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Best way to seal bottom of bench legs?

3K views 9 replies 6 participants last post by  JonathanG 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
I am getting ready to finalize the finish on the 5-Board Bench I made a little while ago for the Charles Neil contest: http://lumberjocks.com/projects/37325

I want to seal the bottom of the legs to prevent any issues with cracking/splitting/etc. This will be an indoor bench and probably not be moved around a lot, although hopefully it'll see some use.

I want to apply the best sealant I can to the bottom of those legs.

I've read a fair amount regarding epoxy/CA glue, but is it the best choice, or should I be looking at something else?

I'm sure there are many opinions on the subject, but if you'll state your reasoning behind your choice, I'd appreciate hearing it, as well as helping anyone in the future that might need an answer to the same question.

All I need to do is seal the bottom of those legs and then apply a topcoat or two of Renaissance Wax and it'll be ready to hand over to its future caretakers.
 
#2 ·
I have given this some more thought and am thinking that maybe I don't need to seal the bottom of the legs? It's likely not going to be sitting on a basement floor, wicking up moisture, so maybe I'm over-engineering here?

Just figured I'd put enough work into this that I didn't want to skimp on a step that might help keep the legs from splintering, even though I chamfered the edge. For all I know, this will be sitting in a carpeted room.

The Renaissance Wax just arrived, so I'll probably apply that tomorrow morning before work. I'm curious to see how the overall look of the piece will change after the wax.
 
#3 ·
If you sand the end grain really smooth and apply top coat to the end grain that should do the trick. The fact that in time what ever you treat the end grain with will be worn off due to abrasion from wear. If it was a real concern I would mount small rubber pads to keep it off the ground to avoid wicking up moisture.
 
#5 ·
Rick,

I actually had not put any sort of finish on the bottom yet. It was finished with Watco Danish Oil and I'll be waxing the rest of it with Renaissance Wax.

I wasn't sure that turning it over now that the rest of the piece is cured and applying Danish Oil all over that end grain was the best choice, which is why I asked the question in the first place. Sorry, I guess I didn't mention that the bottom of the legs is simply bare wood right now.
 
#7 ·
OK guys, I'm in the middle of waxing the top half of the bench with Renaissance Wax. I've rubbed-in and buffed-out 3-coats by hand to the top of the bench. I still need to do the aprons. After I'm done waxing the top parts, I'm going to turn it upside down on bench cookies, clean off the feet with some mineral spirits, then begin applying the Watco Danish Oil to the end grain. I'll give it numerous coats (probably at least 3) to make sure it wicks it in really well. Then I'll let that cure for a few days.

After the bottom cures, I'll finish waxing the sides of the legs. I don't want to put any wax on the legs yet in case I accidentally get any on the bottom… don't want to prevent the Danish Oil from soaking in. That way, if it does get scuffed up, I can sand it a little and apply more Danish Oil. I can always apply some form of rubber feet or cork if the bottom gets scuffed-up, but I'm guessing that once this bench is in-place, it won't be moving around a lot. I can always go back and apply a more aggressive topcoat to seal it at a later date if the need arises.

Thanks for listening to and helping with my fear that I was going to overlook or underdo something. I just don't want to make a mistake at the very end.
 
#9 ·
If the bench is moved around at all, any surface finish will quickly be worn/scraped off. I think you want something that will be drawn up into the pores. I like the danish oil idea - maybe set the legs up on little blocks in the oil so the oil can really get to the end grain.
 
#10 ·
Howie, there's an idea. I suppose a 15-30-minute soak or something like that would suffice? I'll have to keep that idea in-mind for future reference, maybe in narrower, skinny legs.

Guess I didn't state it here and it might be hard to tell from the pictures, but the legs/feet are only about 3/4" thick, by 12.75"-wide.

I'll probably just use a sponge brush or a cotton rag to apply the danish oil onto the bottom. Just stand there for 10-15 minutes and apply as much as it'll soak up. Then wait a little bit and re-saturate it.
 
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