You chose interior, darken & amber, maximum durability, moderate sheen
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Option 1 (diffculty: medium): Hard Wax Oil in "satin" finish
Hard Wax Oil is a blend of natural oils & waxes offering exceptional durability & resistance.
It is a beautiful finish which ambers and brings out the wood grain and can be applied using a cotton cloth, brush or scouring pad, but needs to be applied very thinly in order for it to cure properly - a little goes a long way.
It should only be applied to bare wood, however please note: hard wax oil doesn't adhere well to some oily hard woods (e.g. teak or iroko) and may require either a specialist thinned oil or pre-treatment / barrier seal coat product prior to application.
Oli Natura Hard Wax Oil Satin 1l https://geni.us/7NDehBW (Amazon Affiliate Links)
Fiddes Hard Wax Oil Clear Satin 250ml https://geni.us/jBG2FS 1l https://geni.us/26BY0 2.5l https://geni.us/iHxX6 (Amazon Affiliate Links)
Treatex Hard Wax Oil Clear Satin 500ml https://geni.us/rjTR 1l https://geni.us/gTlFUc 2.5l https://geni.us/QbYk6qP (Amazon Affiliate Links)
Osmo Polyx Hard Wax Oil Clear Satin 375ml https://geni.us/Phh2Yy 750ml https://geni.us/dEVL 2.5l https://geni.us/oxoj 3l https://geni.us/hFpiNXd (Amazon Affiliate Links)
Option 2 (diffculty: medium): Oil/solvent based polyurethane or varnish in "satin" finish
These give a hardwearing "film" finish which sits on top of the oiled wood protecting it from heat and moisture.
Be aware that oil/solvent based polyurethanes and varnishes take a long time to cure, are a bit smelly, and solvents are required to clean up.
In my experience, there is little difference in durability between polyurethane and varnish, although many people say that polyurethane is more durable. Polyurethane is readily available in the USA but harder to find in the UK, hence why I personally prefer to use varnish
Most can be applied with a brush, foam brush, a roller or sprayed. Some are designed for wipe on application, these finishes are thinner and more coats need to be applied to achieve an equivalent finish.
Once applied and dry, I recommend de-nibbing (sanding) in between coats with some wet and dry paper (I use 400 grit but 240-600 will work too) - how to denib - wet sanding with a little water is preferable - as it creates a slurry that prevents build up of varnish on the abrasive paper and also minimises visible brush strokes.
Satin gives a moderate sheen
Rustins Varnish 250ml https://geni.us/1SYqM 500ml https://geni.us/O2hBHBu 1l https://geni.us/ZOLeCDh (Amazon Affiliate Links)
Ronseal Ultra Tough 250ml https://geni.us/OHAbfSM 750ml https://geni.us/Kwyqc (Amazon Affiliate Links)
Rust-Oleum Varathane (various sizes) https://geni.us/rKqoB2f (Amazon Affiliate Links)
Watco Wipe-On Poly quart/946ml https://geni.us/uMtkJa (Amazon Affiliate Links)
Option 3 (diffculty: medium): Oil followed by water/acrylic based polyurethane or varnish in "satin" finish
Oils...
Oils soak in to the wood, filling the pores which gives a reasonable amount of protection from moisture. It is not a film finish (i.e. it doesn't provide a protective coating on the surface of the wood) - although one exception is Danish oil which is (usually) a blend of oil and varnish.
There are many different varieties of oils for wood: tung oil, boiled linseed oil, teak oil, mineral oil, walnut oil... There are also products that are a combination of oil and varnish usually sold as "Danish oil", although the recipes are different from brand to brand.
All of these oils will vary in terms of performance (drying/curing times etc), but most of them will give very similar results in terms of appearance. Even mineral oil will darken and amber wood, even though it is transparent in colour.
My advice would be to read the manufacturer's instructions and make a decision and don't worry too much about appearance - they'll all make the wood grain "pop" and nourish the wood, darkening it and giving it an amber/yellow colour similarly.
Personally, I tend to use boiled linseed oil as it is inexpensive.
