Sanding and reoiling walnut worktop -best oil & how to limit dust?

FrankGrimes

Out walnut kitchen worktop is overdue a new coat of oil and has started getting black rings from metal items left sitting on it (as in the photos below).

I reckon I'll need to sand the whole thing with my Black & Decker sander, probably needing to go relatively heavy on to get rid of the black marks and then lightly over the rest of it and then apply oil.

Does this sound like the best approach to take? What is the best type of oil to use?

The kitchen is in an open-plan kitchen diner and I can imagine the amount of dust this will generate even with a dust collection bucket on the sander. Are there any recommended approaches for limiting dust?

I was wondering if closing the windows and doors to limit circulation and then having the Dyson vacuum cleaner (which has stood up to similar jobs before) on the whole time to suck in the excess dust would make sense or if it wouldn't really make any difference and I should just keep the windows and doors open and dust down afterwards.

Delta Kilo

Are you sure it is a solid walnut worktop or just laminated MDF? If it is the latter then don't go near it with a sander!

If it is solid, Sand them off with your sander. Don't worry too much about the dust. Before you varnish/oil it give it a wipe down with a rag with white spirits on it. Leave it for a while, then apply the varnish. It will take 3-4 coats, with a light sanding in between coats.

For the best oil, ask in your local DIY store or, if you could find someone who makes kitchens what they use it would be ideal. They might recommend a sealer to put on first.

The surface now probably has coats of lacquer sprayed on to it and it will be really hard to match with something you brush on yourself, so you are best off doing the whole lot!

FrankGrimes

Thanks Delta Kilo.

It is solid walnut so I'll give it all a sanding but I do want to do something to limit the dust as the sander generates a crazy amount of dust that gets everywhere.

I gave it 4 coats of oil when first installed a couple of years ago, think it was a worktop oil I got in the Panelling Centre. It held up well for a good while and it's the delay in re-applying that is likely to blame. Will pick up more of that unless anyone has tips on a better oil to use.

mountain

i have seen people attached a hose from the vacumn directly to the pipe at the side of the sander, where the dust comes out, when sanding turn vacumn on,
most of the dust should get sucked directly into it.

jasperok

don't know if i have done the right thing because i'm no expert but recently bought 2 large pieces of douglas firr for counters.
used a 40 on the electric belt sander - then a few passess with 40 by hand and a pass with 120 by hand and one pass with 180.

the finish is excelent and i have rubbed danish oil into it every once every twelve hours for 3 days, and it is now very water repellant,

i'd love to know if there is a right way of doing it or was i far off.

the oil is not cheap at i think 80 euors a litre but you dont use much at all.

not sure how you would go about it with several pieces making one counter but i always sanded and oiled in the direction of the grain.

hth