Weird faint lines on new oak worktop..

Discussion in 'Kitchen Fitters' Talk' started by ArtBalcombe, Mar 22, 2017.

  1. ArtBalcombe

    ArtBalcombe Member

    We recently had installed some 40mm Full Stave oak worktops.

    Having applied 4 coats of Danish Oil, it has been noticed that there are faint marks running across the grain and across the staves as can be seen in the photos attached.

    We've tried to lightly sand them out but they remain.

    Does anyone have any thoughts please on what they are and how we might get rid of them please? The worktop has had one extra coat of Danish Oil since the marks became apparent. It is only this worktop that is affected.

    Other than that, they look great.......
     

    Attached Files:

  2. chippie244

    chippie244 Super Member

    It could be that they have been bleached by the sun in some way, it should even out over time.
     
    ArtBalcombe likes this.
  3. ArtBalcombe

    ArtBalcombe Member

    Yes, thanks. I wondered if it was a shadow or bleaching but can't see any way that that could have happened to cause those lines. It looks as though it could have happened when it was resting on rollers in a factory somewhere but I can't understand why it's just become visible.
     
    Doall likes this.
  4. chippie244

    chippie244 Super Member

    The oiling has made it more noticable, you can have a plastered wall that looks fine but when you paint it the imperfections show up.
     
    koolpc likes this.
  5. ArtBalcombe

    ArtBalcombe Member

    Yes, good point. That would suggest that it'll get worse with more coats of Danish Oil being applied .....
     
  6. chippie244

    chippie244 Super Member

    I would think that's as bad as it will get but it's all supposition.
     
  7. Paulie1412

    Paulie1412 Active Member

    Looks a bit like pitch marks from rollers in a thicknesser, but these usually come out in the sanding
     
  8. ArtBalcombe

    ArtBalcombe Member

    Yes that would make sense along with chippie244's comments about the marks being revealed as they have been oiled.

    The question is do we carry on oiling them or re-sand them. We tried to rub through the marks a little bit but it didn't seem to make any difference.
     
  9. Paulie1412

    Paulie1412 Active Member

    If you've got an offcut of the top you can play with it might be worth trying a sharp thumb scraper instead of sanding, I've sometimes had more luck with a thumbscraper than sandpaper in removing marks such as these, sometimes though it's so embedded in the grain it's near impossible to remove, a few years ago I had a real nightmare with a FLB door where I couldn't get it out of one of the boards, I had to remake the door in the end
     
    ArtBalcombe likes this.
  10. sospan

    sospan Screwfix Select

    Those are planer / thicknesser marks.

    What is happening is that you have small ridges - like a ploughed field, running across the work top. As you are applying the finish coat it is not going to hold as much on the high point as the dips - so the lower points have more finish and hence darker. If you have something like a steel ruler put the edge across the lines and shine a light behind them. That will show any unevenness in the surface.

    You may be lucky that applying more finish coats will even it out. Otherwise it is going to need a very fine sand with a quality sander.

    I would send your pictures to the supplier for comment
     
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  11. chippie244

    chippie244 Super Member

    That sounds better than my theory and as someone said they should have been sanded out.
    You might be able to get some money back for your inconvenience.
     
  12. ArtBalcombe

    ArtBalcombe Member

    Thanks, yes that makes sense - I have sent the photos to the supplier but no reply yet. I fear that they will just say that the worktop is fitted upside down although there's no way to tell which side is which - they say one can tell but I can't. Is it likely that hand-sanding will just follow any undulation and therefore not improve the matter? What would be best to use to remove the ridges?
     
  13. chippie244

    chippie244 Super Member

    Hand sanding wont work, a 150mm random orbital will.
     
    ArtBalcombe likes this.
  14. sospan

    sospan Screwfix Select

    To set some expectation with the worktops, tile surround and cooker hob in place, this is going to be a real pain.

    You will have to remove all of the Danish oil and get back to a consistent colour. The best way to this is to use something like an old Stanley blade and slide it across the surface to remove the excess. Then I would clean it with water and a good quality washing up liquid. Once dried clean up with White Spirit.

    You are going to need at least a good quality palm sander to get into the corners and a selection of sanding grits. Ideally you will need a more powerful sander to work across the lines The only way you will know you have removed the marks is with a metal rule and a light shining behind it.

    When it comes to refinishing you may want to consider using Osmo work top oil, apply it with a cloth, wipe off the excess after 10 mins. Leave to dry and then recoat. Sometimes worktops can feel a little oily afterwards, one way to get around this and give the worktops a tougher finish is to give them a good coat of furniture wax. This seals in the oil and when the wax hardens,a tougher shell.
     
    ArtBalcombe likes this.
  15. ArtBalcombe

    ArtBalcombe Member

    Thanks for your inputs, sospan and chippie244.

    The manufacturer replied including the suggestion, " I would recommend re-sanding the worktops with a 120 grit sander and then following this up with a 240 grit sander. You should hopefully notice a difference after oiling the worktop."

    Luckily, the hob isn't in this length of worktop (the dark shadow in the photo is a built under sink) and the tiling is not done yet (awaiting decision on them!) so the only obstacle is the single pillar tap.

    Any thoughts on whether I'd be better with a belt sander running along the grain or with a random orbital? Not sure which is less likely to follow any undulation.
     
  16. sospan

    sospan Screwfix Select

    No problem, a belt sander could be too severe and you don't want stripes going the other way ;) I would go with a random orbit sander and go across the stripes

    To get the best results you need to move up through the grits, I would start with 120, 150, 180, 220 etc. the higher you go, the smoother the surface.
     
  17. chippie244

    chippie244 Super Member

    What did they say about the fault being there in the first place?
     
  18. ArtBalcombe

    ArtBalcombe Member

    not much, said it was "very rare", they "investigate such things thoroughly" and "if marks are still apparent, please let me know and I will look into resolving this for you quickly."
     
  19. I would largely agree with Sos's synopsis. Quite possibly the shading is even due to the partial ends of grain being exposed in the sides of these dips and therefore reflecting/absorbing more darkly with the application of oil, but that's a moot point - it does very much look like thicknesser marks.

    Perhaps the tops weren't pulled through the machine smoothly but 'stuttered' on its way, and then it wasn't given a thorough enough finishing sanding afterwards.

    I suspect you'd struggle to see any light under them if a steel rule is placed along the top - you might, but the 'hollows' are likely to be very slight - I don't suppose you can feel them if you run your fingers along the tops?

    Anyhoo, you could sand this by 'hand' if you'd rather instead of using a machine, but make sure you use a good flat 1/4 or 1/2-sheet sanding block and work along the grain at all times. 180 grit should get results reasonably quickly, and also won't cause too much roughness. Then 280 to finish. Give it a go in one area first and see how it goes?

    I've also heard good things about Osmo products.
     
    ArtBalcombe likes this.
  20. KIAB

    KIAB Super Member

    What's other side of worktop like.
     
    ArtBalcombe likes this.

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