Bartoline / Rustins / Liberon Boiled Linseed Oil - 300ml https://geni.us/mPgPt3y 500ml https://geni.us/xnJTP 1l https://geni.us/kkgV 2l https://geni.us/iiZH 5l https://geni.us/AkQtPG7 (Amazon Affiliate Links)
Bartoline Teak Oil - 1l https://geni.us/wb3H 2l https://geni.us/G1Ziqx 5l https://geni.us/GBglYL5 Teak Oil Bartoline 1l https://geni.us/aY25 2l https://geni.us/sob533C 5l https://geni.us/JuiwWW Liberon - 1l https://geni.us/wn2MkRK Minwax Teak Oil - quart/946ml https://geni.us/0Z6yqJp AquakTeak - 16oz https://geni.us/2r8eqJ Rust-Oleum - Quart / 946ml https://geni.us/ooAj (Amazon Affiliate Links)
Liberon Pure Tung Oil - 250ml https://geni.us/uXnnC 500ml https://geni.us/C8H6Ys 1l https://geni.us/Ca1ZGzj 5l https://amzn.to/3j7145A Watco - quart / 946ml https://geni.us/vhp8k1I (Amazon Affiliate Links)
Walnut Oil by Mystic Moments - 500ml https://geni.us/dzQhAe 1l https://geni.us/q3U8GN 5l https://geni.us/ELwvO Chalk Mountain 16oz / 454ml https://geni.us/XyU6 32oz / 900ml https://geni.us/wlULz (Amazon Affiliate Links)
Mineral Oil by Mystic Moments - 500ml https://geni.us/RvzbB 1l https://geni.us/z1QrXGZ 5l https://geni.us/HSSZ UltraPro - 1 gallon / 4.54l https://geni.us/ob5G6 Sanco Industries 1 gallon/4.54l https://geni.us/FnOn3 (Amazon Affiliate Links)
Danish Oil Rustins (various sizes) https://geni.us/Ir0Ns65 Liberon 1l https://geni.us/aAYA1PU 2.5l https://geni.us/0wuwZD5 Parr's 250ml (labelled food safe) https://geni.us/L51d3YR Parr's 500ml (labelled food safe) https://geni.us/4RTVc Ronseal Colron 500ml https://geni.us/ijJwL Tried and True (various sizes) https://geni.us/8EUVd65 Watco Wipe On - quart / 946ml https://geni.us/AbTKOnA (Amazon Affiliate Links)
Varnish/Polyurethanes...
These give a hardwearing "film" finish which sits on top of the oiled wood protecting it from heat and moisture.
Water/acrylic based varnishes/polyurethanes can be used over oil however it's important to ensure that the oil has fully cured before applying (check manufacturer's instructions for drying times).
In my experience, there is little difference in durability between polyurethane and varnish, although many people say that polyurethane is more durable. Polyurethane is readily available in the USA but harder to find in the UK, hence why I personally prefer to use varnish
Most can be applied with a brush, foam brush, a roller or sprayed. Some are designed for wipe on application, these finishes are thinner and more coats need to be applied to achieve an equivalent finish.
Once applied and dry, I recommend de-nibbing (sanding) in between coats with some wet and dry paper (I use 400 grit but 240-600 will work too) - how to denib - wet sanding with a little water is preferable - as it creates a slurry that prevents build up of varnish on the abrasive paper and also minimises visible brush strokes.
