What finish for the wood?

waiting for its finish

For the two Elf pieces I have been making I wanted them to pretty much stay as they are - in light wood.  That doesn't really mean unfinished though; 'raw' wood somehow looks just like that and cries out for something.


Many people use liquid wax which brushes on, is left to dry and is buffed to a slight sheen.  It looks lovely.  I have only tried to do it once and I suspect my impatience overcame me and I didn't leave it long enough to dry - basically it made no impact on the furniture I used it on.  My bad.  I binned the wax!

Not wanting to invest in more I wondered what Danish Oil would do as I have some of that.

six choices

Imagine these colours a little darker!  

Top row left to right Danish Oil - one coat, two coats, three coats.

Row below water-based clear satin finish.

I did the oil and decided I was not sure about the way it brought out the grain.  I think it is rather too defined and I am concerned I have all sorts of grains going every which way on the finished pieces.  It also darkens the wood which, on the one hand warms it up but on the other, it loses that 'blonde' look.

That drove me to trying the satin finish which doesn't change the colour very much or open the grain too much but it does leave a slight 'varnishy' sheen that's not right for these (?).

I am totally stumped and can't decide for more than two seconds at a time which one I am going with.

peep-o

This is a handy way to look at colours of paint, fabric etc.  You need to isolate them from the distraction of their background and other samples nearby.  Make a 'window' in a piece of white paper and look at them through that - useful when looking at paint chip cards.

If you have an opinion on which to choose, please share it - it is moments like this I hate working in isolation.  I want someone to tell me which one...........

Here's the TV unit waiting for its TV (I have one) once the unit has been oiled or varnished.