natural finish for unfinished wood furniture?

[sora]

Hi,

I'm having a pine bed made for my dd. I ordered it unfinished so that I can finish it with natural product. Can you recommend natural wood finish product? Has anyone used hemp oil or Tung oil? I was told that some tung oil has some toxic solvent in it.
What if I don't finish it? It will look really bad with over time?
Thanks!

[nerdymom]

Just plain old vegetable oil? DS has a set of hardwood stacking rings and they are finished with veg oil. I have a feeling it will look not-so-nice if you don't treat the wood at all.

[hibana]

You don't want to leave the wood unfinished. It'll get scratched and dinged and dirty after a bit. There are plenty of non-toxic finishing options out there.

Tung oil is mixed with mineral spirits to make a wood finish. Dh uses it instead of polyurethane for a waterproof protective coating on the furniture he makes. He uses some kind of beeswax finish for certain things but I'm not sure what's involved there. (it's not just plain wax) With tung oil, you need to apply several coats with a cloth, waiting 24 hours in between. I personally love the way both finishes look, and am less concerned about mineral spirits from tung oil evaporating outside than I am about some of the stuff in poly finishes.

[Masel]

A traditional finish for wood is linseed oil. You can go to the hardware store and buy it with all sorts of dryers and additives but it is really the same thing as flax seed oil you can get at the health food store. Plain flax seed will take longer to dry and you'll need a few coats. The surface will harden a little over time.

Unfinished wood can absorb moisture from the air and begin the warp especially a soft wood like pine.

[koofie]

Here is a link to a green building store that has some "green" products: http://www.amicusgreen.com/browse.cf...shes/2,31.html

[cristeen]

Eh. I have finished and unfinished pieces both, and we live within a mile of the ocean, so we have humidity. Never had a problem with leaving them unfinished. Over time they will darken as the wood ages, but it's not really noticeable on it's own.

If you're looking for a non-toxic finish though, you can use a beeswax rub, or Bio Shield makes green stains that include the finish in the stain, so it's a one-coat thing (instead of needing stain and then sealer).

[reducereuserecycle]

http://www.palumba.com/product/260

this is a natural beeswax polish that is awesome. it makes the woods look so pretty and really brings out the natural grain in the wood.

you can coat the bed now and then recoat it maybe every 6 months or every year.....just whenever you think about it really. it may take about 1 or possible 2 jars for the first coat since the woods will soak up some of the beeswax but it is good for the wood and will keep it from cracking in the future due to the wood drying out. if you have questions about beeswax finishes head over to the waldorf forum and there will be many experienced beeswax users