Howdy all. I had a round top made from Ash for a table. It is 45 inches across and an inch and a half thick. As I was talking with the owner of the company (Sparta Woodworks, in Sparta, TN) he said he has had good luck with BLO on Ash.
I asked for the cut offs of the top so I could practice the finish on.
I am going to try the BLO on a piece of scrap to see if I can match the yellowing on the pedestal. So onto my question.
When I do cutting boards I use a mix of paraffin wax and mineral oil to coat them. Could I do the same with BLO? If so what would the mix be (25%).
Thanks Mike
BLO on Ash
Posts
Re: BLO on Ash
#2BLO will form a hard film finish when it is cured. It will also yellow over time which is more noticeable on lighter colored wood.
If you mix paraffin wax and mineral oil you will produce a much softer finish than BLO by itself - this means more maintenance on your table top. It isn't what I'd do, but it isn't my table and we all have our preferences.
Re: BLO on Ash
#3@Bill Howatt
I wasn't going to mix the mineral oil in with it, just the wax. I think I will just apply it and see how it looks, My wife is the judge so we shall see how she likes it.
Thanks
Mike
Re: BLO on Ash
#4
Is this a table that'll see some heavy/hard usage? If so, I recommend using a hard surface finish. I particularly like the solvent based Behlen's "Rockhard Tabletop Finish."
Re: BLO on Ash
Edited #5@Jim DeLaney
I will take a look at that. My wife's father made the table years ago. He made the pedestal out of Ash, and the top out of a particle board veneered piece. I had the ash top made to match the base. So my wife is going to be really picky on the color match and finish. On second thought, I should have not tried to redo it cause it will never be right 
Thanks
Mike
Re: BLO on Ash
#6Hi Mike,
Linseed oil ("boiled" or not) will darken with age as will the other seed oils. Tung oil, however, does not darken. I mention this because it may facilitate your attempt at matching the old wood's color. You can mix in one or more pigments (universal tinting colors) to make your own oil stain to test on the scraps. If you get it right, it will stay that way. True tung oil finish (Waterlox, red-sealer/green-high gloss) provides a somewhat softer finish film, but its easy to renew.
Re: BLO on Ash
#7@Mark Mandell
I have used Tung oil on cherry before and really like the results. I will play with it a bit to see if I can get the match. I have the scraps from the top to practice on.
Thanks
Mike
Re: BLO on Ash
#8Mike,
Take note that there are "finishes" that say they are tung oil, but actually have only a small percentage of tung in the mix. Stay with Waterlox
Re: BLO on Ash
#9I would stay away from wax in/on any finish because it can make bonding of subsequent maintenance coats problematic.
Re: BLO on Ash
#10
I wouldn't use BLO or wax or mineral oil on a table top. I'd give it about three coats of an oil-based gloss polyurethane with light scuff sanding between coats and then rub out the final coat with fine steel wool or scotch brite. Minwax spar urethane is my go-to for this sort of application. It has a light amber tone, but you may decide you need to come up with a stain or additional toner to match it with the existing base. Keep in mind that the wood will itself yellow a bit with age.
Ellis
PS, like others, I'm a longtime fan of Waterlox but I've used it on tabletops and it doesn't have the scratch/abrasion resistance you want.