When I embarked on my Brownells BRN-180 wood furniture build, I knew I wanted a final finish with a slight sheen which could be easily repaired and conditioned in the future to maintain its beautiful luster. And I really had no idea what to do. After doing a considerable amount of research online, a common thread emerged; using boiled linseed oil. So I did what I always do, and I turned to Brownells and low and behold, they offered a highly praised boiled linseed oil. They offered the oil in two sizes, but the price difference for the larger size was negligible and so I opted for the larger bottle. But considering the small amount you use when finishing these wood projects, this bottle will probably last me a lifetime.
The first step to finishing any wood working project is sanding, sanding and more sanding. I typically start my hand sanding with a 220 grit and then incrementally move to a finer grit. I typically will move from 220, to 320 and end at 400 grit. Once the wood piece is as smooth as a babies bottom, I will clean it free of extra wood dust and it is then ready to receive its first oil treatment.
The best application tool for this oil is your warm finger. You simply dip your finger in the oil and spread it over the part. Less is typically more with the boiled linseed oil.
While the oil is still wet, I will wet sand the oil into the wood starting with a 400 grit sand paper.
Timing begins to become more and more important from this point and on. After “wet” sanding the oil into the wood with 400 grit, I move down to 1000 grit and continue to sand the oil into the wood. Additionally, I use my warm hands to massage the oil into the wood. The skin on your hands and the warmth there helps the oil penetrate into the wood. And as I previously mentioned, timing becomes important, as does patience. After sanding and massaging the first coat of oil into the wood it’s paramount to allow the wood adequate drying time before applying the next coat.
What I start to notice as I wait for the oil to cure, is the wood will lose its sheen and will appear matte and dry looking. After it looks ready for another coat I will use a combination of the 1000 grit paper and my bare warm hands to apply a second very thin coat of oil. Over weeks this will continue but you want to use less and less oil after each application. The wood can only accept so much oil, so by applying and buffing in very small layers, you will end up building a fine surface of polished wood that will develop a greater depth with each application. It is quite the laborious process but the results are amazing.
Here you can see the difference between a single coating and what it can look like after 8-10 coats. The wood will get darker and will develop a beautiful sheen. It is important to note, if you are not satisfied with the look of the wood after multiple coats of oil, keep applying more (using less oil each time) as the final wax application will not really change the overall look much
After I am completely satisfied with the look and depth of the wood, and after it has had an adequate drying time (it needs to dry/cure for a long time or it will always feel sticky), I apply a thin coat of the Renaissance wax polish. This seals and protects the finish of the wood. I won’t go into too much detail on the wax as Kurt the Gunsmith already did a great post on the Renaissance wax and you can read all about it at his blog here;
The results speak for themselves. I am thrilled with how these parts turned out and I am glad I took the time to finish the wood this way. There are quicker ways to finish your wood projects, but when you really care about something, a little extra effort can make all the difference.
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