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Any ideas what type of finish was layered over the years on this picnic table? (lemmy.world)

submitted 5 months ago by IMALlama to c/[email protected]

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I'm guessing this is the result of layers of slathering a fresh layer of finish on these tables. To be honest, I kind of like the look. Any idea what type of finish this might be?

Here's a slightly different angle:

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[–] geegaw 6 points 5 months ago (2 children)

It looks to me like years of linseed oil without any sanding or prep work in between.

[–] MotoAsh 3 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Would that produce the black splotches? Would they peel easily? I also like the look, but if parts of it are indicative of bad adhesion... ehhh...

[–] geegaw 2 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Yeah, the lighter areas are where it has come up and been reapplied. Linseed oil gets darker with age, but I think the really dark areas are from a mold or mildew. I’ve only seen that in places with a lot of moisture year round.

[–] IMALlama 1 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

We're in SE MI, so I wouldn't call it particularly moist but it's not super dry either. The weather out here is very similar to what I experienced in New England

Edit: based on surface wear and looking at these things for years now, it's been a few years since the last time they were refinished and there's no flaking.

[–] IMALlama 3 points 5 months ago

If it helps there are decent drips on the bottom side that remind me of poly drips when I was getting started with poly. The total thickness in the high spots is easily 1/16, if not 1/8.