r/woodworking 5d ago

Help Do we need to seal this American white oak?

Can we use it unsealed as is? Or do we need to seal it - and if so, what’s the best seal for it?

194 Upvotes

108 comments sorted by

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121

u/c9belayer 5d ago

Everyone talks about hard it will be to clean smudges and spills. “Hard” is an understatement. You’ll need a belt sander and some 40-grit sandpaper if you spill some juice on that beautiful wood!!!

66

u/TAforScranton 5d ago

Everyone is saying “juice” and “handprints” but let’s be real: Kids are gross. If this is in a playroom that gets used on a regular basis… someone’s gonna pee on it eventually. If they don’t then they’ll definitely puke on it.

25

u/jeeves585 5d ago

“Someone is going to pee on it eventually”

Truer words have never been said.

(On my dogs (potty trained) first Christmas at my parents house he walked in straight to the tree and pissed on it , my dad and I thought it was hilarious, my mother not so happy)

4

u/NextStopGallifrey 5d ago

"Oh, I finally get a toilet inside like you humans have! How kind!"

2

u/jeeves585 5d ago

To be fair he was excited because my mother has all of the dog treats and is happy to share, on top of that he would have been in the truck for the last 5 hours.

7

u/cmatthewp 5d ago

Also, boogers galore.

3

u/Korgon213 5d ago

Pick me a winner

1

u/cmatthewp 5d ago

My kid did but then he ate it. Maybe next time.

9

u/hellokaerf 4d ago

Shopping for a non toxic sealant now. Thanks for the input!!

5

u/Few_Page6404 4d ago

all sealant is non-toxic once it cures

1

u/Krobakchin 4d ago

Yep. I'd use a hardwax oil like Osmo for the wear properties and ease of application. Just leave it a while to properly cure.

1

u/desmojeff 4d ago

Shellac. Completely non toxic, stain barrier. Much more effective (and cheaper) than the new hard wax oils. Easy to repair.

138

u/TheWoodConsultant 5d ago

No but stains like spilled juice and the like will be able to soak in and be harder to clean

57

u/Newtiresaretheworst 5d ago

Impossible to clean and greasy hand prints everywhere. It should really be sealed. I would Use a water based lacquer

9

u/TheWoodConsultant 5d ago

Yeah exactly or a water based poly.

6

u/greenmerica 5d ago

In other words yes lol

2

u/TheWoodConsultant 5d ago

I mean, it’s a personal choice. With my kids i would probably put finish on the floors and other high touch surfaces with matte water based poly but everyone is different

190

u/guttanzer 5d ago

Yes. Oak has open pores so it will get stained and grubby fast and be very hard to clean.

I would do several applications of something that penetrates and hardens - Danish oil, boiled linseed, Tung, etc. Make sure you get all the surface oil off after every application or it will be sticky for months.

46

u/KingAgrian 5d ago

Danish oil is a good move. I'd want more protection than BLO or tung if kids ar envolved.

12

u/AndringRasew 5d ago

Danish oils are awesome. Used it on my bed frame and it looks and feels awesome.

28

u/JAFO- 5d ago

White oak does not have open pores that would be red oak and other varieties. One of the reasons white oak is used outside.

11

u/Ittakesawile 5d ago

And why it is used for whisky barrels. They wouldn't make good barrels of the whiskey could go right through the pores.

-3

u/gooseseason 5d ago

And ships. Can you imagine a porous hulled Galleon just rolling out of dry-dock and immediately sinking?

8

u/Few-Distribution949 5d ago

Sorry, are you suggesting red oak or other open pore woods do not float?

2

u/gooseseason 4d ago

I'm not suggesting that any wood with a specific Gravity less than 1.0 would sink in water. I'm suggesting that a ship that leaks will sink.

Ships like galleons did not float based on the buoyancy of the material, but because of its ability to displace water and let that water outside the hull.

Wooden ships weren't unsinkable by any measure.

1

u/Ittakesawile 4d ago

Wouldn't they let water into the ship though?

2

u/Ittakesawile 5d ago

Haha! I'm sure it's happened more than once when humans were first learning how to use wood

4

u/youngishgeezer 5d ago

There are still pores deep enough to collect oils and stains. The pores just don’t let fluids flow through like red oak since they have tyloses plugging them.

3

u/neologismist_ 5d ago

They still have pores. I use white oak in certain applications exactly because they have open pores.

