Pew topped table

[katyfrances]

We just bought a large kitchen table with reclaimed top made of bits of old pews. It has always been waxed and I continued to do this which brings up the quality of the wood, but seems to do nothing to repel stains/water. We have two small children and from the start we decided not to worry about the odd stain but now it is beggining to annoy me - especially as they are all at one end of the table and it's not easy to turn the table around to even up the staining! I should also say at this point that I'm not so keen on covering it up for meal times - I've lived with an oilcloth over a table for the past few years and was trying to get away from that. So my question is - is there a product that would help me to seal the wood without changing the look/colour?
Many Thanks
K

 

[Penners]

Sorry Katy, but you want to have your cake and eat it! :wink:

I presume the table-top is pine, and it must be said that waxed pine is not particularly robust - particularly when it comes to shrugging off spillages and stains.

It's going to be virtually impossible to apply anything that will "seal" the table, after it has been extensively waxed. Probably the only really reliable way to do this would be sand off the top surface of the wood, and start again with a modern varnish or melamine lacquer. And (a) you won't have the ability to sand off enough wood with DIY hand tools (it'll need an industrial sander) to completely get rid of the wax, and (b) even sealed pine can eventually be problematical.

If you want to protect your tabletop from the children and maintain the traditionally waxed finish on the wood (which I certainly would!) then I'm afraid an oilcloth tablecloth is the answer.

 

[katyfrances]

Thanks! I was afraid that would be the answer! I've just given it a good scrub down and waxed it again and I think I will just have to learn to love the 'patina' all the stains are giving it. I really should have researched table tops a bit more before we took the plunge - just fell in love with the wood!
Does anybody know the correct wax to use and how often I should use it? I am just using a beewax in a tin and rubbing and polishing it in along the grain. About once every 2 weeks.
Thanks again.

 

[Nigel Watts]

Waxed Kitchen table + kids = uphill struggle to keep it looking good

I made the table in my kitchen/dining room. The top consists of two solid planks of quite burry elm, each some six feet by eighteen inches by two inches thick. It would have been nice but completely impractical waxed. Instead I used a matt polyurethane diluted with white spirit. Two or three coats from recollection. The legs were polished with tung oil.

The alternative is to strip all finishes off and scrub it regularly. This will give a not unpleasant bleached look.

 

[JoceAndChris]

I agree, wax tables and children don't mix. The wax finish on my Lombok table (reclaimed hardwood) is very prone to rings and water marks. Jasco is a good white ring removing product, I'm always using it. I spray wax on it from a can every week- Liberon http://www.tooled-up.com/Product.asp?PID=161032&Referrer=froogle which keeps it looking good. This takes about a minute, in comparison with a good 15 minutes to rub in beeswax. (I really like the National Trust beeswax by the way)

At one point our cleaner put the iron face down on the table causing a huge burn. The cost of having it resurfaced by Lombok was £250, fortunately the cleaning company paid. At the time I considered asking them to put on a polyurethane coating but decided it would have lost something of its character. Anyway I agree that sanding and finishing a table to a high standard is complex and best left to the professionals!

If you're tired of the look of oilcloth why not try a bunch of lovely slate placemats and table runners? They'd leave plenty of wood poking out tantalisingly and protect it too. Those cardboard placemats are so annoyingly prone to water marks as well, these are much better if you like that rugged look.

http://www.justslate.co.uk/Slate-Table-Runner/c-1-3/

 

[Andrew Bodenham]

Katy,

All is not lost! Whilst wax finishes are not enough for a family table there is an excellent product which will give a wax-type finish with great durability. It's Osmo Top Oil, a blend of natural oils and waxes in a spirit base, formulated for protecting wooden worktops and the like. I've seen it used on a customer's oak worktop with good results - still looks like it did when first applied 3 years ago. Finishes on softwood will never last as long as those on hardwoods, but I do think it might find this the answer to your problem.

You will need to strip the existing wax finish as much as possible - I'd use white spririt and scotchpad-type abrasive, then leave to dry and sand smooth. Then apply 2 or 3 coats of the Osmo product.

If you can wipe off the worst of spills it will look good for longer, but when the finish does eventually look tired it just needs a quick refresher coat wiped on. Patch repairs can be made easily at any time.

