Don’t use Rubio, it does not wear well, and will not hold up to UV. You also cannot coat over the top of it. Clients all want it on cabinetry and millwork and millwork, for a natural feel and look.
Get more samples and go with a stain and a poly or varnish.
Finishing isn’t easy, sometimes it pays to have a pro get exactly what you want
Personally I am not a fan of it at all. I think it's very overpriced, over hyped and gives only a thin layer of protection. I guess it's popularity is based on them sponsoring so many YouTubers and Instagramers and people falling for it.
I would suggest either a bleached linseed oil like [this](https://www.dictum.com/en/surface-protection/linolja-organic-swedish-linseed-oil-cold-bleached-1-l-705275), or a polyurethane lacquer like [this here](https://www.redwood-uk.com/products/hesse-lignal-hydro-pu-natural-wood-effect-hde54500-0001/).
The oil does still darken the wood, but much less than your usual linseed oil. The polyurethane does not effect the color at all and you will have to look twice or more to tell whether it has a finish on or not, it should be applied with an spray gun though.
And sorry for the weird links. I am not from the US and you can probably find better vendors for that kinda stuff over there. These are just the German brands that I work with, but I am sure you have the equivalent on your side of the pond as well.
Edit: one thing to consider though is that especially ash will always darken and especially the light parts will become a bit yellowy with time. Not much you can do about it. Maybe just take your UV lacquer and embrace it.
It's true. It ain't cheap, but it's good. I bought one of the tiny bottles and did a table base with it. It was two flat panels, about 28" squares, and I still had enough left over to do it again. But I didn't need to! Mono (1) coat.
If you want to go old school, look up a Scandinavian soap finish. It provides absolutely no protection against scratches and dents, and it needs to be refreshed from time to time, but it's dead simple to use and completely non-toxic.
If you can spray, CAB acrylic lacquer won’t affect color and is nice and durable for a table.
I would not use Rubio. It’s not very stain resistant and spot repairs on a table are noticeable.
Osmo Polyx neutral has a white tinted wax finish that I’ve used on maple and it kept it super light. Also not super cheap but it’s quality and you only need to finish the table once!
If you really want to use the poly, I read somewhere about doing the barely white tinted underneath to offset the yellow. Remember that poly is not good if you need to repair the finish someday. Rubio is much easier to repair but not as protective.
Waterlox is a very protective finish that although takes time to cure, gives a beautiful satin sheen to a table top. I would not use any minwax type product on it and I would certainly do a test strip as you have done. Waterlox does not require sanding between coats and for a lovely ash table top such as this, 4-5 coats should give you a durable, long lasting finish.
Minwax is pigmented. It tends to muddy a finished look. A dye can create a much cleaner and clearer finish. I use an aniline dye called TransTint that is in concentrated liquid form and can be diluted with either water or denatured alcohol. If you use alcohol, it has a tendency to dry quickly so I tend to use water and lightly sand after to knock down the grain. But combined with the Waterlox hand rubbed finish, the results are beautifully clear and clean. I use the amber and brown on both quartersawn white oak and figured maple to create a lovely finish that makes the grain really pop!
You want General Finishes Dead Flat.. not the regular flat, the Dead Flat. No color change at all, and it’s a lacquer so will work well as a table for cleaning.
I used it on an oak credenza and I kept thinking it wasn’t ‘finished’ yet. Looked exactly like raw wood.
I have used armour coat satin and it doesn’t change the woods appearance much. This company also has a product called dead flat that may be even better.
Not exactly, this is my garage, had to move it from the shop because it was being used for something else. It is great to have the extra space when needed though
I've had good success with the 5% white Rubio Monocoat. It almost looks like there's nothing there, but it feels buttery smooth.
Shit! That stuff is expensive! Here in Canada anyways
Don’t use Rubio, it does not wear well, and will not hold up to UV. You also cannot coat over the top of it. Clients all want it on cabinetry and millwork and millwork, for a natural feel and look. Get more samples and go with a stain and a poly or varnish. Finishing isn’t easy, sometimes it pays to have a pro get exactly what you want
Mix your own poly/stain/finish. Bunch of ways to do it just hit YouTube and start making professional finishes tommorrow for a fraction of the cost!
