Please give me your ideas

[e2512]

I got a old board that's 62" by 19" by 2" (one solid board) that was used as a work bench. My idea is to make a coffee table out of it for the man cave. It has tons of character. There's 4 holes drilled in it where a tool was mounted. A crack on one end that's from 60 years of drying. There's even a custom pencil holder made from two small pieces of scrap nailed down to allow the pencil to fit between them without rolling off the table.

Here's my question. The previous owner spilled oil all over the board over the past 60 years just like we all have. What's my best way of finishing the top? I don't want to plane it and make it perfect. I want the past 60 years to show it's use. The best idea I can come up with is to pressure wash it as best as I can and wipe it with 10W30.

One of my coworkers suggested pressure washing it as best as I can. Scrubbing it with Dawn Dish Soap to remove as much soaked in oil as I can. Then using a oil stain on it. His concern was that 10W30 won't harden and in time would just soak in dirt. The oil based stain would hopefully help to seal the wood.

This got me thinking about Lemon Oil or something else I've never used.

I'm open to all ideas. I want to do this one time and get it right. I'm willing to listen to anyone that might have experience in something like this.

Thanks. Tom

[reible]

I would not add motor oil to the table........ even clean oil smells and according to some it is not good for you to handle/touch etc.

Dawn is really good at removing old wax and oil so that might be a good idea as would/could spic'n'span. I think the more old oil that comes off the better. I don't think I would go so far as to pressure wash for fear of making things worse.

I did know a few people who were using old wood for bar tops and table tops back some many years ago and they used a pour-on finish which effectively covers everything and gives a level and protected surface. I don't recall brand names but I bet they still make it. It's like 50 coats of varnish all at once.

Ed

[Ed in Tampa]

Motor oil is not good for you!
I would scrub the table surface with Tide Washing Detergent or TSP, if after that, all that was left was the deep soaked in oil I would encase it as Reible suggested. If all the oil came off and you wanted it natural I would coat it with boiled linseed oil and keep it looking nice using Murphy's Oil Soap.
You could also coat it with a mixture of equal parts Tung Oil and Poly. A few coats would build up a protective layer that would keep human contact with motor oil to a minimum. First scrub it with Tide or TSP.

[dgreen810]

Be careful with that power washer. You can severely damage the wood before you know it!! Been there done that.

Don G

[BuckeyeDennis]

I keep thinking that an organic solvent bath is the best de-oiling solution. Mineral spirits would seem to be a good choice. It should dissolve most of the oil, and possibly blend it a bit into any unspilled-upon areas.

Now that is a pretty big board. And even if you have a bathtub that big, neither the missus nor the wallet is likely to take kindly to filling it with mineral spirits! But a purpose-built scrap-wood trough with a plastic liner should keep the solvent requirements down to a gallon or two.

If you use an oil-based finish, I wouldn't think that a modest amount of residual oil should be a problem.

[robinson46176]

Clean it the best you can then get a bag of Oil-Dri (Only about $4) or similar product and put about 1/2" of it and let it set a few days...


.

[CWD]

I have used a product I found at the Big Orange box store ( home depot )
it is called All-In-One Orange oxy. I used it to pull kitchen oil and grease and grime out of cabinets I refinished. I sprayed it on let it set for 10 mins. and wiped it off, I had to re spray and soak a few spots twice, but it did a great job of cleaning the wood. It is 100% natural and non toxic clean up is easy. If I remember it cost about $4.99 per 32 oz spray bottle.

[sawmill]

I have used a product I found at the Big Orange box store ( home depot )
it is called All-In-One Orange oxy. I used it to pull kitchen oil and grease and grime out of cabinets I refinished. I sprayed it on let it set for 10 mins. and wiped it off, I had to re spray and soak a few spots twice, but it did a great job of cleaning the wood. It is 100% natural and non toxic clean up is easy. If I remember it cost about $4.99 per 32 oz spray bottle.

I get this at the dollars stores and it works great. They have the 32 oz spray bottle and also the refill witch I believe is 60 oz with each being 1.00

[everettdavis]

Take a very fine scraper to shave the surface area of the wood to skim off a fine layer of material and expose the embedded oil.

Then immediately apply an oil absorb material and let it sit on the surface for a day or so to absorb as much as you can pull up.

Once it has begin to move into the absorbent, pour some absorbent on a tarp on the floor and place the board oil side down, on-top of it, allowing gravity and the absorbent to do their magic the best it can. Wipe it down to clean it as best as you can.

Now, run the opposite side through a surface planer, and finish that reverse side without the oil stain.

Everett

[ERLover]

Many good ideas here, in the kitchen for grease and oil, I mix a spray bottle, 32oz, with 1/3rd house hold ammonia, an oz of Dawn Dish soap, that is what they use to de oil birds and animals where crude oil spills, and the rest H2O.
I would spray your board with that, wipe off, and repeat a few times, then when happy, the last time do it again, and scrub a bit with Green Scotch Brite pad, then wipe off with a dry rag. Let dry fully out in the sun, if satisfied, wipe with Mineral Spirits. Let dry, and if you like what you see,a light sanding or scraping, then, mix up a 50/50 mix of boiled linseed oil and Mineral Spirits, give it a wet coat, let sit a few minutes, wipe of any excess, then a coat of 2lb cut Shellac or this product, which is a 2lb cut, Zinsser, Bulls Eye, Seal Coat. You then can do more of it, or if me, MinWax wipe on Oil Poly, coats to your desired look.