Thread: Hard Wax Oils

After the second coat once its good and dry you can get a really nice smooth finish by lightly sanding with 1500 or 2000 grit

Is either the Osmo or Fiddles hard wax oils overkill for a workbench finish? I’m considering it but for 2.5l it’s $230 where I have plenty of Tung and danish oil at the moment and some beeswax I’m considering mixing up to use on the bench.

Originally Posted by delbs

Is either the Osmo or Fiddles hard wax oils overkill for a workbench finish?

Yep.

It'll look wonderful for....phwooaa....a week...two? After that it'll start looking like a beat up work bench (or at least it should), and you'll soon tire of pouring on expensive finish to bugger it up and do it again.

Originally Posted by delbs

Is either the Osmo or Fiddles hard wax oils overkill for a workbench finish?

I used a 50:50 mixture of BLO:Turps for my workbench, it doesn't need more. I rub some more in after it gets beaten up - which is often! No need to make it pretty.

I'm using hardwax oil for the base/frame, as once protected with a couple of coats this won't ever need recoating. Undecided what to use for the top, but I'm still doing the insets for surface mount end vise and I have the dog holes yet to do as well. Top will probably end up with whatever oil/mixture I have sitting in my cupboard.

Now that I've switched to hardwax for general finishing, I think I have a leftover can of danish oil that will never get used for anything else.....

Originally Posted by delbs

Is either the Osmo or Fiddles hard wax oils overkill for a workbench finish? I’m considering it but for 2.5l it’s $230 where I have plenty of Tung and danish oil at the moment and some beeswax I’m considering mixing up to use on the bench.

I used the OSMO Clear Extra Thin on my workbench (not your old one Delbo!) and it still looks great after a couple of years. I also use OSMO 3032 on my boxes - simply wipe on with a soft cloth.

OSMO is designed for timber floors and is what Thor's Hammer uses on their timber floors so if it works on floors should be fine on workbench.

A little bit goes a very long way. My only issue has been that the lids of the tins are very thin and the edges curl up when opening. I did have to throw half a tin of the Thin out as air got in and because of the massive skin on top I reckoned the composition had changed too much and it was too risky to use. A bit sad.

Jane

Originally Posted by lovetoride

My only issue has been that the lids of the tins are very thin and the edges curl up when opening. I did have to throw half a tin of the Thin out as air got in and because of the massive skin on top I reckoned the composition had changed too much and it was too risky to use. A bit sad.

Stoploss bags will allow you to get perhaps 2 years out of a can. I recently pushed it 3 years but there seems to be an issue with the Whittle HWO drying – it did eventually but took a couple of weeks.

I keep my Osmo tins in sealable sandwich bags or put a disposable rubber glove over the top to keep air out. Works a treat.

Regards,

Brian

Originally Posted by FenceFurniture

Stoploss bags will allow you to get perhaps 2 years out of a can. I recently pushed it 3 years but there seems to be an issue with the Whittle HWO drying – it did eventually but took a couple of weeks.

I had the same issue with the tops of Osmo cans - lucky I've used the last of it up, as I just about destroyed the lid getting it off the last time. I'll have to see how the Fiddes cans behave.

Stoploss bags are a good idea for this type of finish, I'll have to invest in a few. Easiest/best place to get them?

Cheers

Originally Posted by Mr Brush

Stoploss bags are a good idea for this type of finish, I'll have to invest in a few. Easiest/best place to get them?

Used to be Timberbits, but they don't carry them now.
StopLoss Bags – 4 Pack | Fiddes Australia

I'm currently researching what AliExpress have (given that Stoploss are made in China). They have heaps of things that are close, but nothing so far that is "three-ply, to prevent you buying cheaper, more fairly priced substitutes".

Cheers - I'll order some direct from Fiddes. Our local Fiddes outlet (not surprisingly) doesn't keep these.

With the price of finishes these days, you only have to waste one can through going off to cover the cost of 4 Stoploss bags !

Originally Posted by homey

I keep my Osmo tins in sealable sandwich bags or put a disposable rubber glove over the top to keep air out. Works a treat.

Regards,

Brian

I do have it in a sealed bag now. Originally from carrying it in the car then thought I would just leave like that.

I've been keeping Osmo and other finishes in their cans slipped into resealable sandwich bags or freezer bags for years. Never had a problem with skinning over or going off. For stuff I used most regularly the disposable rubber glove over the top of the time is also a winner. Low cost, no need to take the product out of the can, cans still stack OK and you still have all the information on the label available.

Regards,

Brian

Originally Posted by FenceFurniture

Yep.

It'll look wonderful for....phwooaa....a week...two? After that it'll start looking like a beat up work bench (or at least it should), and you'll soon tire of pouring on expensive finish to bugger it up and do it again.

My thoughts exactly, I’ll save the Nicer more expensive finishes for other projects. I’ll use what I have on the bench it should be fine for at least a few months