I've been reworking a 6"x6" 'dorff lensboard and I've forgotten how much fun it can be to see one of these things "come to life" after a bit of tlc.
Anyway after the repairs were made the finish was looking a bit worried so I gently sanded it down to bare wood, finishing with #600 wet and dry when it occurred to me I didn't have any lacquer or varnish handy but I did have tung oil left over from another project. So far I've got the first coat on and after I find the steel wool (where does this stuff hide?) and buff it I'll continue with a 2nd and 3rd coat and top it off with Butcher's Wax.
It just occurred to me that there are many here far more accomplished at woodworking than I, so I wanted to ask what finished they prefer to use on wooden lensboards?
I have used spar varnish in the past but tung oil now seems much more pleasant to work with. If the repairs leave the board scarred with epoxy or if it is a generic plywood I'll paint it a satin black and leave it at that but some of the boards I've restored have such beautiful grain---especially the 'dorffs---it seems criminal to cover it up. I know many people might recommend Varathane or other synthetic finishes.
So.
What finishes do you use on lensboards and why?
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