suggested finish for mahogany plinth

[walpurgis]

Thanks, Geoff. I'll be trying it on a piece of scrap first to see how it looks

Sensible move!

[RothwellAudio]

There's a danger of over-thinking this and getting option paranoia. Most of the oily stuff on the market is basically the same, or at least on the same oily spectrum. At one end of the spectrum you have raw linseed oil. It's dead easy to use - you just wipe it on - but there's very little build to the surface and it takes a long time to dry. Next is boiled linseed oil, which is raw linseed oil which has been treated and has some additives to make it dry quicker. Then there's oil (probably linseed, though possibly tung or a blend of various things) with resins added to give the finish more build (or body, or thickness, or whatever you want to call it). This stuff is called varnish. It could have lots of resin in it, or it could have a little. Different brands have their own formulas and they're all slightly different, but they're all variations on a theme. One of the most common resin additives is polyurethane - hence polyurethane varnish - but the varnish is still an oil-based product. Of course, the companies that make these products have marketing departments and they've cottoned-on to the fact that the word "polyurethane" makes people think "chemical", whereas the word "oil" makes people think "natural". That's why there are so many products on the market which are called Such-And-Such Oil, as if they're somehow natural and wholesome. Try drinking the stuff and see how wholesome it is Anyway, products like Tru-Oil are actually very similar to polyurethane varnish. For what you have in mind I think you could take any of "oil" products and just wipe it on. Job done. You could also do the same with an oil-based varnish as long as you thin it a bit with white spirit to make it more wipeable.

The water-based stuff is completely different. It's the stuff which is labelled as fast drying and low odor. Obviously, they're attractive properties and water based varnishes are less environmentally unfriendly, don't stink the house out and it's a lot easier to clean brushes and pots afterwards. However, personally, I don't think they look as good or feel as good as oil-based varnishes.

There are loads more options (wax, shellac etc.) and possible combinations of different materials, but Danish Oil is probably as good as any for your job.
Good luck with the project

[MarginWalker]

Thanks for the input everyone. I am heading out to Brewers today for Danish oil, rubber gloves, cloths and wire wool and will hopefully get this done over the weekend.

[Svend N]

Sounds good Phil. Make sure you get very fine wire wool -- 0000 grade works well. Anything coarser and you will get scratches and take too much of the finish off.

Let us know how you get on with it. Best of luck!

[Svend N]

One further tip: I mentioned wet sanding the first coat of Danish oil, but neglected to mention that this actually helps fill the grain and gives a much smoother finish. The end result, after several subsequent coats, is that the wood will look and feel smoother. OTOH, if you want a more open-grain look, then skip that step and just buff with fine steel wool between coats.

[RothwellAudio]

... this actually helps fill the grain and gives a much smoother finish.

Yikes, don't start talking about grain filling - that's a whole other can of worms you're opening there

[struth]

Yikes, don't start talking about grain filling - that's a whole other can of worms you're opening there

Lol, yes that is advanced... and a lot of work to do right although worth it if your using an open pore wood and you want a super smooth finish

[Svend N]

Oh boy, are we risking putting Phil into information overload here? TBH, yes grain filling is a bit of work, but with Danish oil wet sanding it's pretty easy to do. Just time consuming is all. But Phil's piece is pretty small, so shouldn't be that big a deal. You can also get off-the-shelf grain fillers, but I'm not sure if they are compatible with Danish oil. In any case, using wet sanding at least the grain is filled with particles of the same wood, and not artificial solids. Looks much better, IMO. In any case, Phil can always to it at a later date, as Danish oil is so easy to work with.

Sorry Phil, didn't mean to push you over the edge here Keep it simple and enjoy the process -- this is very satisfying work to do.

[MarginWalker]

While i'm not looking to create extra work for myself, I am keen to get the best finish possible. Would i simply put some of the oil onto the sandpaper and apply using that? If so that doesn't seem like much extra effort.
What grit paper would i need to use for a job like this?

[struth]

If you don't want to change the colour the linseed oil mixed with spirit is best. A light coat and then sand it to produce dust then pack it with a cloth to get it into the pores. You should do this s few times. Usually don't wipe off first time but as I say it's advanced stuff to get right. You could try it on a scrap piece that has pours. If you want to highlight the pores which. Am be nice then just use a darker oil like danish thinned down. Worth experimenting several times tho