Wood Oiling
How to Prepare a Wooden Surface Before Oiling
Oiling woodwork is for protecting the wood and for enhancing the natural grain of the surface. It gives the wooden surfaces a natural sheen and texture and makes the grains stand out. Wood oiling is widely used for a variety of high-end finish applications, such as maintenance of countertops, oiling furniture, refinishing kitchen countertops and recoating old surfaces.
Before, in-between and after the oiling, you need to ensure that the wood has been properly sanded. Mirka offers a wide range of sanding solutions to prepare the wood before oiling.
- Prior to oiling, the wood is sanded with correct grit, which results in an excellent finish.
- The special structure of the abrasives ensures a long lifetime together with safer sanding.
The process of wood oiling
How to Prepare the Surface
Sand the wooden surface with either Mirka Abranet ® or Mirka® Galaxy abrasives up to P150 with a Mirka ® DEROS or Mirka ® LEROS-S electric sander.
Abranet features a net structure instead of the conventional paper backing. This results in extremely efficient on-tool dust removal that improves both the work quality and the working environment. Most oiled surfaces are hardwood, and exposure to hardwood dust is hazardous for your health. By using a dust-free sanding solution such as Abranet, you can reduce exposure to harmful sanding dust. The benefits of dust-free sanding aren’t just improved health and reduced risks, but also a better surface finish.
Note: We recommend using Abranet on untreated wood surfaces. There is a risk of clogging if it is used on already oiled wood. Since Abranet is a net product, we, therefore recommend it to be used in case the wooden surface doesn’t have cutouts and sharp corners.
Galaxy combines effectiveness with long life, thanks to a new self-sharpening ceramic grain and a clogging resistant coating. The ceramic grains of Galaxy are engineered to stay sharp, as new abrasive edges are formed when they break down during the sanding process, enabling Galaxy to continue cutting – from edge to edge.
The edge wear resistance of Galaxy is perfect for challenging wooden surfaces in terms of cutouts and sharp corners. We recommend using Galaxy if the wooden surface is already oiled and the purpose is maintaining the surface.
Overall, it is important not to sand with too fine grits, because this closes fibers in the wood which results in the oil or wax not penetrating into the surface. We recommend using P120-150 grit for surfaces such as flooring and P150-180 grit for finer surfaces such as furniture, depending on guidance from the oil manufacturer.
Please always follow the oil or wax manufacturer’s recommendations.
Wood oiling
Oiling With High-End Result
Apply oil with a pad (instead of using a brush)
- The oil or wax can be applied directly onto the wooden surface with an oiling pad instead of a brush. Mirka's Oiling Pads are the perfect accessories for wood oiling as they don't absorb the coating material like traditional brushes or rags. By using the oiling pads either for hand sanding or together with Mirka® DEROS sander, you will get a more even spread of the wax or the oil, which will penetrate deeper into the wooden surface.
- Apply 1-4 layers of coating depending on the quality you would like to achieve. Several steps give you a finer result. We recommend you follow the instructions defined by the oil manufacturer.
- Depending on which oil manufacturer is used:
- Alternative 1: Apply oil or wax with Mirka Oiling Pads with a Mirka® Net interface on Mirka® DEROS sander. Use without dust extraction or attach a vacuum block disc for optimal oiling results.
- Alternative 2: Apply with Mirka Oiling Pads by hand.
- Process properly over the whole surface, do not let the surface dry.
- Clean the surface with a cloth.
- Apply more coating (if the manufacturer recommends).
Wood oiling
Step by Step to High-End Result
Process steps
Maintaining the wooden surface
Wood Oiling
For the wood oiling process, we recommend Mirlon Total®, which is a three-dimensional Total Coating™ fiber sanding material that is easy to use on profiled surfaces and produces a dense scratch pattern and rapid result. Mirlon Total features an open and flexible structure with strengthened fibers, which make it strong and long-lasting. Suitable for both wet and dry sanding, Mirlon Total® is ideal for matting surfaces, creating an excellent base for the next lacquer layer.
The wood oiling process is mainly about the quality of the finished surface, with better sanding finish improving durability. Done properly from the start, maintenance of your wood surface is time-saving.
Recommended products
Sustainable Woodwork Maintenance
For the perfect high-end finish, we recommend using the following Mirka products:
- Mirka ® DEROS (150mm, 125mm or 77mm depending on the size of the surface)
- Mirka ® LEROS-S (for larger surfaces)
- Mirka Oiling Pads
- Hand block
- Dust extractor
- Mirka Abranet ® or Mirka® Galaxy
- Mirka Mirlon Total®
- Microfiber cloth
- Net interface
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Why Choose Mirka?
Save time and money – You can cut costs and reduce working hours
Why Choose Mirka?
Sand and polish safely without strain – Our tools and abrasives are ergonomic, efficient, and easy to use
Why Choose Mirka?
Improve the quality of work – The finish is excellent, with less effort
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