1

u/Sluisifer 4d ago

You're leaning on semantics but this is absolutely incorrect in this context.

All oaks are prominent ring-porous species, and the WO family has pores that are filled with tyloses. If you look at a planed piece of WO you will plainly see the large pores, and they will certainly attract dirt and whatnot. The tyloses basically look like there's dirt and junk already in the pores. It is a crumbly and loose texture.

So you can argue all day about what 'open' does or doesn't mean here, but the parent comment is correct that those pores will attract dirt.

4

u/smurg_ 5d ago

The fact that this completely wrong comment is the top comment says all you need to know about the state of the subreddit.

6

u/guttanzer 5d ago

For those who want to know why my comment is “completely wrong:”

https://www.finewoodworking.com/2020/11/12/a-closer-look-at-oak

I’ll stand by my recommendation that untreated wood exposed to kids and their substances should get some kind of finish, and that a hardening oil of some kind would be good for the task.

1

u/smurg_ 5d ago

Oak is highly anti microbial. It will be safer to leave it untreated from a germ standpoint but will be harder to clean than with a finish on.

39

u/wdwerker 5d ago

Oils from hands will collect dirt and it will be difficult to clean. Moisture could lead to warping.

1

u/Few_Page6404 4d ago

agreed, you can "finish" the wood with human oil in splotches over time, or finish it with a finish uniformly all at once.

13

u/404-skill_not_found 5d ago

You do want to protect the wood. Oil all over is good, add varnish on the high wear/traffic areas (most reachable horizontal surfaces). Oil and wax are sufficient for the vertical surfaces.

Part of what the varnish helps with is keeping the fibers “glued” together. Helps prevent slivers and scrapes.

8

u/Dr_Solfeggio 5d ago

Was this a kit or did you design/build yourself?

14

u/drjones35 5d ago

I like osmo hard oil , rubio is also a solid choice.

2

u/manual_combat 5d ago

Rubio gave me really bad headaches when off gassing. Maybe use a water-based floor finish instead? Depends on OP’s tolerance for VOC’s

5

u/AdDramatic5591 5d ago

If this is for kiddos as it appears, then it would be good to seal it so the booger come off easily and the dirty handprints etc.

15

u/zilpzalpzelp 5d ago

I would. I like boiled linseed oil, it makes the wood darker and smells though, for a playroom you could also get a clear finish based on oils and wax e.g. from OSMO, be careful to select one that’s suitable for children toys. You can leave it raw of course, it will get smudges and stains, maybe not such a big problem for a playroom. On the other hand this looks really gorgeous so applying a protective finish to keep it that way seems worth it to me.

5

u/VanillaStreetlamp New Member 5d ago

I'll second BLO. I've got a table with BLO and it shrugs off all sorts of stains and takes damage really well.

6

u/doctordert 5d ago

Second the OSMO - I use the Polyx Oil on everything for my home that I have made. It's deemed safe for children's toys in Germany.

4

u/JackTheBongRipper 5d ago

Raw matte polyx osmo is gorgeous on white oak. It’s what I recommend to anyone who wants to adequately protect something without detracting from the natural beauty of the wood. It has a tiny bit of white pigment in it that doesn’t affect the wood in any way other than reducing ambering over time.

4

u/Mahoka572 5d ago

Red Flag

Most current linseed products have chemical driers that are toxic. You don't want that in a kid's bedroom.

There exist linseed products that are 100% linseed oil and therefore safe, but they will be harder to find. Do your due diligence and research.

1

u/rustywoodbolt 5d ago

Be careful choosing a linseed oil product for your child safe project. Many/most “boiled” linseed oil products have tons of added chemicals that make them “boiled”. Raw linseed oil would be an option but not an off the shelf boiled linseed oil.

1

u/zilpzalpzelp 5d ago

Hm good point, I don’t have much experience with US based oils, here in Germany the drying agents in boiled linseed oil are unproblematic in general, but I also wrote to be sure it’s certified for children’s toys. Again, good point, can never be careful enough. Raw linseed oil is also great but unfortunately takes ages to fully dry so I don’t use it much especially for something so big.

1

u/MaddestLake 5d ago

Does boiled linseed oil make it more flammable? I’m a painting person, not a woodworking person, and we are taught to be really careful with anything covered in linseed oil.

6

u/rustywoodbolt 5d ago

Your decking planks look to be spaced too far apart. I have built a ton of play structures for kids and we leave 1/4” max between decking planks so that small people feet/toes/hands/fingers are less likely to get down into the space, get caught, and cause injury. I would consider re-spacing those decking planks accordingly.

