Can/Should I oil this wooden box?

[Bernadette]

I like boxes.  I like them a lot, especially ones with drawers and compartments.

I recently acquired this one, which I think is made of teak, probably in Hong Kong or thereabouts:



As far as I can tell, only the top has been sealed (and it may have just been sanded smoother than the rest of the box before the whole thing was stained: the rest of the box is slightly rougher and not as shiny). So would the rest of the box need to be oiled or waxed at all (lemon oil and Johnson's paste wax are the products that I would use)? Would it hurt anything?

[maryslittlegarden]

I don't think it would hurt anything.  Maybe try a small spot that is in an unobtrusive place and see what happens?

[Lynne]

That's really lovely...

[Carleendiane]

Love your box and your taste Bernadette . Very pretty box. I too love interesting boxes. Boxes are full of surprizes. You just never know why the box was made in the first place. Sometimes they are made with a particular purpose in mind.

[Bernadette]

Love your box and your taste Bernadette . Very pretty box. I too love interesting boxes. Boxes are full of surprizes. You just never know why the box was made in the first place. Sometimes they are made with a particular purpose in mind.

Well, this particular one was made to be a jewelry box, but now:







I had high hopes for my last sewing box, but it turned out to be pretty disappointing. But this one is absolutely perfect.

[Akavit]

If that is teak a good method is to use a 50/50 cut of linseed oil and turpentine once a year.  Last year I was asked to clean off some black spots from two pieces of 30-year-old teak furniture and other than the spots, all the pieces were in excellent condition and the finish looked great.  That annual maintenance schedule was recommended by the manufacturer and the owner followed the advice with good results.

Now the manufacturer recommended 0000 steel wool as the applicator but my preference is gray Scotch Brite which is available at some paint shops and automotive suppliers.  Steel wool is messier and I suspect the black spots mentioned above were the result of water somehow getting into the steel wool (sweat on a hot day?) and reacting with the tannin in the wood.

Just be careful with the linseed oil.  People burn their houses down when they toss the applicators into the garbage (spontaneous combustion).  It's what started the fire in the Chicago Shrine of Christ the King.  There are instructions on the can for proper disposal which must be followed.

Paste wax offers better protection than the lemon oil.  It can be applied over the oil finish once the oil is dry but on teak, that shouldn't be necessary.

[Akavit]

Forgot to mention...

If that top has a film finish, don't put any sort of oil on it.  Paste wax would be fine.  Oils only work properly when they can get into the wood and film finishes prevent that sort of penetration.  Drying oils (such as linseed oil) will harden over time but not to the level of hardness required for a surface finish.  Non-drying oils will just sit on the surface as an oily film and attract dirt.  Paste wax is superior for that reason.

[Bernadette]

Just be careful with the linseed oil.  People burn their houses down when they toss the applicators into the garbage (spontaneous combustion).  It's what started the fire in the Chicago Shrine of Christ the King.  There are instructions on the can for proper disposal which must be followed.

This...this is just never going to happen.  Wax it is!

[Bernadette]

Just wanted to say, the box turned out lovely. It's like it just drank the oil.

[Lynne]

Just wanted to say, the box turned out lovely. It's like it just drank the oil.

Oooo.

[Bernadette]

So shiny:

[Akavit]

Muy bien.