You're doing it wrong - MDF Workbench / Benchtop finish - Part 2 - Oil or water-based?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 17 ก.ย. 2024
- After the last video where I looked at different wood finishes for an MDF workbench top, I thought I would revisit and see how the results played out. Well, they didn't pan out like I thought they were going to, that's for sure!
Grab a beer, whiskey or coffee, sit down and then come back to the comments to tell me all the ways I did the experiment wrong!
Have a great day!
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Just grabbed some danish oil after watching the version 1 vid for my circular saw sled. I shouldn’t be spilling any stain on that so hoping all will be good. It’s interesting to see your results as it really helps us newbies. Thanks 🙃
Thanks David, glad I can be of some help! You should be golden with the Danish oil. Im positive I screwed up the application somehow in the second video, just make sure you get plenty on and you will be good to go! Enjoy the rest of your weekend 👍🏼
You mentioned that it may have been different being applied in the cold workshop, I definitely found in the cold weather the workbench I did covered better than shelving done on a warm day. Think when colder it doesn't soak in as well, so sealing the MDF much better and completely after three coats. Thanks for a great video, really helpful.
Yeah its very interesting (and a bit of a nightmare) when trying to do comparisons like this. There can be so many different variables it makes it a right headache, but I think the temperature and humidity have the biggest impact for sure. Thanks for the comment and glad to hear that you like the channel 👍
I'll second this. One coat of the colder Danish oil won't penetrate as well, so you ended up at 3C with a more superficial film that resisted the stain. At 20C the oil penetrated well, leaving less superficially permitting another fluid to penetrate and stain easier. Solution should be applying it at normal temps and doing the usual 3 coats, for lasting color and superficial protection. Thank you so much for working through these options. I'm about to replace my 3/8" hardboard benchtop and will do MDF with Danish thanks to your reports!
I think the shellac finish wins for me. It has great protection from water, more organic, nice looking stain absorption when it does happen. But the Danish Oil looks like a great option too... shoot!!! I can't decide! Thanks very much!
Good effort! Identify all key variables, and change only one variable. Sounds simple but it’s quite challenging to execute :)
Thank you man. It was a challenge but it was quite fun and a very interesting result 👍🏼
Thanks for comparing the different finishes. I am in the process of building a multi-purpose workbench right now and MDF is under consideration for the top but I do have concerns about the long term durability. I don't know what to make of the oil based poly results, I have found it to be extremely resistant to chemicals.
No problem! In terms of durability, all of the tops in our workshop are built using MDF and they get daily use. They last between 18-24 months usually, worst case I flip them after 12 months if Ive been particularly useless in keeping an eye on them but really, they take no end of abuse and are a great option!
Great comparison! I just did shellac on a workbench top about 2 months back. It’s holding up nice. I think I’ll add some wax to it. I have been meaning to but your video is a good encouragement to just get it done.
Thanks Graff, glad you liked it. I think it raised more questions that it answered but that's what its all about sometimes I guess lol. Good to hear that its holding up well, I don't think the wax will do anything but help so well worth giving it a go!
You can use danish oil and sanding sealer as undercoats...then perhaps treatex on top. I've used this technique with danish oil and osmo as a top coat on furniture...it gives a hard-wearing finish, but obviously I've never tried to ruin it with water and stains etc. It could be worth a try.
Thats not a bad idea to be honest. I might have to give that a try. Thanks for taking the time to comment 👍🏼
Hi Jason and thanks for your videos they are really useful. I suspect that multiple coats of any sealant would be necessary to completely block the ‘pores’ such that anything spilled later would not be able to soak in at all. Probably a two part epoxy would be better than just about anything if you really want to seal a surface.
Hi Nigel, I think you are right, we would really need to build a solid seal coat up to make sure nothing seeped in. I do think there is maybe something else at play but who knows. Im leaving the samples for a few days and then Im going to see if we can wipe them clean. To be fair, I did leave it on for longer than you probably would so they should hold up pretty well during normal working conditions. Thanks, Josh 😁😉
I would like to see how these finishes react to getting glue on them. A lot of people might be assembling projects on there workbench's.
