Expert: Jamie Yocono - 3/14/2009

Question
QUESTION: I am a amateur woodworker, and have received a new indoor teak table as a gift. (see www.prmit.net to see some of my stuff if you wanna)

This is basically raw, untreated, non-veneered solid teak, which i think is beautiful, but susceptible to easily being damaged.

A quote from the website:
“The teak is left untreated and repeatedly sanded to bring out the natural oils for a rich patina that will not grey like most teaks. The wood will develop a lighter patina over time.”
Right after getting the table, my girlfriend left a glass of water on the table for an hour or so, leaving a ring on the table.  I used the green scrubber side of a “Scotch-Brite” sponge on the area, in the direction of the grain.  This removed the ring AND the sheen from the “natural oils” that were on the surface.
Growing up I have never used a coaster on a dining room table, and I really don’t want to start using them now…  on a coffee or end table sure, but not while dining.  I guess all the tables I have dined on have had multiple coats of urethane, shellac or the like?
So, what can I use to finish the table surface to make it a little more durable?  I don’t want a hard shiny finish, I’d like to feel the actual wood if possible.  After doing some research, it seems that putting a varnish is a bad idea, because the natural oils will cause it to flake off after a while, as they rise to the surface.
I would assume teak oil would work?  What do you think?
options I’ve found:
briwax teakoil  http://www.briwax-online.com/teak_oil.html
or:
meguiars gold teak oil  http://meguiarsdirect.com/detail/MEG+M4616
Or a teak “protector” like:
http://www.golden-care.com/teak-protector.php
or:
http://www.teakwickerandmore.com/Three-Birds-TC20-TB1062.html


ANSWER: Hi Jason,

I just answered a similar question yesterday about Teak, that's funny.... I never get asked about it, and then two in a row. Weird. Anyway, there is only one product I would recommend for Teak, and that's Watco Teak Oil. I am going to cut and paste parts of that answer here, to address your questions:

While I've seen Old English lemon oil (Jason, add the names o f your oils here)  in the stores, I've never used it. I did a little research on it, and it mostly appears to be a rejuvenator for wooden surfaces. I would seem to me that it's basically mineral oil, with some lemon fragrance added in. Nothing more. Some cleaners/rejuvenators have a cleaner to dissolve the dirt buildup. And then oil to condition it. But this oil, from what I read, doesn't contain cleaners.

One of the complaints is that if too much is used, and not buffed off properly, the wood can feel oily. That wouldn't be a good thing, as oil can attract dust and grime.

There is another product that is specifically made for teak is Watco Teak Oil. Here's a link to read about it: http://www.idealtruevalue.com/servlet/the-65516/Detail

You can probably find this at a local hardware store, which is great. I have used this product before on Teak, and it's really nice to use.  Follow the directions on the can. Now this isn't really going to clean your wood, so if it's dirty, I recommend cleaning it first. I like to use Murphy's Oil on wood, it seems to do a very nice job.

I would probably give the chair a good cleaning with Murphy's Oil, let it dry, and then touch up any rough areas with some fine sandpaper, like 220 grit. Wipe it clean after sanding, then give it a coat or two of the Teak oil. If it still looks dry after the first coat, give it a second one. The nice thing about Watco is that you can wet-sand it into the wood. This means if blemishes show up, like water rings, you can sand them out with the oil. Jason, this is going to be particularly helpful to you.

Watco Teak oil also will leave the wood soft and feeling like real wood. It won't feel "plastic-y" like varnished wood does. It's really the best of both worlds - nice looking, and good protection.

OK, hope this helps. I didn't mean to completely steer you to using the Watco Teak Oil, but I think it's WAY better than the the other products out there. (An no, I don't own stock in Watco!)

Good luck, Jason.

Jamie Yocono
Wood It Is! Custom Cabinetry
Las Vegas, NV
www.wooditis.com


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Jamie, thanks SO MUCH for your response!
i will try the watco teak oil. i guess my follow up question is:

1) so the oil will not prevent water rings or other spills from forming on the table, it just creates an non-tacky (if applied correctly) oily base which floats the "stain-causer"?
2) if stains do occur, i assume i wetsand w/220 (or more?) sandpaper, with the grain of the wood?
3) if this technique is too high maintenance, can i varnish or urethane the top without it flaking off?  though i shudder at the thought.

thanks again,
jason o.

Answer
Jason,

The Watco Teak Oil will really bring out the color of the Teak, and provide a decent protection. Watco also makes an exterior oil, so you could give the Teak a few coats of the Teak Oil, to bring out the color, and then a couple of coats of Exterior oil, to protect it for it's exposure to the outdoor environment.  

On to your questions - if stains occur on the wood, I usually wet sand them out with oil. Now there have been times when I did a repair and what I am sanding is dark, like a burn from a cigarette. If that's the case, I wouldn't wet sand that, as the charred part will make the oil black and probably infiltrate the pores of the wood. So I just pull out a pad sander or a random orbit sander and bear down on the thing, sanding if while it's dry. Once the defect is gone, I add some oil, and do my finish sanding.

It's hard to erase some stains with 220 paper, it's just too fine. So I usually go down to 100 or 150, eliminate the stain, and then move up through the grits, finishing with 220.  

OK, if all this sounds like too much of a pain, there is a mixture that many woodworker's use - it's a mix of spar varnish, boiled linseed oil and mineral spirits. Use one-third of each to make your mixture. Here's a link to read about it:

http://lumberjocks.com/jocks/Karson/blog/1326

The spar varnish gives you the protection, the BLO gives you the color, and the mineral spirits thin everything out so it flows better and is more easily absorbed. In this particular link I sent you, they actually substitute Teak oil for the BLO.

Anyway, this finish won't flake, it's so thin it will absorb into the wood quite well. I would probably apply 3-4 coats.

OK, Hope this helps, good luck!

Jamie Yocono
Wood It Is! Custom Cabinetry
Las Vegas, NV
www.wooditis.com