How to treat oak trim?

My parlor mirror and windows are now stripped of 100-plus years of paint and look beautiful. I am reaching out to get advice on how best to treat them.  Teak oil? Beeswax?  I am not  looking to stain or shellac, just create a seal that allows the natural beauty to shine through. Advice appreciated!

ProHeights66

in Wood Restoration 12 years and 10 months ago

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terryhoppy | 11 years and 9 months ago

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can i ask you who stripped them. terryhoppy@gmail.com

greenmountain | 12 years and 10 months ago

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Stain and shellac are so, so different.  I am concerned as folks are less familiar with traditional finishes these days, they are not aware of traditional safety issues. Shellac is a natural resin and is used in the method called “French polish.”  Stain is pigment or dye dissolved in water or organic solvent, not something Proheights66 wants to use.  Shellac has many uses and is a wonderful traditional material not replaced by any acrylic or water-bourn, etc.  Shellac is dissolved in alcohol.  The finish is hard when the alcohol evaporates and can be dissolved again by alcohol.  You can ignite the alcohol in shellac with a match, like the organic solvent type of stain, but shellac on any rags you use will tend to evaporate without becoming a fire hazard. I would not want to toss wet, stained rags in the trash but the solvents will also evaporate quickly.  I don’t know about the oil content of stain. Oil finishes don’t “dry” the same way.  The natural oils mentioned above are surprisingly hazardous. Traditional oil finishes work differently from shellac or stain.  Including linseed oil, they are called “setting oils.” They don’t just “dry,” they polymerize.  They chemically react when exposed to air to form a hard coating.  The reaction is exothermic, producing heat.  You can’t feel the heat when the finish is thinly spread on your woodwork, but it is intense heat when concentrated, like on a rag.  Many fires start by somebody burying oily rags in the trash and leaving their house.  Spontaneous combustion is real.  Do not under any circumstances toss wet rags with even small amounts of oil wood finish in the trash.  One method is to hang them to dry for a good long time, more than a few days, before getting rid of them, or using them again.  Traditionally, partially-hardened, oil-soaked rags are used to pick up dust when preparing to finish new wood.  They are called tack cloths.  If you buy prepared tack cloths, you will see they are tightly wrapped in airtight plastic.  This prevents them from catching fire.

jcmartinrenovation | 12 years and 10 months ago

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Regarding the mirror and windows if you like the way it looks now. Use a clear wax. Teak oil will alter the natural finish. Sand the units with fine steel wool. Apply several coats. Buff between coats. Make sure you use clear wax like “Staples Wax” – Crystal Clear Paste Wax – it contains no synthetics, silicone, or soft beeswax.  It is one of the oldest and most respected names for protecting **wood floors**, furniture, and woodwork.

Best,
Carlos Salazar
**JC Martin & Sons, Inc.** http://www.jcmartinrenovation.com/wood-floor-refinishing/

stevecym | 12 years and 10 months ago

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you may try oiling them as mentioned in the other posts and then sealing them with wax.  Beeswax is not neccessary (I am not sure it is worth the cost).  If you do wax over the oil, let the oil dry for a week before waxing.   I have at times used a wax free sheallac (sanding sealer) and then sanded lightly and then applied wax – this would be a good techinque with oak in case the grain wants to pop; the shellac will raise it and enable you to sand it off.  wax will give you a very smooth coat. There are a lot of ways this can be done.  Generally when we get paid to do these things, we do more than a one step process (we have to becuase whatever we do has to set the customer up for years).  If you really want to learn about different products and processes, try visiting Abbot Paint on Eagle Street in Greenpoint.  See CHarlie Hoey, the manager, and tell him that Stetson sent you. Any of the processes I have mentioned here or that Charlie can tell you about are ones that you can do yourself. Steve

http://brownstoner.staging.wpengine.com/tinkerswagon

snowman2 | 12 years and 10 months ago

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I like Danish oil.  Easy on, lasts a while and easy to renew.

fexleycb | 12 years and 10 months ago

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I’ve used a product called Osmo with very good results: http://www.osmona.com/

slopegirl | 12 years and 10 months ago

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you can use tung oil or bioshield hard oil #9\. we used bioshield on our floors. takes some time to wipe on several coats and allow them to dry…and it’s a bit smelly (so is tung oil which is one ingredient in bioshield mix) but lovely result. tung oil is natural chinese tree oil…