Sandal Woods - Fine Woodworking & Cabinetry

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In the last episode I showed how I flattened the workbench top using hand planes.

In this short episode I show how to apply a wipe-on finish to the now flat workbench top. By”finish” I mean something that is easy to apply, and easy to repair or redo in the future. Let’s face it - the workbench is beat up quite a bit in our shops.

I, for one, don’t like film-forming finishes on the bench; I prefer to apply an oil, such boiled linseed oil (BLO), or tung oil. But be very careful! You always want to take the pad used to apply these oils outside, let them dry thoroughly, and then dispose of them properly.

Why? These materials cure by reacting with oxygen in an exothermic (heat-forming) reaction, and can cause self-ignition of the rags, cloths, etc., used to apply them. So, learn how to dispose of the rags and cloths properly, or you could suffer a fire in your shop.

All that remains at this point is to apply some wax to the top, and I will be making sawdust on the workbench again!

Relevant links:

Caring for Workbenches, Woodcraft article, a nice, short, clear article on what do for your workbenches
Flattening the Workbench , my post of two days ago
Look at Your Workbenches!, an article I wrote in March 2008

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