Finish for wooden base

I am making a stationary engine, and the plans call for a wooden base.

I am thinking of using dark walnut.

I need to consider the best finish. French polish would have been my first choice, but it can be ruled out as the alcohol used for fuel will melt it if spilled.

Maybe Danish oil and wax would be suitable? Very easy to apply, but I not sure this is the right look.

I have used melamine lacquer before, but when polished it looks a little plastic. I see that acrylic lacquer also exists. I have never used this before and do not know the pros/cons of this when compared with melamine.

What finishes are people using for their wooden bases?

Does a high gloss finish or matt look better on a model?

I used Briwax and it seems pretty durable; it's not really changed colour despite getting a bit of oil over in when running. I have to built a bigger board to include a boiler soon but I don't know how it will do with the heat so may use a bit of steel plate protection in the areas that get hotter

I have a work bench I used polyurethane on, it looks terrible when it gets scratches, it shows them up badly, I think acrylic type finishes will also suffer from this, I recently made a worktop for my toolbox from an oak kitchen worktop, finished it rustins Wood stain then a couple coats of their Danish oil, apart from being much easier, it doesn't show scratches, and doesn't look like plastic, if you finished with finer sand paper and another coat of Danish oil, you could probably make it a bit more gloss, but as it's a worktop I didn't bother.

I know what you man about melamine - it's very durable, but does look a bit synthetic. After trying many things (in a different context) I've settled on Osmo Poly-X. A couple of wall mounting plinths:

not finished yet but perhaps gives an idea of how it looks Left is sapele, right iroko. The sales bumf says 'alcohol resistant', but I think they mean wine. Out of interest I squirted some neat alcohol on one when I started writing - it's evaporated and not made any discernible difference to the finish.

Might be worth a try!

Robin.

Hi IRT, I used a piece of walnut from the draw front of a very old chest of draws that were originally my grandmothers. The grain of the wood looks very pleasing to me and I tried some satin varnish and some regular yacht varnish on a couple of off cuts, but both made the grain look disappointing and kind of hid some of the texture. Having had a look online of various ideas, I tried some Danish Oil just on it's own and was very please with the result. OK, it only supports a compass made in the main of brass and bronze, but I think the natural look of the oil enhanced it's appearance,

Regards Nick.

I used to use Danish Oil but now prefer Osmo Poly-X, the satin one looks about right and seems to resist fuel. The originals would not have had a particularly fine finish, certainly not upto French Polished standards as they were a utility item

In the past I have made some tables out of ash and finished them in Danish oil then wax. Initially they looked very good, but over time they have yellowed.

I have not used Osmo Poly-X before. Does it soak in then dry like Danish oil? Does it yellow in the sun?

I have found a small bottle of walnut oil. I will test this on a bit of scrap to see what it looks like.

I take your point Jason about originals not having a fine finish, but for this I am trying to make something that looks nice rather than replicating a vintage engine. (If I can I achieve that is yet to be seen though).

Someone once told me that when he made dolls houses, he always used matt paint, as gloss does not look right on small scale. Are there any rules like this relating to models?

Have a look at Chestnut Products.

Their finishes are aimed at Woodworkers and there's a good selection. (usual disclaimers)

It's a small company that care about customers and responds promptly to queries.

I use a set of Buffing Wheels to put a high gloss on wood.

Where are you located? You would be welcome to polish your wooden base here (near Hertford) after Covid-19 pandemic lockdown is relaxed.

MC

Hi MC. Thanks for the offer. I have some buffing wheels that I use for wood turning.

I've not noticed it darkening but I don't use it much on lighter coloured woods You are more likely to see colour change of the wood due to light or the Danish oil was off and that can make it darker as DO has a short shelf life once opened and tends to settle.

Applied in a similar way to DO making sure to wipe off excess after 10mins. As it contains a wax you only need 2 coats not the many needed to build up DO

I quite often use a satin finish on models as it looks good to my eyes but if you are looking at french polished wood then maybe gloss and polished up bare metal would suit you.

Has anyone tried Sikkens Cetol Filter 7 Plus on model engine woodwork yet.

My Morris traveller wood is finished with it and it is excellent stuff, it allows the wood to breathe without any flaking off like you get with normal varnish, it also leaves a dry surface that does not attract dust as Danish oil can be prone to.

Phil

Hi. My technique ( actually I was taught it by a cabinet maker friend of my late Father ) for maintaining the original colour of timber is as follows:

1. Sand smooth.
2. Apply a coat of clear varnish ( origInaly polyester but newer formulations would probably work as well  and allow to dry thoroughly.
3. Sand with a fine grade of sandpaper.

Repeat 2 and 3 using finer grades of sandpaper until you are happy with the surface finish.

Rub down the surface with Danish Oil ( aka Scandinavian Oil ) and steel wool, wipe down and allow to dry. Repeat as necessary until the required finish is achieved - it will produce an nice satin finish.

Finally ( thank goodness ) apply a coat of good quality, clear hard furniture wax and buff.

Maintenance is a new coat of wax from time to time. Spills may affect the surface finish and should be wiped up as soon as possible, hopefully before it penetrates the wax, but the underlying varnish will protect the wood in most cases.

It does take a long time but produces a great finish.

Pero

I use finishing oils on some of my work once dry you can buff it up with wax if you feel the need for it

I tend to keep finishes as simple as possible; I sand down the wood, wipe off, apply dark oak stain in a couple of coats to achieve the depth I like, with a rub down using fine grade emery foam pads in between each coat, once I achieve a decent look I then use a couple of coats of clear lacquer spray ( car body lacquer ) for final coating.

George.

This is a home brew that I have used quite a lot, gives a pleasing matt finish and resists oils well:

WOOD FINISH – FURNITURE POLISH

1 Part Pure Turpentine
1 Part Raw Linseed
1 Part White Vinegar
1/4 Part Methylated Spirits

Dave
The Emerald Isle

Linseed oil based finishes are very good and can be refreshed very easily but mixing your own can be a dark art. Firstly the Wood has to be sanded and the grain filled before the thinned oil can be rubbed in, just a few drops the using the palm of your hand to rub and generate a little warmth which adds the oil penetration. Multiple applications and each time allowing it to dry will give what's known in the gun trade a 'hand rubbed finish' which is very resistant to water and oil. If you want what's called a 'London finish' the oil has to have some dryers in it and will give a gloss finish with a lot of depth but takes many applications, search for Tru Oil if you want a high depth gloss finish. Using it you can get a finish such as this

I would also recommend a gunstock oil finish. I am a fan of CCL products.

Just a further point about Danish Oil. There is no standard formulation for this so different brands may contain different oils. I have found Liberon and Chestnut to be pretty reliable. Osmo oils have a number of variations including one formulated for use on dense hardwoods. I have found Osmo very good on floors and window frames (different formulations). Worth checking their website.

Why not just paint it ?

OK ,I,m on my way !!!

Circa 1850 Paste Varnish. Easiest thing you'll find. A kid of 7 could do it ..... so if you have a kid of 7 .