Third bit from the right

It’s been a nice change working on a piece of furniture that didn’t need pulling apart and rebuilding. The bench seat I bought in Inverloch just needed sanding, oiling and waxing. Although, really, a lot of sanding, followed by a sore neck and sore shoulders.

The seat was superficially weathered but it was really sturdy. It had come from a deceased estate down Inverloch way and, given that there were a number of homemade pieces among the contents, the owner must have been into making furniture out of second-hand timbers.

The timber’s definitely blackwood (Acacia melanoxylon) – the colour and the grain are wonderful. (Here’s some info on blackwood on the Victorian Department of Primary Industries website.)

Then …

… and now

What I did

• Used an orbital sander with 80 grit sandpaper to cut back the weathered timber. Several hours’ work over three sessions. (A belt sander would have been quicker, assuming I had one.)
• Used a detail sander with the coarsest sandpaper we had in the garage (120 grit I think) to get into the corners, especially to remove what was left of the original varnish finish
• Sanded by hand with a sanding block and aluminium oxide sandpaper, working up through 120, 180, 240, 320 and finally 400 grit to get a very smooth finish (about an hour’s work)
• Vacuumed the wood
• Wiped it down with mineral turps
• Applied 4 coats of Danish oil over four days/evenings, sanding lightly between coats with an old piece of 320 grit sandpaper.
  I was generous with the oil, rubbing it into the grain and all the fine splits in the timber using a cirular motion, before wiping off the excess. (Note: Never leave an excess of oil drying on the surface or you’ll end up with a sticky mess. Always wipe it back a few minutes after you apply it.)
• Waxed it with beeswax, adding a second coat to just the seat
• Stuck some self-adhesive felt to the bottoms of the legs so I can use the seat in the house on polished floorboards.

I didn’t fill the holes. I figured the person who made it didn’t fill them so why should I. It’s good to retain some history.

Before-and-after slideshow

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