A handmade home for woodworkers and admirers of woodworkers. Our community icon is submitted by @inquanto@lemmy.world, winner of the Christmas 2025 gift contest with a lovely series of hardwood cutting boards.
Hello everybody,
My dining table made of recycled wood need a refreshing. After planing, what finishes would you recommend? I'd like it to be easy to clean and have a matte finish.
Thanks !
You're going to want to fill and then sand that edge piece no matter what you do...
https://woodworkingadvisor.com/how-to-fill-holes-in-wood/
Once that is done, then finish it however you want. But before you start, evaluate if you want to just flip that edge board, you most likely do.
Neat bug holes. If I were you I'd get it back down to bare wood and then squirt some wood glue into the holes. Then take a putty knife or credit card and scrape/ smoosh the glue down into all the holes until it's pretty well flush. Then take some old sandpaper ( you can use a new disc/sheet but it will be gummed up after this) and start sanding with the grain. If you're using a power sander do not use dust collection. After a little sanding the holes will disappear as the sawdust and wood glue create a stainable, color matched patch. Let it sit for at least an hour but preferably overnight before finishing.
As to finishing, I pretty well use Danish oil on just about everything when I'm looking for a matte finish. 1-2 coats will leave it still feeling like wood. 3+ coats you start getting the plasticky feel as the layers build up and form a shell.
Good luck and have fun!