Help with outdoor furniture oil, por favor!

[Former Workshop member]

I'm not sure I've done the right thing, at all.

I ordered a fold up outdoor table in acacia wood to use as a potting bench. The blurb on the table said it had been oil finished, and so I'm waiting for it to arrive.

Then I went along and bought Bondall monocel furniture oil, because I couldn't find plain old tung oil which was what I wanted, and all the other things were hybrid oils, coloured, blah blah, things I didn't want. Take note Bunnings - I want a plain tin of tung oil on the shelf in plain sight amongst the wood finishes, in future.

The bondall seems pretty good with UV absorbers, etc etc - but then I panicked thinking that this thing may have been finished with one of these hybrid oils or whatnot and be incompatible with the bondall.

So does anyone have any experience with going over pre-oiled furniture? Most of the manufacturers now cut costs, and an oily rag gets waved about in the room and we call it oil finished. I can't get any info from the manufacturer other than that it's been done, so I'm left wondering about the compatibility - I just do not have time to sand it all back etc etc because of an equipment dearth. I'm sure as heck not doing it by hand!

Any advice? could I just wipe it down with turps before I oil, and hope for the best? I've only dealt with raw timber, or something I've finished myself before..

[Mathy]

@Former Workshop member You’ll find plain Tung Oil in the bay that has the flooring finishes in it - this should be located in the same aisle as the other woodcare finishes. They sell 1L and 4L tins, hope this helps.

In general, you shoudn’t have caused yourself a problem if the original finish was oil-based and the Bondall (from memory) is. Worst that can happen is your Bondall is going to sit on the surface and sulk because there’s nowhere for it to go.

cheers Deb

[Former Workshop member]

Ah! Thanks for that!
ok... well we must have been blind, cuz we didn't see it and we combed all the aisles! - then again, our local is notoriously small and poorly stocked. I think I'll stick with the bondall after what I've read about UV inhibitors - would have had the same issue with the tung if they've used something funny... I'm just gonna suck it and see.
No-one seems to have any experience with this situation re factory finishes, and I want it fully protected as I'll be potting on it. If it was a general table I would have let it weather a bit, anyway.
Reckon I'll wipe it down with turps first, and hope for the best. Do a patch test underneath. Just reluctant to have wasted the purchase if it doesn't work out. Good excuse to make some exterior wood pieces, though.
Thanks again!

[MartyH]

@Former Workshop member 

Here you go - https://www.bunnings.com.au/feast-watson-1l-tung-oil_p1571723

[Brad]

Bondall has a fair amount of white spirit in it so turps may not be needed.

[Former Workshop member]

Thanks @MartyH - that's what we were looking for... our local store shows as out of stock, so no wonder...
Thanks @Brad - good to know!
Upon investigation, I have lots of nice bits of timber off pallets from furniture and kitchen cupboards etc, from when we built - I'm gonna make some planter boxes, so at least the bondall won't be wasted if it doesn't penetrate through whatever the factory has done.

[Former Workshop member]

So the worst has happened and not too bad #firstworldproblems... lol.
The factory finish was ok in itself, but someone at the factory, who shall remain forever nameless in the underworld, has put their mucky hands all over it. It looks like some sort of weird putty or liquid nails type stuff. SO glad I put it on the bottom first. Trouble was, this stuff was pretty much invisible until the bondall went on.
Grrrrh Arrrgh.
So now I have to waste time sanding the top. We're trying to get a rental property ready and I just don't have time and energy for this BS. Tempted to just paint with whatever colour exterior enamel I have to hand - but bought it precisely because the oiled wood is easy to refinish, considering I'll be dragging pots across etc.
Again #first world problems, but honestly, this is why I hate buying anything these days - always made in some tin-pot country that couldn't keep a standard to save their lives.
If I'd had the time, I WOULD have made the @#$%@#&%# thing.
And it's no different if you buy something expensive and supposedly better quality - just the same rubbish, unless you're Billy Gates and can spend $50,00 dollars on a chair without thinking twice.
End of Rant.
Sorry. Lesson Learnt. Don't buy it if you can make it. 🤣🤣🤣