Although in these modern times, most wood finishes available in stores are synthetic based, meaning they have been expertly formulated using various chemicals that are tried and tested to resist specific fungal attack. And these also have the ability to resist damaging UV rays.

What I would like to concentrate here is on the old fashioned, tried and tested, and often-cheaper alternatives. Wax and oils. These have been around for decades, and when used correctly, they can really bring out the true beauty of the grain, and can also give your furniture reasonable protection. I also like applying these natural oils, as there’s a feeling of euphoria as you reminisce of how your ancestors once finished their furniture, and that are now your antiques.

Oil products

Probably the most widely used of the oil family would be Linseed oil. This is a clear yellowish oil that is also known as Flax seed oil. It is made from cold pressing the seeds from the flax plant. Linseed oil is readily available from your local hardware store, and sometimes you may find it in the local supermarket.

It can be applied directly from the bottle onto the furniture by way of a rag. I always apply oils with a rag, or pad, never a brush. Brushing tends to leave streaks on the surface, and looks unsightly. Linseed oil upon application will harden and dry when exposed to the air. For those of you who like the sport of cricket, you’ll be interested to know that cricket bats are soaked, and left in Linseed oil before use.

Other oils to consider are, sunflower, poppy seed, soybean, and walnut. Another great oil would be Tung oil. This is pressed from the seeds of the Tung tree. It has very similar qualities to Linseed oil. Upon drying, it produces a very tough, and an extremely water resistant seal. Whereas Linseed will darken with age, Tung oil will remain a slight golden color.

Tung oil has been around for centuries and has been a great favorite of the Chinese who found use for it on marine timbers and masonry.

Wax products.

The obvious and most common of these would be Bees Wax. This is produced as the name suggests by bees. This wax dries to a hard coat, but needs several consistent applications over time to help in protecting the furniture. It is very easy to apply and will give lasting protection. It’s also impervious to water spills, making it a very natural choice.

Other waxes to consider are, paraffin wax, and carnauba wax. Carnauba wax is taken from the leaves of the Carnauba palm. The leaves are collected and beaten to loosen the wax. This leaves a very hard surface when applied. When mixing with bees wax, the finish is even better. You may also be interested to find that carnauba wax is the main ingredient of surfboard wax.

Although the purpose of this site is to simplify buying unfinished furniture, it would however be highly impractical to leave it in its raw state.

Wood is a very natural product that that if left untreated will expand and contract due to the changes in humidity. This is the amount of water that is present in the air, and this changes on a daily basis, from season to season. Different parts of the world experience different variations of humidity. All wood retains a relative amount of moisture, and humidity will change the moisture causing the wood to expand and contract. This would not be a good idea for any wood product, least of all furniture.

Furniture being left to age on its own accord will experience those changes mentioned. It will contract, expand, crack, twist and eventually start to look unsightly. An example would be: Lets say we have a cupboard/dresser. If we were to leave this untreated over a period of time, several things are going to happen. If it is being used on a regular basis, day to day handling will leave the wood looking dirty. This is a reaction from the oils in your skin, but this is only the beginning. Humidity changes will cause it to warp, and contract. The smooth surface that was once the top will start to split and twist, causing the grain to open, thus allowing even more movement. Those drawers that used to slide back and forth along the runners are now binding. They will either fail to open, or they will never close, and the problem will only worsen over time.

Now lets imagine our cupboard/dresser has received adequate protection from a good finish, and received the correct amount of layers recommended from the manufacturers. You will no longer be able to discolor the grain with the oils in your skin. It would also have a certain protection to withstand a certain amount of direct heat by way of a hot drink. The finishes applied will trap the moisture content helping it remain stable. The top portion of the furniture will remain smooth and flat, and the grain will look as good as when you first purchased it. The drawers will slide back and forth along the runners, just as they did when they left the factory.

In order to maintain the beauty of your furniture, care must be taken to ensure adequate protection is given to it.

For many people, the idea of spending hard earned cash on a piece of unfinished furniture is a little amusing. The main reason would be that the purchaser feels that his or her skill level would hinder the process of obtaining a desirable finish. One that would grace any room, and look as elegant as a factory finished showroom piece would. Well in fact, with the right guidance, tools and of course time, anyone can achieve the finish of professionals. The beauty of solid wooden furniture is that it can be re-sanded should you feel that you’re not happy with the result. Although this is a costly exercise from not only a financial point, but also it would also be very time consuming, depending of course on the size of furniture involved.

The benefits of buying this type of furniture are many. Manufacturers often sell this type of furniture at considerably knocked down prices. Often in the region of 35- 50% less than a finished item. Now imagine if you had the knowledge on how to transform this unfinished item to something that would compliment your home, the savings would be huge.

Over the past few years, many retailers specializing in this type of furniture have sprouted up around the country allowing the public to purchase all types of styles to take home & finish to their own tastes. You no longer have to make do with a color or stain you never really wanted in the first place. And it doesn’t have to involve a stain. Many country type residences often get a much warmer effect if the piece were painted. This is definitely the case with say, a Welsh Dresser. That would often be adorned with family crockery, giving the room a cottage type feeling.

A lot of these small retailers are often just a means for larger companies to display their goods. Lets face it. If a company had a manufacturing facility out of town, but had a small retail outlet to push the stock, the overheads are greatly reduced leasing a smaller area. They don’t require a huge showroom to exhibit. They just replenish the small store after sales. Another beauty of the way this works is that most of these companies not only let you finish the product, but most of them will custom make something for you. The choice really does belong in the hands of you the customer.

One other advantage to buying unfinished is that you get to see the furniture in its raw state, thus enabling you to see any imperfections that may be present in the grain. Dents etc. would be very difficult to hide with fillers, as would be the case if it were finished & lacquered.