As the table dries after wet sanding a white residue will appear.
White oak table finish.
Once the sealer dries sand lightly with 320 grit sandpaper then repeat to create a long lasting protective finish for your oak table.
The following slides show the look of red oak with various finishes.
Clean off the white stuff.
In this article i ll highlight some key finishing tips and techniques used to create the multilayered finishes that bring out the best in oak.
Residue left in the grain lines of coarse grain wood will be trapped under the final coat and haunt you forever.
This can result in strong light dark contrasts.
Wet glasses leave behind white rings.
Because of oak s cellular structure the pigments in oil based stains collect more in the wood s open grain areas while the smoother denser surrounding areas retain less.
And then there are all the little scratches dents and divots that mysteriously appear on wood surfaces.
The piece on the right was first finished with a coat of clear danish oil then it has 3 coats of sanding sealer and 3 coats of lacquer.
The best finishes for oak celebrate its grain.
Things you will need.
Daily use wears away the finish on the edges of tables and chairs.
An application of varnish or lacquer or shellac might look nice at first but there is a better way.
Check out the recipes that make use of these techniques in 4 proven oak finishes below.
Unless you live in a museum your furniture takes a lot of hits.