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[springfield]

I have recently had 7 Victorian pine doors stripped by caustic soda method. Could you please advise on best treament for the bare wood. I would like to obtain a natural matt finish on the doors without changing the colour. Should the doors be sealed or can I start to apply oil or wax direct. Which type of product would be best to use and how should it be applied?
Grateful for any advice.

[Oddbod]

Hi. Loads of different things you could do, most people will have a preference they’ve developed over time, and which one you use is up to you, they’ll pretty much all work. In all cases make sure the caustic soda has been neutralised.

For a natural finish on a pine door I’d just go for a good quality clear furniture wax – the stuff that comes in an oversized shoe polish tin! The wax will probably sink into the wood so you will either need to apply lots of coats* or cheat by applying a coat of shellac sanding sealer first. This stops the wax sinking into the wood so much. Wipe on a thin layer with a cotton (or similar) rag. Any good woodworking or paint specialist should hold it.

It’s simple to do, but a bit of practice on a old bit of pine will add to your confidence.

For something a bit tougher use a solvent based matt varnish (the stuff that does exactly what it says on the tin works for me!) with the first coat thinned 10% with white spirit. Several thin coats applied with a paint pad should do it. You can always put a coat of wax over this too if you really want to get a wax finish (or just like the smell of it!)

I think LEO has previously suggested a Danish Oil finish – that’d work fine as well.

* The old recipe for applying a wax finish was once a day for a week, once a week for a month, once a month for a year, and once a year for the rest of your life!