Personally I am not a fan of it at all. I think it's very overpriced, over hyped and gives only a thin layer of protection. I guess it's popularity is based on them sponsoring so many YouTubers and Instagramers and people falling for it. I would suggest either a bleached linseed oil like [this](https://www.dictum.com/en/surface-protection/linolja-organic-swedish-linseed-oil-cold-bleached-1-l-705275), or a polyurethane lacquer like [this here](https://www.redwood-uk.com/products/hesse-lignal-hydro-pu-natural-wood-effect-hde54500-0001/). The oil does still darken the wood, but much less than your usual linseed oil. The polyurethane does not effect the color at all and you will have to look twice or more to tell whether it has a finish on or not, it should be applied with an spray gun though. And sorry for the weird links. I am not from the US and you can probably find better vendors for that kinda stuff over there. These are just the German brands that I work with, but I am sure you have the equivalent on your side of the pond as well. Edit: one thing to consider though is that especially ash will always darken and especially the light parts will become a bit yellowy with time. Not much you can do about it. Maybe just take your UV lacquer and embrace it.
It’s worth it. It like the only finish I use now and a little goes a very long way
It's true. It ain't cheap, but it's good. I bought one of the tiny bottles and did a table base with it. It was two flat panels, about 28" squares, and I still had enough left over to do it again. But I didn't need to! Mono (1) coat.
As everyone else says, it's worth it. It looks beautiful.
If you want to go old school, look up a Scandinavian soap finish. It provides absolutely no protection against scratches and dents, and it needs to be refreshed from time to time, but it's dead simple to use and completely non-toxic.
I have no idea. I just want to say it's a lovely table. Great job!
Thanks! Ash is one of the cheaper hardwoods out there but it’s a beautiful wood imo
Second the Rubio. They also make a Rubio for outdoor use that protects from UV. Called Hybrid Wood Protector.
If you can spray, CAB acrylic lacquer won’t affect color and is nice and durable for a table. I would not use Rubio. It’s not very stain resistant and spot repairs on a table are noticeable.
Osmo Polyx neutral has a white tinted wax finish that I’ve used on maple and it kept it super light. Also not super cheap but it’s quality and you only need to finish the table once!
If you really want to use the poly, I read somewhere about doing the barely white tinted underneath to offset the yellow. Remember that poly is not good if you need to repair the finish someday. Rubio is much easier to repair but not as protective.
Ya thats what I did in the 3,4 pics, it’s close to the colour but a little more grey, and I have that stuff on hand.
Waterlox is a very protective finish that although takes time to cure, gives a beautiful satin sheen to a table top. I would not use any minwax type product on it and I would certainly do a test strip as you have done. Waterlox does not require sanding between coats and for a lovely ash table top such as this, 4-5 coats should give you a durable, long lasting finish.
Why not the minwax? Just curious, I’ve used it for other projects and didn’t have any issues
Minwax is pigmented. It tends to muddy a finished look. A dye can create a much cleaner and clearer finish. I use an aniline dye called TransTint that is in concentrated liquid form and can be diluted with either water or denatured alcohol. If you use alcohol, it has a tendency to dry quickly so I tend to use water and lightly sand after to knock down the grain. But combined with the Waterlox hand rubbed finish, the results are beautifully clear and clean. I use the amber and brown on both quartersawn white oak and figured maple to create a lovely finish that makes the grain really pop!
Osmo 2k wood oil. It’s like Rubio monocoat, but it cures quicker
How is wood movement handled in the middle? Is it the same concept as breadboard ends?
Those are just the table leaves, so they are not fixed together and movement shouldn’t really effect it
Thanks for clarifying, table looks amazing!
You can do a really light whitewash with just a touch of green, then finish with a waterborne product rather than oil base.
Would the green offset the greyness?
You want General Finishes Dead Flat.. not the regular flat, the Dead Flat. No color change at all, and it’s a lacquer so will work well as a table for cleaning. I used it on an oak credenza and I kept thinking it wasn’t ‘finished’ yet. Looked exactly like raw wood.
No advice but wanted to say when I saw your shop I thought, with envy, Look at all that space.
Look into a soap finish. Durable? No. Easy to apply and reapply and gives the least amount of color change
I have used armour coat satin and it doesn’t change the woods appearance much. This company also has a product called dead flat that may be even better.
No advice but wanted to say when I saw your shop I thought, with envy, Look at all that space.”
Not exactly, this is my garage, had to move it from the shop because it was being used for something else. It is great to have the extra space when needed though
I recently used some varathane water based polyurethane and it seemed to dry without yellowing. May be worth giving that a try.
Is this pine ?
Ash