Sofa Table

And so you should be, the fact that you done it all by hand is something to be proud of and it looks beautiful. I can’t wait till you put some oil or whatever your going to put on it to make it look like something out of a gallery. Even those galleries hold beautiful items but machine made to make it look hand made. Your one step ahead of them all and in my view yours is better than theirs.

Dutch Oil? Do you mean danish oil? I make my own batch using 100% tung and citrus solvents without the poly and then I use shellac over the top. Certain timbers look really good and other look dirty as it pops the grain way too much, I know that’s the idea but it is what it is.

Danish oil is 1/3 linseed oil 1/3 mineral spirits 1/3 poly but I use Tung oil it’s richer and the citrus solvent is also 100% natural and gives off a pleasant smell. To me shellac looks better if you know how to apply it than poly but it will not stand up to alcoholic drink if spilled on it. Then your better off giving it a few coats of varnish. Some people say why use oil under varnish but these people don’t spend more than a minute looking at something and are usually machine buffs who are always in a hurry. I’ve experimented with nearly every product out there and have found something works for me. I think the old fellas back in the 18th century have pretty much perfected it and we went ahead and changed it. If it worked for them and these polishes still hold up and look good today so why not still use them I say. Just remember that Tung oil takes 2-3 days to dry but there is another method which that’s quicker and it’s called wet sanding.

Hi Sandy
A good finish for hard use is
1 a sealing with a 1 lb cut of shellac 2 to 3 coats this seals and helps give a even finish
2 thin coats of varnish cut it from the can in a small jar 1 cup of varnish cut by 1 or 2 table spoons of sprites buy a good varnish, it will be thick. Add just enough sprites to let it flow and level test on scraps till you get a flow you like ,light sand between coats.
3 let the finish harden for a few days then rub it down with four o wool and wax, load the wool with wax then rub the item down use circular motions No lines on flat areas.
this is a time tested finish it’s nothing new it makes a little more work but it’s worth it it holds up for years of use
good luck the base looks very nice
Frankj

Nice job Sandy, nice tight shoulders and a nice detail touch on the wedges.
Brianj

Go for something like wipe on poly by minwax or make your own by mixing 50/50 oil based semi gloss poly by minwax and mineral spirits. Either way it doesn’t matter whether you make it or buy it you’re really not saving any money. I mention using the wipe on poly because it will be easier for you achieve a better look than brushing a thicker coats of varnish. This way you will eliminate brush marks. A little trick I’ve come up with and like all my discoveries someone else usually discovered it before I did and it’s most probably lost somewhere in the world wide web is to use two coats of thin 1 pound shellac as sealer. This will help you build up coats of poly quicker. In fact so quick that you will only need 2 coats of it. Without it you’ll be applying 8 or more coats to get the same build. Well good luck to you which ever direction you take and I look forward in seeing the end results and remember it’s yourself you have to please. You are your own best critique.