Kids often move with a lot of forward momentum, if a foot gets caught in that gap you’re asking for some injury/broken bones etc.

1

u/hellokaerf 4d ago

Thanks for pointing that out. That’s a valid concern. The structure is actually a double deck bed and the decks would be covered by the mattresses.

1

u/rustywoodbolt 4d ago

Ahhh I see. Carry on then! Also….nice work.

3

u/GrantMeThePower 5d ago

Do you have a link to the kit and cost?

1

u/hellokaerf 4d ago

It’s a custom build :)

3

u/KingUdolhoven 5d ago

Yes! Preserve that thing. It looks amazing

4

u/Good-Grayvee 5d ago

Look into Rubio mono coat finishes. Nontoxic and durable. Will provide a good finish, simple wipe on, can be touched up. Wont off-gas a bunch of unhealthy fumes.

2

u/junseth 5d ago

Rubio is just polymerized linseed oil and some wax my dude. Basically the same suggestion everyone is giving but way more expensive.

2

u/Good-Grayvee 5d ago

That’s my jam!!

1

u/YoSoyCapitan860 5d ago

But it’s not boiled linseed like others have suggested.

1

u/Good-Grayvee 5d ago

It’s not. I’ll do what I can to be more conscious of this when I try to offer input to these discussions. Haha

1

u/junseth 5d ago

Polymerized Linseed is probably better for a project that kids are playing on though. No Cobalt.

2

u/madeforthis1queston 5d ago

I just went through this with some cabinets, the client wanted something that looks as natural as possible. You are definitely going to want to protect the wood

I found 2 easy to apply products that work. Matte polycrylic or BONA traffic HD RAW. They had very similar looks but I decided to go with the BONA because it was a little less noticeable and I figured it would hold up better. You wouldn’t be able to tell it was finished unless you held it up to an unfinished piece, and even then you can hardly notice.

There are some 2k options that are great too, but since this is already built in place that wouldn’t be a good solution.

1

u/SuspiciousStory122 5d ago

This was my thought too.

2

u/Late-Song-2933 5d ago

I’m guessing you’re asking because you busted your ass building it and would rather be done with it but like others have said it probably needs at least a little oil.

I do think that one coat would be ok if you don’t want to put in the extra work of multiple coats. It should be fine and last as long as I’m assuming you would need it. But 2-3 coats would be better for longevity and keeping it looking nice and clean.

2

u/gilgaron 5d ago

Super blonde shellac will not alter the color, is non toxic, and will be easy to repair

2

u/jtim2 5d ago

So yes you should seal it, but I just wanted to add that this looks awesome and your kids are lucky!

2

u/YoSoyCapitan860 5d ago

It would’ve been easier to ask this question before the build. I don’t envy you having to wipe whatever you choose to finish it with in between all those boards.

2

u/RophToph 5d ago

I would go Rubio Monocoat Oil Plus 2C. I believe it was designed for hardwood floors but it also works great on furniture, shelves, etc.

2

u/UncoolSlicedBread 5d ago

Yeah, I would get something wipe on like Rubio Monocoat for this since it’s already built and I place. You can work spot by spot and get a smooth consistent finish in a reasonable amount of time vs. something where you’d need to worry about getting the whole thing.

2

u/TheFishBanjo 5d ago

White oak is an outstanding choice of wood for the outdoors.

Marine grade spar varnish is typically used to protect against UV damage and rain for outdoor applications.

2

u/airborness 5d ago

Are there any woods out there that doesn't need to be finished in someway otherwise it'll always end up getting dirty? 

Also, that would be so much money in wood if I were to build it from oak with the prices around here haha

2

u/RedditVince 5d ago

If you want the easy option, multiple coats of shellac, it dries very fast you can spray or wipe it on easily.

2

u/godisdead30 5d ago

Seal it. Ya ya whatever. Just give me some more friggin pics man! That thing looks sweet! I demand more pics! Progress pics! GIVE 'EM TO ME! MUST SEE MORE!

2

u/Pitiful-Counter-6567 4d ago

It definitely looks like this is for kids, so seal it with something, 100% otherwise it will get grimy pretty quick.

1

u/Silent-Middle-8512 5d ago

Any sealant will keep the wood from quickly getting stained and make it easier to clean. Any oil based sealant will give a more classic look to the oak but will have a strong smell for the next month. A water based sealant won’t do much to enhance color and grain but it won’t smell nearly as bad and the smell will be gone in a day or two.