Thats an excellent idea, I still have the pieces of MDF. Might get a video make up, any thoughts on what glues to use? PU, CA, Epoxy and maybe some D4?
@@TheNaturalWorkshop I would use your normal glues you use. Titebond glues(1,2,3), polyurethane glue. Whatever equivalent glues you can get to those glues
@@TheNaturalWorkshop by the way good job on your videos
No worries, I have a couple of ideas so Ill get to thinking!! Thank you, Ill try to get some more up soon 👍🏼
I would be super interested in this as well. That's actually what I was searching for when I found this (great!) video
Interesting part 2, and a helpful continuation. Maybe for part 3, you could try some combos, like that suggestion from the first video of teak oil + penetrol, followed up with danish oil on top. :)
That's not a bad idea to be honest, Ill need to have a look through the comments and see what variations I can come up with 👍
Good info. I still think I’ll use DO, give it a couple of days to cure, and then put a coat or two of poly on it. I think the two should work well together as long as the DO has time to soak in and cure.
Sounds like a great plan. Good luck, make sure to head back and let us know how you got on.
Just put 2 coats of DO on my MDF workbench and so far all seems to be well. It's a *little* on the cool side but it was over 15 C when I applied, though it did dip a little lower later. Anyway I'm going to let it cure overnight, and it's supposed to be 22-25 tomorrow, so I'm planning on putting on another 2 layers. Goes on pretty easy, just have to rub a lot when it comes to MDF. But I'm optimistic this will give me at least a half decent work surface in terms of being able to scrape off some glue if it should happen to get on there or this sort of thing.
Update: put the first 2 coats on with a little ball applicator i made out of old shirts, as many people do. Worked OK but found that it (surprise!) absorbed quite a bit and I sometimes had to really work to get it to lay the oil down. Nothing crazy but it was a bit of a workout. Anyway did those 2 coats several hours apart and then let it sit overnight. Today got up and put 2 more on, this time using disposable foam brushes. MUCH easier and I was able to apply a lot more, faster. Perhaps on solid wood, the homemade applicator might be a more appropriate choice, but in this case, the foam brush made it much better and much less elbow grease. Got two more coats on, being pretty liberal, gave it the recommended 15 mins of dwell time, then wiped the excess with a microfiber (also very easy, even given the amount of time, it wasn't overly gummy or sticky and wiped off with minimal effort).
I'm away this weekend coming up so it'll have a solid 4 days to cure and I'm looking forward to it. I don't reckon I'll need to add more but I might throw one more coat on now that I see how fast I can get it on with the brushes. Overall very happy with danish oil in this situation so far and we'll see how it fares once I start actually doing projects on the bench again.
That's great to hear and thanks for the write-up, always good to hear how people are getting on. I've not used a microfibre cloth as an applicator, did it take up a lot of finish? A quick tip, if it does become gummy, soaking a cloth in white spirit and then wiping it over, can be a great help, this also works great if you notice that the finish is uniform.
I look forward to hearing how you get on when your back home!
Good job
Thanks Big Bear Prepper! Cool name by the way!
I use Danish oil on pretty much anything (including kitchen worktops & I get NO blackening around sinks).
Applied properly on MDF (or any other wood - at least 8 coats), you end up with a surface that's hard as nails & if you radius the corners of the bench, there's no breakout.
Many finishes require more than one or two coats to produce a durable finish & Danish oil is definitely one of them.
Apologies as Ive been ridiculously busy at work and TH-cam had to take a back seat. Yeah DO is my favourite go to, I use it everywhere from outdoor furniture to my canoe woodwork and it holds up really well!
I had a thought, and after checking a few websites it can take yacht varnish about 3 weeks to fully cure. If you still have that test piece kicking around it might be an idea to try the spirit based stain on it again.
Hi Ian, Im pretty sure I do have it kicking around somewhere. Ill try and find it out to see how it works. Thanks for the heads up 👍🏼
I use sanding sealer 2 coats and then shellac 3 coats , never had anything penetrated.
I've seen a few pro guys who swear by the shellac, seems to be quite expensive here in the UK!
