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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jul 2015
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    Brisbane
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    84

    Default Vanity & Shelf Unit

    We've just had our bathroom redone and my wife was kind enough to volunteer me to build the vanity top, I agreed because I thought a panel with a hole in it would be easy.

    Turns out the cut out for the sink we bought had about a 3mm margin for error where it would fit but not show the cut out, it end up taking me hours to sneak up on the fit, maybe the most tedious bit of woodworking I've done.

    Its come up nicely and the wife is happy so I guess that's what matters.

    Timber is vic ash, finish is Osmo top oil followed by Polx oil.

    PXL_20230124_072109522.MP.jpg

    I was also volunteered to make an open shelf unit, this wasn't so bad, having the domino made this a breeze, same timber and finish combo.

    PXL_20230130_061354557.jpg

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  3. #2
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
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    Millmerran,QLD
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    73
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    11,095

    Default

    JK

    I like those "floating" units. I think it may be the appearance of defying gravity and logic etc.. The timber top looks great and is my preferred look. The perennial issue is making them durable and water resistant.

    Regards
    Paul
    Bushmiller;

    "Power tends to corrupt. Absolute power corrupts, absolutely!"

  4. #3
    Join Date
    Jul 2015
    Location
    Brisbane
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    84

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Bushmiller View Post
    JK

    I like those "floating" units. I think it may be the appearance of defying gravity and logic etc.. The timber top looks great and is my preferred look. The perennial issue is making them durable and water resistant.

    Regards
    Paul
    Hi Paul,

    Yeah, the floating vanities are definitely my preferred option too, even if they don't offer as much storage.

    I'm putting a bit of faith in Osmo's marketing for the water resistance of the finish, I'm hoping I can stretch out refinishing to every couple of years, any more than that will get annoying.

    Cheers, Joel.

  5. #4
    Join Date
    Jul 2014
    Location
    Brisbane
    Posts
    932

    Default

    I'm quite late to this thread but firstly - I like floating vanities too and yours has come up nicely. Secondly regarding Osmo, having used it on our 'hard' hardwoods like spotted gum and our less hard hardwoods like blackwood, and exotic timber like American whiteoak and cherry, the more porous the timber, the better Osmo works. On spotted gum, I was not at all impressed with the durability of the finish or the water repelling qualities. And this was after prepping as suggested by Osmo and using Osmo clear extra thin. On blackwood, cherry, and oak it has been fantastic. I dropped iron gall ink on the blackwood and just wiped it off, not a speck of a stain. I made a little side table that we put our hot and cold drinks on without coasters - no problems so far. It's been about a year. I'd say the only catch is let the Osmo cure for a week, maybe a bit longer in colder weather before subjecting the surface to hot temperatures or liquids.

    Osmo also sell a spray liquid cleaner, I've been using that on the spotted gum countertop every few months and its helped keep the surface water resistant, definitely more convenient to use than reapplying the hardwax oil itself.

  6. #5
    Join Date
    Jul 2015
    Location
    Brisbane
    Posts
    84

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Alkahestic View Post
    I'm quite late to this thread but firstly - I like floating vanities too and yours has come up nicely. Secondly regarding Osmo, having used it on our 'hard' hardwoods like spotted gum and our less hard hardwoods like blackwood, and exotic timber like American whiteoak and cherry, the more porous the timber, the better Osmo works. On spotted gum, I was not at all impressed with the durability of the finish or the water repelling qualities. And this was after prepping as suggested by Osmo and using Osmo clear extra thin. On blackwood, cherry, and oak it has been fantastic. I dropped iron gall ink on the blackwood and just wiped it off, not a speck of a stain. I made a little side table that we put our hot and cold drinks on without coasters - no problems so far. It's been about a year. I'd say the only catch is let the Osmo cure for a week, maybe a bit longer in colder weather before subjecting the surface to hot temperatures or liquids.

    Osmo also sell a spray liquid cleaner, I've been using that on the spotted gum countertop every few months and its helped keep the surface water resistant, definitely more convenient to use than reapplying the hardwax oil itself.
    As an update, I can say that Osmo with the top oil first as suggested is holding up really well in a wet area application, the vanity top has no signs of water spots.

    I'll need to look into the cleaning spay.

  7. #6
    Join Date
    May 2023
    Location
    Sydney North
    Posts
    2

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by JK_Qld View Post
    We've just had our bathroom redone and my wife was kind enough to volunteer me to build the vanity top, I agreed because I thought a panel with a hole in it would be easy.

    Turns out the cut out for the sink we bought had about a 3mm margin for error where it would fit but not show the cut out, it end up taking me hours to sneak up on the fit, maybe the most tedious bit of woodworking I've done.

    Its come up nicely and the wife is happy so I guess that's what matters.

    Timber is vic ash, finish is Osmo top oil followed by Polx oil.

    PXL_20230124_072109522.MP.jpg

    I was also volunteered to make an open shelf unit, this wasn't so bad, having the domino made this a breeze, same timber and finish combo.

    PXL_20230130_061354557.jpg
    JK, you fell for the Osmo advertising like I did many years ago, I bought all the proper prep stuff from them (pink can), applied as per instructions, then top coated with the Polyx product, let it dry for many days, even bought the customer the maintenance kit.

    Installed the vanity and within a few days got a call there was stains on the timber top.

    Vanities were made from solid Blackbutt, where any water had got onto the top, the tannins started to bleed, there was also a long shelf (4m) again solid blackbutt which was coated in the same product. exactly the same problem.

    In the end after getting no help from Osmo Au, I sanded everything off and resorted back to my usual product Northane Norglass, haven't heard from them since that was 3 years ago.
    It cost me a few days work to rectify the problem, as there was two vanities, and a 4m shelf that had to all be refinished in situ.

    Lucky the client was understanding, it ruined my reputation a bit, but they understood, it was all fixed in the end with the Northane product, all vanities moving forward after using the Osmo disaster product, have been Northane and no issues.
    I should have just stuck with what worked, I only went to the Osmo product as was promised of a more "environmentally" friendly product, it wasn't very environmental, as it all got sanded off, and the rest of the products went to the recycle centre.

    I will never use Osmo product for anything after that experience, they have misleading product specifications, I got the info directly from Osmo on the phone before I purchased anything then when there was a problem they wanted nothing to do with it.
    I have spoke to a few other guys who have had similar problems.

    Good luck with yours, I hope it doesn't do the same.
    If you want to test it, just drop a little water on the top, and leave it for a short time, IMO the Osmo products aren't worth the price of the can the product comes in.

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