Finishing

Finishing: Our goal in finishing is to bring out and preserve the natural beauty of the wood, in terms of its graining, color and patina, using time-tested oil finishes. Of these, modified (i.e. polymerized) tung oil-based finishes are, in our opinion, the best. Tung oil has been successfully used since the 14th century in China to waterproof all things wooden, including ships.

Many finishes labeled "Tung Oil Finish" don't contain any tung oil and should be more accurately classified as varnish. The one we primarily use does - it is medium sheen Waterlox, which combines tung oil with other polymerized oils and resins. The advantage of this finish over others is that it penetrates well, won't crack or peel like urethane or spot like Danish or linseed oil. We have found the medium sheen blend gives the most-preferred patina to the wood and doesn't make the piece look it was coated with glass or plastic. We soak and then hand-rub in many coats of oil, usually 10 or more, and never paint or spray them on

Caring For Pieces:

Understand That Wood Moves: It is important you understand that all wood will move, to some greater or lesser degree, depending on its temperature and moisture content.
Avoid Extremes: Pieces should not be subjected to extremes of heat and/or humidity lest the wood move excessively. Excessive wood movement can cause distortion, slight glue "squeeze out" in joints and, in the worst case, cracking. Do not place pieces close to a light or in direct sunlight. Ultraviolet rays in sunlight can affect wood coloration, especially in cherry wood.
Wax When Needed: The final stage of our finishing process is to wax the piece with either natural beeswax or carnuba wax. You can care for the piece with any high quality furniture wax, including carnuba based products.
Re-oil If Necessary: Should the patina wear down or off, the piece can be re-oiled. We recommend Waterlox for its preservation and patina-enhancing qualities. Simply follow directions on the can.