Stripping and resea...
 

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Stripping and resealing wooden breakfast bar

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We have a hardwood (wenge) breakfast bar that is currently Danish oiled. I have re-oiled it a few times (probably three or four) in the ten years it has been fitted, however, it is getting quite hard to successfully oil it and achieve a nice result (the higher traffic areas get dull quickly, and the lighter areas have started to get a bit of a build-up of oil (despite my attempts at light resanding each time).

I am considering sanding it down completely (I have a belt sander) and resealing with Osmo PolyX, however, I am concerned that the oil will have penetrated the wood quite deeply and I would end up sanding for hours and then still find that the Osmo won't get a good finish if it doesn't agree with any left over oil.

Can anyone give any advice on this – am I likely to regret attempting it and would I be better off just putting more Danish oil on again?


 
Posted : 08/09/2025 8:23 am
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Buy a cabinet scraper and get busy. Re-oil with the original finish if that worked for you for ten years


 
Posted : 08/09/2025 8:50 am
leffeboy reacted
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Wenge is a very dense wood spoil penetration won’t be that deep. Scrape/sand and see. 


 
Posted : 08/09/2025 8:55 am
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Absolutely scrape first. Then sand.

Otherwise you'll just clog endless belts/discs until the end of time. Possibly longer 

Scraping is strangely addictive too

 

I use osmo a lot, if you go that route I'd recommend doing your coats but then cover for a few days with an old table cloth once dry. That way it really hardens off before it gets mugs and the like on it


 
Posted : 08/09/2025 11:22 am
lambchop reacted
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I tried this with our dark Iroko(or similar) wooden worktops that have been worktop oiled (essentially Danish oil pretty much) 

I did a good job of sanding. 

The Osmo looked good for quite a short while but must've not really taken as it had patches pretty quick. 

Very hard to remove enough to get rid of all the old Danish finish I'd say, especially into corners and along tiling and that. 

I wouldn't want to try and cabinet scrape a whole kitchen worktop. You're still only really removing a very, very thin layer. 

I would sand and prep really well, clean really well with White Spirit, and then Danish again, building up coats and coats over days. 


 
Posted : 08/09/2025 12:18 pm
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Osmo Top Oil would be my choice


 
Posted : 08/09/2025 1:08 pm
 IHN
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We have a wooden kitchen worktop that needs retreating, but we haven't treated out since we moved in and I don't know what the previous owners used (possibly Danish Oil, cos a can of it was left in the garage).

I've bought some Osmo Polyx but have not got round to using it yet as the thought of sanding it back and retreating, which will be a dusty and messy palaver in itself, and then the likelihood of the new stuff not really taking properly, fills me with dread.

Wooden worktops are a stupid idea...


 
Posted : 08/09/2025 2:04 pm
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They are a total pita to sand too as any old finish can tend to just melt and get moved around rather than be removed. 

Scraping avoids this sure but cabinet scrapers are really better when they're used slightly bent well thumb pressure behind to feather out small areas. Scraping the whole kitchen would suck. 


 
Posted : 08/09/2025 2:10 pm
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They are a total pita to sand too as any old finish can tend to just melt, clog the pad and get moved around rather than be removed. 

Scraping avoids this sure but cabinet scrapers are really better when they're used slightly bent with thumb pressure behind to feather out small areas. Scraping the whole kitchen would suck. 


 
Posted : 08/09/2025 2:11 pm
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Yeah I am lucky that ours is a relatively small breakfast bar rather than a whole kitchen worktop. Cabinet scrapers look like a recipe for disaster!


 
Posted : 08/09/2025 2:18 pm
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Posted by: johndoh

Yeah I am lucky that ours is a relatively small breakfast bar rather than a whole kitchen worktop. Cabinet scrapers look like a recipe for disaster!

 

Can you take the bar off and sand it outside?

 

 


 
Posted : 08/09/2025 4:37 pm
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I've used plastic mesh scourers with cream cleaner and lots of elbow grease in a similar situation. Followed up with Ikeas own brand wood oil.


 
Posted : 08/09/2025 4:54 pm
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Scrape and sand is what I’d do. 

my experience is with oak and other British hardwoods but I’ve always got good results with osmo

It’s important to be aware with osmo that you shouldn’t think of it like a coating you’re painting on, rather a treatment you’re rubbing in. Use a non abrasive (white) scotch pad to apply and what you’re doing is really firmly pushing and scrubbing it into the wood. (Expect to use a  couple of teaspoons on product on a 600x1000 bteakfast bar)

once you’ve rubbed it in, wipe it all off with a clean rag so it’s practically dry. Do this two or three times then let it cure for a week 

apologies if this is obvious but it seemed counter intuitive when I first used it 


 
Posted : 09/09/2025 8:40 am
nicko74 reacted
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Posted by: kayak23

They are a total pita to sand too as any old finish can tend to just melt, clog the pad and get moved around rather than be removed. 

Scraping avoids this sure but cabinet scrapers are really better when they're used slightly bent with thumb pressure behind to feather out small areas. Scraping the whole kitchen would suck. 

Thats why god invented scraper planes.

 


 
Posted : 09/09/2025 10:35 am

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