. The only thing I've found is that it takes a lot longer to dry than the boiled stuff. So for an application like Jaqy's - the exterior of a front door - you do run a bit more risk of dust blowing on to it and sticking.

Like worms, I've never experienced mould problems.

 

[Flyfisher]

An old gamekeeper once told me about oiling newly made walking sticks (usually hazel or blackthorn) with linseed oil as follows:

Once a day for a week,
Once a week for month,
Once a month for a year,
Once a year for life.

Of course, it's less of an issue to mess up a walking stick than a wonderful new oak door, but would this regime be applicable to any wood?

 

[Penners]

I can't help feeling that 'once a day for a week' linseed on oak would land you with a sticky mess!

 

[worms]

The old gamekeeper may have been envisaging that the method of application was a linseed oil-soaked rag rather than a brush, so there would be less applied at each occasion. If so, the little and often approach might have been correct.

 

[Penners]

Oil-soaked rag??

Sssssssss (sharp intake of breath) - that sounds like a Health and Safety ishoo to me. Think of the fire risk!

 

[Flyfisher]

Well, it's true that I've never oiled any sticks with a brush, a rag is so much easier, but probably not for a large area such as a door.

As for H&S, I must have been lucky during the early applications but now I'm on 'once a year for life' I just soak the used rag in water and throw it in the rubbish bin.

 

[biffvernon]

Does anyone actually know of an authenticated case of an oily rag spontaneously combusting?

 

[Pford75]

Does anyone actually know of an authenticated case of an oily rag spontaneously combusting?

http://wildwoodsurvival.com/survival/fire/spontaneouscombustion/rbjul05/index.html

Actual experiment to prove combustion of oily rags

 

[Schoolmarm]

Phew. Thank you Penners and Worms.

 

[biffvernon]

That's a great description of an experiment, Pford75. Looks an easy way to make a cup of tea if you don't mind waiting a few hours. I must have a go.

 

[worms]

...probably not for a large area such as a door

If memory serves me correctly, I think an oil-soaked pad, wrapped in a cloth (Is this called a "rubber"? I'm too scared to google it at work!) is the method of choice in the furniture business and the average table is probably not much smaller than the average door.

In fact I normally apply oil with a brush and then rub it down with a cloth a few hours later, which avoids any lingering sticky mess of flies and other debris or any risk of oily clothes when you lean against the wood. It may of course be more efficient to apply it with a cloth in the first place...

 

[Penners]

If memory serves me correctly, I think an oil-soaked pad, wrapped in a cloth (Is this called a "rubber"? I'm too scared to google it at work!) is the method of choice in the furniture business

That's certainly the way that French polish is applied, but I haven't seen it used for linseed oil.

 

[Toby Newell]

Thats what varnish is... linseed, tung, resin and drying agents.

Tung oil is your best bet, dries quicker and stronger than linseed which is quite poor, but cheap.

I used to apply 6 coats of marine yacht varnish over a thin shellac base but even this will crack up depending (especially) on the construction of the door, if the wood, direction of grain and joints are not all worked out carefully then the stiles amd cross members will move creating a crack where water will ingress and peeling will start here. Six straight coats of a microporous finsih (like goretex for wood) that allows the wood to breathe would be ideal for most situations and is what I would normally use, where the door is exposed to sea air or direct weathering in exrtreme circumstances i.e. on a hill or south facing without shade I would use Tung oil and regular coating (only takes 10 minutes to clean and recoat including getting the stuff out of the shed/cellar/loft/garage and putting it back)

Toby

 

[biffvernon]

Thats what varnish is... linseed, tung, resin and drying agents.

Most stuff that says 'varnish' on the can is not that. Le Tonkinois is the real deal.