Finishing Butcher Block

[ltusler]

I just picked up 2 new unfinished 96"x25"X2 1/2" oak butcher block counter tops. They are going to go in the shop as bench tops. Looking for the best way to finish them. Should I finish all 6 sides? I would like them to resist oil and fuels etc, as most of the work I do is mechanical of some sort.

TIA

 

[Cyberbear]

They sound like high grade expensive tops that deserve the best you can afford to finish them with. You need to consider the open grain character of oak and should plan on using several coats of a good hardwood floor finish, perhaps a polyurethane or better, since there will be oil and fuels in contact with the finish. Pratt-Lambert used to make very durable marine grade boat finish that I've used years ago.

 

[SD396]

I personally would stay away from polyurethane finishes or the like because with heavy use it can chip and would look bad over time, and be tough to re-finish. I have a 1 3/4" edge grain fir bench top and tried something different. I used several coats of Watco oil until it wouldn't soak any more in then wiped it dry. Then I soaked it with bowling alley wax several times rubbing it in until it would soak no more in. Wiped off the excess and buffed it to a satin finish. My thinking is if it gets beat up I can easily give it a quick sand and wipe some more oil and wax on top, the dents and scratches over time will just give it character. I have spilled acetone and fuel on it and had a large drop of epoxy resin sitting on it for about a month and no marks were left. And definitely finish all 6 sides to prevent warping.

 

[nine4gmc]

straight boiled lindseed oil for a natural look. I went with an ebony stain so it looks black but you can still see the woodgrain and it absorbs oil spills from the lathe like crazy.

 

[topcoat]

I would recommend a tung oil called Waterlox. It comes in satin and gloss finish. Do a couple coats of gloss and a couple in satin with light sanding in between. I would do all 6 sides for dimensional stability over time.

 

[brianpgriset]

I did 6 heavy coats of spar urethane on my ikea butcher block tops and they turned out looking great. Pretty durable too, but I keep most of my heavy dirty work on my welding table.

 

[retfr8flyr]

About the only thing that will resist oil and fuel stains, is the Spar Varnish already mentioned. Any type of oil finish will not seal the wood, especially Oak, from having oil seep in from a spill. Poly Urethane would also work but will be susceptible to chipping and not easily repairable. With a Spar Varnish, just a light sanding and another coat will bring it right back, from any damage.

 

[iahawk]

I've found poly to be pretty forgiving...if it gets too hacked up you just scuff up the top coat with a random orbital sander and add some new coats. Looks like new.