Hi Jason, just an idea for a future video. A review of the products that you use to fill woodgrain. I have been looking at aqua coat and osmo. Seen mixed reviews for osmo and aqua coat seems rather pricey compared to other makes. Would be interested to see what you use and why. Ideally I am after something that will sand easily and can be spray painted over.
Hi Derek, thats something that we could definitely do. Sadly I dont think its too much of a secret, especially if you are painting. We usually use a premade filler OR the usual sawdust (super fine from the sander) and soke D4 adhesive. The issue normally comes when we want to stain it, thats where the kicker comes in. Happy to do a video testing some though, that sounds like a lot of fun! Thanks, Josh 😁😉
I’d be curious to know if wood hardeners/stabilizers also strengthens MDF and particle boards (reduces tendency to bend/break), and protects them against moisture.
Ohhh....thats a good idea. Anything in particular that you can think of?
So after all your research, what you consider the best finish to use for an MDF top workbench????? please let me know, Thanks for all your efforts.
Danish oil seems to be the best budget option 👍🏼
What time is dinner? I’ll have to fly in from western Canada so will need about 10 hours to get there.
🤣 it did look tasty right? It tasted pretty awesome! Thanks for the comment man, hope all is well in Western Canada 👍🏼
Hi there, great vid, thanks. I wonder, what would you recommend for MR (green finish) MDF 18mm board? I want to get rid of the green, for a nicer more natural colour, but also protect it. Thanks in advance for any advice !! Lee
Apologies Lee, I didn't see your comment! How did you get on? I would always recommend Danish oil or Treatex for a workbench finish, they seem to be the best options out of all of the finishes I have tried. Let me know how you got on with the MR! The video I made titled "Building a workbench in a world wide lumber shortage" uses MR MDF for the top face and it works great!
Great video, just a few thoughts, did you control the amount of product you used on each blank? Is there any way you could control the temp (heated room/box)? Was the moisture content of each blank the same,? Did you follow the manufacturer instructions on all products? Also, you used a lubricating wax first, I'd be interested to see a furniture or bees wax.
Great questions Tom. I did my best but obviously it wasn't a fully scientific experiment!
Quantity - No, this did become a slight issue as the Shellac and one of the others I think kept getting absorbed into the MDF.
Manufactures Inst - Yes and No, I thought I had BUT Treatex were good enough to point out that I hadn't in the original video which is why we gave it another go.
Heat - No way, what I thought was that if this is being undertaken by the usual individual in their unheated shed or garage then my results would match in fairly well with theirs as our workshop is unheated.
Moisture Content - I couldn't say what it was BUT they were all taken from the same spare board we had on the rack so at the very least they should have all been the same moisture content, material and density. I didn't want to introduce any big variables by using different MDF.
Thanks for the comments and taking the time to watch the videos. If I do a revisit I will make sure to try and control things a little more as well as try the furniture wax!
@@TheNaturalWorkshop They're both great videos, with some really interesting results. This is the kind of thing that would help a lot of people decide on a finish. After watching this I've even just bought the yacht varnish you tested for my next set of shop cabinets, instead of the cheapo bnq indoor varnish, so thanks for the info. Regarding the questions my engineer brain took over there (sorry) and these are the things I would of tried next, because my ocd wouldn't of let me finish there (no pun intended)
Haha dont worry about the questions, it makes it more fun and its nice to see someone who has the same sort of outlook at problems as me. I was always getting into hassle in previous careers as I hated loose ends and always needed to try and tie them up on a project...drove some of my managers mad, especially if they were trying to pull a fast one 😂 I hope it does help others, that and maybe giving them a little laugh lol. I started it for a bit of fun and to give back to the community because I have taken way more info than Im sure I should have done lol.
Try smoking cheese under low heat just enough to make the chips smoke
Have you tried it? Is it easy?
A workbench top is sacrificial. Slop whatever you want on it.
My thoughts exactly, the things are there to be used!
Why doesn't anybody use epoxy?
Danish oil is super cheap over here compared to Epoxy. The other thing to remember is that its really easy to refinish the worktop if it gets damaged and that can be more of an issue if you try to seal it with epoxy. That being said, if I had a bunch of epoxy sitting around I would definitely give it a go!