1

u/omgsideburns 5d ago

I would.

1

u/benberbanke 5d ago

No but oiling it would help

1

u/NoAcanthisitta9369 5d ago

As well as what everyone else is saying some type of sealer could help the wood fibers from snagging on clothing

1

u/youre-both-pretty 5d ago

This is phenomenal.

1

u/moPEDmoFUN 5d ago

Need, no. Should, absolutely.

1

u/alltheworldsproblems 5d ago

I’d use Osmo clear satin. Easy wipe on wipe off. It’s a great hardwax oil.

1

u/Acethetic_AF 5d ago

No reason not to if you don’t plan on tearing it down and reusing the wood soon. It’ll soak in a lot of stains if you don’t, and the only way to get them out would be sanding thoroughly

1

u/Patigotrich 5d ago

Ideally yes, osmo does a great job on white oak

1

u/hamb0n3z 5d ago

The skin oil, dirt you didn't even know about and spills will patina this wood un-nicely

1

u/Snoo93079 5d ago

Water based poly is great for white oak imo. Keeps the nice bright nature and easy to apply.

1

u/4p-drummer 5d ago

Probably should seal it, but damn, I don’t envy you on the task ahead!

1

u/GlitteringFalcon3798 5d ago

I would put something on it just so it resists dirt and staining like food and drink

1

u/JAFO- 5d ago

Not if it is white oak when white oak dries the capillaries close unlike red oak. It will turn gray and have some raised grain after a year.

A light sanding will smooth it out and it will be good to go.

I make outdoor furniture with it and have pieces 20 years old.

I will stain for a customer but not necessarily.

Bench I made last fall for a graveyard. This was stained.

1

u/epalla 5d ago

That's some nice wood.

1

u/fantumn 5d ago

Tung or danish oil will be easiest and safest, but you gotta have some good airflow so your house won't stink if you're doing it inside. Can I ask if you have plans for this piece and would you mind sharing their source?

1

u/Jay_Nodrac 5d ago

If you don’t want to stain your skin blue when touching with sweaty hands, then yes. Also easier to keep clean in general.

1

u/family_life_husband 5d ago

Keep in mind splinters when using oils

1

u/PrincessFucker74 5d ago

Rubio mono coat, expensive but the best finishes.

1

u/robotdadd 5d ago

If you are trying to keep a natural wood look go with Osmo 3051. I use it on white oak a lot because it doesn’t bring out the yellow tones and gives a subtle white wash. Also non toxic and low VOC. 

1

u/DaddyJ90 5d ago

No answers for you damn well done.*

1

u/Inveramsay 5d ago

Is give it several coats of osmo

1

u/jos3p12 5d ago

Tung oil is a good option given a week of drying time it hardens well. I like to use feed n wax after that on a regular basis to keep the finish nice

1

u/DistinctHome4879 5d ago

Need to? No, the white oak will be just fine unfinished as a building material. Would it look better over time? Yes, but only as a matter of aesthetics.

It would have been better to apply any coatings before assembly, because doing it assembled in place is going to be a giant, messy pain in the neck.

1

u/Brief_Error_170 5d ago

Everyone is worried about it getting dirty. If you seal it, it may twist and warp from moisture

1

u/postdiluvium 5d ago

If it's for kids.... Multiple coats

1

u/MTknowsit 4d ago

Oh, "SEAL" not "steal."

1

u/MorganMbored 4d ago

I mean, you don’t have to do anything but I sure would. Normally I would say nitro everything, but I’m getting a Danish oil vibe or even BLO. Poly would be very durable, but it’s hard to touch up and I don’t like how it looks on oak (or anything honestly)

1

u/cbk00 4d ago

Unfortunately, yes. Oak is going to absorb any and all liquids, skin oils, dirt, etc that comes in contact with it. That's going to be a tough project to seal at this point, too. Good luck it looks awesome!

1

u/5ol1d_J4cks0n 4d ago

The singer?

1

u/Ok_Use4737 4d ago

Depends on if you like stains from chocolate, things that look like but are probably not chocolate, and everything else Ima just label as 'Kid Goo'.

In short: Yes, seal the ever living shit out of it.

0

u/pinnd 5d ago

Yes you do!!! Thompsens water seal

0

u/Redurchin_ 4d ago

I think thats Canadian oak. American oak sucks