I have recently bought an untreated oak dining table and although I like the appearance of it I am concerned that I should treat it someway before use to avoid staining etc. Any advice?
:confused:

By "untreated" I am assuming that you mean unfinished. Correct? I am also assuming that you are wanting to apply a finish to the table yourself since you mention something about you treating it.

Being that it is a dining table, and I am assuming that you will be using it for dining purposes, then it should have a finish on it. What are the dimensions of the table top? Are there any leaves?

Since you like the appearance of it, then I would think that no oil or lacquer-based stains are needed. All you need is something to protect the wood. I would suggest some kind of clear finish that will cover the wood just a little bit. Please realize that whatever finish you do put on it, is going to make the color of the oak just a little bit darker, but it will also have a "richer" look to it.

You would get the most protection from a polyurethane or epoxy finish. An epoxy finish is very expensive and hard to apply. It would also give the table the look of a bar top. But, it doesn't sound like you want that kind of look because you already like the looks of it.

If you use a polyurethane you could get the kind that you brush on or that which comes in a spray can. You could get anywhere from a dull finish to a high gloss polyurethane. For me, the disadvantage to polyurethane finishes, like the epoxies, is that they are hard to touch-up if damage does occur. But, polyurethane does provide excellent protection.

You could get a low-solids lacquer like Deft, that comes in a spray can or in just cans. It is preferred to spray Deft on. But, if the table isn't all that large, and if you are fast in the application, then it can be brushed.

Deft does a good job of protecting a finish. But, it doesn't have a lot of solids in it. The more solids in the lacquer, the better the protection. I like to use Deft on things that aren't going to get touched a lot. It can make for a really beautiful finish after it is rubbed-out. It would be fine to use on a dining table, as long as you protect the finish by using things such as coasters and pads. Using Deft out of a spray can would be the easiest route to go.

My personal preference on a dining table would be to use a high-solids lacquer from Sherwin-Williams. I also prefer satin or a semi-gloss rather than a gloss because they are easier to touch-up and blend-in any repairs that are made to the finish.

It is best to apply a high-solids lacquer by spraying. But, it also can be brushed on if you are fast. If it is a large table, then you would definitely need to spray it on. Otherwise, you almost certainly will get edges from overlaps in the finish. Lacquer dries very quickly.

You would need from three to five coats of a lacquer for the best protection.

There are other finishes that can be rubbed on, but they would not provide all that much protection.

I could go on I haven't addressed safety, surface preparation, sanding between coats, tools needed, set-up for spraying or brushing, etc.

If you have any further questions, please let me know. One of the things that I do for a living is that I am a professional furniture refinisher. I have been doing that since about 1980.

Clough what about the distressed looking furniture that is so popular these days, What do they finish them with? I really like that look. But I have often wondered about food staining them esp. grease.

Clough what about the distressed looking furniture that is so popular these days, What do they finish them with? I really like that look. But I have often wondered about food staining them esp. grease.

Thank you for your question.

I don't know all that much about distressed furniture finishes. Most of the things that I have refinished for people are for where they have wanted them to look as good as possible and stand up to whatever situation in which they are used. These have been pieces of furniture that have been antiques as well as unfinished furniture. To date, no one has ever wanted me to make something look older than it is. I have been asked to create textures on walls that have to be really creative, though.

I do know that distressed finishes can comprise a number of types of material - paint as well as clear coats. It depends on what you are wanting the finish to look like. It could be to replicate something that is a number of hundreds of years old, or just to make it fit in with some sort of modern décor.

Most of the distressed finishes that I have seen have involved woods that are soft, like from cone-bearing trees. They would be much easier to "distress." Also, softer woods like pine, are much easier to mold into what you want them to be. People do not usually want to hide the look of the grain of oak, mahogany, teak or walnut.

Pine has been throughout history, usually painted, because the grain patterns can be so wild on it. As such, it isn't usually desirable to have it stained and then coated with some kind of clear finish. But, it does depend on a person's taste and what they want as far as the look in the end.

I am sure that most of the distressed finishes that are being applied today are done with lacquers, both clear and as paints, due to the speed at which it dries and ease of molding it into the look that might be desired.

I have even heard of finishers actually sprinkling dirt into a finish to achieve a certain "old" look. I have not done that myself. But, I might try it sometime.

Thank you, Clough, for your detailed reply - that was really helpful. Yes, I did mean unfinished and the table is about 5 1/2 feet by 3 feet with a separate extension leaf that fits on the end.
Should I laquer the chairs as well? They're unfinished oak too with fabric seats.
Thanks again.:)

If you would like everything to match, then I would suggest lacquering the chairs also.

Applying polyurethane or other synthetic finish on nice furniture is bad advice.

Comments on this post
sylvanus: applying polyurethane or other synthetic finish on nice furniture is bad advice.

Really? Then what would you suggest doing?

Clough, according to the members list this person has never asked/answered a question other than rating your answer. I doubt they understand the site. I thought your answer was a keeper so I'd ignore sylvanus. Have a good one, Bob