Osmo Top Oil is available from good decorators suppliers and various online sources. (I'm not connected with the company, just an enthusiatic professional user!)

 

[philmac1944]

I have for many years been using timber reclaimed from deconsecrated churches to make
furniture and worktops. Most of this had years of wax applications, hardened chewing gum under the seats
and various graffiti ( only some of which was religious ! )

Having faced the same problem I am also a convert to Osmo oil which is as good as Andrew has said.
I remove as much wax / varnish as possible with a cabinet scraper, then use spirit and abrasive followed,
if necessary, by a heavy-duty sander ( these can be hired at reasonable cost ).

Most of the wood is superior in quality, grain and figuring to that generally available today and still
retains some of its patina even after such treatment.

 

[FamilyWiggs]

We have a similar problem.

It was a close run thing and we ended up just putting a tablecloth over the table and living with it. My preference was to make the kids eat on the floor for the first 10 years of life, but SWMBO over-ruled me.

When we had a child-free weekend recently, we took the tablecloth off, only to discover hundreds of little pitted marks where the have bashed their knives and forks up and down. :roll: Fortunately it is not an expensive table....

 

[Schoolmarm]

Ah yes! The banging of the knives and forks! Thanks for reminding me of that. :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Penners]

Having faced the same problem I am also a convert to Osmo oil which is as good as Andrew has said.
I remove as much wax / varnish as possible with a cabinet scraper, then use spirit and abrasive followed,
if necessary, by a heavy-duty sander ( these can be hired at reasonable cost ).

This solution can work - but DO be sure that you get all the old wax off first. And if you're in any doubt, give the table a really thorough sanding. The problem I've experienced in the past is that some waxes can penetrate the surface of the wood to an appreciable degree, and may not be compatible with your oil finish.

Always finish your sanding by doing it along the grain - not across.

 

[Flyfisher]

. . . only to discover hundreds of little pitted marks where the have bashed their knives and forks up and down. :roll: Fortunately it is not an expensive table...

It might be expensive now though. Isn't that effect referred to as "distressed"? Quite fashionable in some parts, or so I'm led to believe.

 

[Feltwell]

. Isn't that effect referred to as "distressed"?

No, that's what the kids should be after you catch them attacking the table with cutlery! I'm glad it's not just mine that do that.

We bought a huge old pine table that already had lots of "character" - the original top looks to have been replaced with reclaimed floorboards, judging by the nail holes. It's a lovely old table though and we don't get stressed if it does get a knock. It's our way with nearly all our furniture really - get old Victorian pine, which can still be picked up cheaply if you're careful, and don't worry if family life means it gets the odd knock.

 

[Flyfisher]

and we don't get stressed if it does get a knock. It's our way with nearly all our furniture really

It seems to be our way with most things I'm afraid. Mrs FF reversed the car into a tree a few months back, badly denting the rear tailgate. She mentioned it, in passing, at dinner with a casual "well, we're not precious about cars are we?" As it still remains unrepaired I suppose we're not.

 

[Schoolmarm]

:lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[JoceAndChris]

:evil: You lot are far too chilled out. What's needed is more angst and polish.

 

[Feltwell]

It seems to be our way with most things I'm afraid. Mrs FF reversed the car into a tree a few months back, badly denting the rear tailgate. She mentioned it, in passing, at dinner with a casual "well, we're not precious about cars are we?" As it still remains unrepaired I suppose we're not.

That would really wind me up - I hate driving around in a dented car. Dents are fine in vans and old series Land Rovers (honourable battlescars!) but not in a car.

I can say that now I'm no longer a skint youth !

 

[yamin]

Can't afford to care, really. Plus, there's so much else to stress about. Now, if my chocolate sponge doesn't rise, thats the thing to really get ME riled!!!! One man's chilled is another man's complete breakdown eh?!!

 

[Penners]

Isn't that effect referred to as "distressed"?

When I worked in the furniture industry, we would often get a call from a harassed woman, asking how to remove the dents (made by the children) in her nice pine kitchen table.

My stock response was, "That will be almost impossible, madam. So my advice is that you should encourage the children to make lots more dents. One dent is 'damage'; hundreds of them is 'character'."

The great majority of the women seemed quite happy with that.

 

[yamin]

I like that, works for me! (And for cars!)