I’m no so happy with the finishing process of my table. At first I was going to use an oil-based polyurethane finish. This would offer the most protection and is fairly inexpensive.
You see, polyurethane is basically like a coating of plastic that sits on top of the wood. If it gets scratched, the polyurethane is scratched, not the wood. The same goes for spills and other mishaps. However, even though polyurethane is harder than the pine that I used to build the table, it isn’t scratch proof. When it does get scratched, under a raked light it looks just like a scratch in plastic. If your table is even remotely new, it is most likely covered in polyurethane. If it has received any abuse at all, I’m sure you have scratches on it too. Just look at it with under raked light (strong light from the side). You’ll see them. So, while, if done correctly, it can be made to look almost natural, as soon as a few scratches get on it, it looks like plastic.
I don’t want a thick glossy coating on my table. And I certainly don’t want it to look like scratched plastic after I beat it up over the next however many years I have it. Before polyurethane, and before shellac and varnish and all of those other chemicals, wood was finished with oil. Sometimes the oil was mixed with solvents, other times it was used pure. A very common oil in the west was Linseed Oil. However, in the east, Tung Oil was most commonly used. While quite a bit more expensive than Linseed Oil, it offers better liquids-protection, cures faster, and doesn’t darken the wood. It has recently started gaining popularity among antique refinishers in the western world.
If applied correctly, a Tung Oil finish can be made to be almost as water and stain resistant as polyurethane. However, while it does provide some abrasion protection to the wood, it doesn’t even come close to polyurethane. However, in my case, and most likely in the case of many other amatuer furniture builders, I know the damage is coming. So, instead of trying to create a layer of "plastic" on top of my wood to damage, that will eventually have to be stripped off and replaced, I’d prefer to have an easy method of incorporating new damages into the "distressed" look of my table. And and Oil finish is perfect for this.
An Oil finish does have its disadvangates. The biggest of which is that it requires quite a bit more maintenance than polyurethane does. It needs to be lightly reoiled once a year. Even more often if it is in frequent use like a table top. However, this doesn’t really scare me off. I love working with wood. I find it theraputic and relaxing. I don’t mind breaking out some Tung Oil once a year and giving the table a nice rub down.
Another disadvantage to polyurethane is its application. Your finish will only be as smooth as your wood, so you must sand very well. Additionally, you must have a fairly dust free environment. Any dust that falls on the table while the finish is curing (about 12-24 hours per coat) will be incorporated into it. The more dust you get, the muddier your finish will look. You need to be certain you have a good brush to apply it with. Any loose bristles that come out of the brush during application will be caught in the surface forever. Drips and runs on vertical surfaces also pose a problem. You must be certain that everything goes on perfectly and smoothly. If you mess up, you have very little time to correct your mistake before you work is permanently damaged. An Oil finish, on the other hand, is just rubbed on. If you mess up, you just start over. If you want to make it shinier, just add more coats. The oil isn’t toxic (unless cut with solvents) so you can apply it in place if you’re careful not to drip the oil on the ground. If you want to remove it, just use mineral spirits.
So, with all of those options, I opted to use a Tung Oil Finish. It certainly wasn’t the "easiest" route, nor was it the most protective, but it was the method that would look the best, allow for mistakes in the application, and be flexible enough to allow touch up work whenever I felt like it.