Satin gives a moderate sheen
Water/acrylic based Sadolin Polyurethane Clear Satin - various sizes https://geni.us/bDacGC (Amazon Affiliate Links)
Water/acrylic based Rust-Oleum Varathane Polyurethane - 1/2 pint / 284ml https://geni.us/BnhwQ2I quart / 946ml https://geni.us/Mg5oRFz 1 gallon / 4.54l https://geni.us/NJfRT3u (Amazon Affiliate Links)
Water/acrylic based Minwax Polycrylic Clear Satin - various sizes https://geni.us/hZcP (Amazon Affiliate Links)
Water/acrylic based Rust-Oleum Varathane Polyurethane Satin Clear - quart / 946ml https://geni.us/DAJZ Spray 11.25oz / 319ml https://geni.us/mqs2rIC (Amazon Affiliate Links)
Water/acrylic based Everbuild Clear Satin Varnish - various sizes https://geni.us/YZYb1sA (Amazon Affiliate Links)
Water/acrylic based Ronseal Interior Varnish Satin Clear 250ml https://geni.us/lCfNyD 750ml https://geni.us/uFA3Px 2.5l https://geni.us/3pVS2A4 (Amazon Affiliate Links)
Water/acrylic based Littlefair's Satin Clear Varnish - various sizes https://geni.us/DABciSB (Amazon Affiliate Links)
Water/acrylic based Rustin's Varnish Satin - 250ml https://geni.us/TTeJj 500ml https://geni.us/kBAKL (Amazon Affiliate Links)
Water/acrylic based Rustin's Quick Dry Water Based Floor Varnish (can be used on things that are not floors!) - 1l https://geni.us/KtDdL 2.5l https://geni.us/0pRsa (Amazon Affiliate Links)
Water/acrylic based Liquitex Sayin Spray Varnish - 400ml https://geni.us/p1CQH3R (Amazon Affiliate Links)
Water/acrylic based Vallejo Satin Acrylic spray varnish - 400ml https://geni.us/fmYw3 (Amazon Affiliate Links)
Option 4: Shellac followed by varnish or polyurethane in "satin" finish
This is a similar concept to option 2, basically using shellac to bring out the grain of the wood plus darken/amber it, followed by varnish for maximum durability and protection. The difference is that shellac is itself a film finish, whereas oil soaks in to the wood. However shellac isn't particularly durable on it's own, but it is a very beautiful finish, and is typically used on antiques using a technique called "french polishing".
It dries extremely quickly, and you must work fast and maintain a wet edge at all times while applying to get an even finish - therefore it is one of the more challenging finishes to apply well. The more coats you apply, the more depth and sheen it gives.
For a top quality smooth finish, I recommend de-nibbing (sanding) in between coats with some wet and dry paper (I use 400 grit but 240-600 will work too) - how to denib.
Can be applied to bare wood or over almost all existing finishes (except for wax).
Apply using a brush, clean cotton cloth, or wrap a cotton cloth around a piece of cotton wool to create a soft application pad.
Available pre-mixed in many different colours (ranging from light or "blonde" to dark or "garnet" and everything in between), or as flakes that can be diluted using solvents. Personally, I stick to the ready mixed liquids. It is sometimes sold as "sanding sealer", "button polish", "french polish"
On the left is white shellac, on the right is brown french polish shellac - you can see the colour variation
Shellac options...
Briwax Shellac Sanding Sealer - 500ml https://geni.us/q7JjdDT
Rustins French Polish - 125ml https://geni.us/HeoK French Polish - 300ml https://geni.us/zWzlZW Sanding Sealer - 300ml https://geni.us/hlgAs Button Polish 300ml https://geni.us/TXuBn
Liberon French Polish 1l https://geni.us/VZaBB2 Sanding Sealer 500ml https://geni.us/y5ABQ Garnet Polish 250ml https://geni.us/VR0uw Black Polish 250ml https://geni.us/hRdi Easy French Polish 250ml https://geni.us/diWX
Zinsser Bulls Eye SealCoat 1l https://geni.us/zjPHv Bulls Ete SealCoat Quart / 946ml https://geni.us/SLAhx Shellac Quart https://geni.us/AAyrDHl
Liberon 250g Blonde Shellac Flakes https://geni.us/msBlvH Lemon Shellac Flakes 250g https://geni.us/BYcSL Garnet Shellac Flakes 250g https://geni.us/aj4Wg
Old World Shellac 16oz/454ml Super Blonde https://geni.us/yyDe 16oz/454ml Blonde https://geni.us/oFTt 16oz/454ml Platina https://geni.us/Ckxd
Varnishes
For varnish options, see those listed under Option 2 (for oil/solvent based) and Option 3 (for water/acrylic based).
