Morris Minor Owners Club

hi
what finnish is best for the wood on a traveller thats used rain or shine?

All of the Travellers I've owned had just been finished in a good quality yacht varnish.

Danish oil and repeat periodicaly it doesnt trap moisture in.

i thought that too but then i read that some people use teak oil or danish oil because water can get out or something ?

Danish oil all the time, it allows the wood breath and doesn't trap moisture it seals it from water/moisture getting in but allows it to escape. Varnish is hard and seals the wood thus trapping water/moisture in which is what you don't want.

Danish oil is very good! But is certainly not recommended by specialist Traveller restorers because it has no UV protection! And of course the sun does as much damage, if not more than the rain. There are oils that are recommended but not Danish oil.
Yacht varnish! Good until the damp gets under, and it will. Mine is varnished, kept in a large garage, but over winter condensation has found its way in through a small pinhole and spread under the varnish to make an ugly 2in circle of a nasty damp patch. I will have to rub down to the wood let it thoroughly dry and try to get rid of the patch!
It is difficult to recommend which is best varnish or oil. Oil has not yet seen the test of time! But I have seen wood that has been varnished every two years or so and looked after, still in excellent condition after 50 years plus!
So you just pays your money and takes your chance.
Regards ........... Peter

So what oils are recommended !?

Oil would be my choice - for me a better way of keeping the water out. Let's be honest, its almost impossible to be able to seal the whole frame and keep it sealed. The rear window runners for starters are notorious water traps, especially when the drain holes in the waist rail get blocked up and when folks forget to clear them regularly. Look from the underside and you'll see them!!

Unless you are going to take the rear windows out every year and apply a fresh coat - over time it will let water in. I used all types of yacht/marine varnish on my traveller and, whilst it looked really nice, it was a b****er to keep on top of all the areas where the water had got underneath. Oil is more protective because it soaks into the wood and allows the passage of moisture out. Whichever you choose, keeping on top of the condition of the wood is one of the 'joys' of having a woody. make sure you get yourself a quality brush and make light sanding and then oiling/varnishing the wood an annual job. Throughout the year, fix any areas where you can see the water has made in-roads rather than wait for it to get worse.

My only plea would be whetever you do don't use a dark stain - never really liked the look of the ash stained to look like something it isn't and IMHO, I don't think any traveller looks right with dark wood. I always think someone is trying to hide something when I see it!

Thanks but being a complete noob what type of oil should I use?

Edward.21 wrote:Thanks but being a complete noob what type of oil should I use?

Owatrol oil available from traveller timbers I believe. I use this with a saturator it takes twelve or sodays to do the job as per instructions but the result is great.. It has the benefit of providing uv protection too.

Just phone traveller timbers they will advise this treatment .

There's a useful 'sticky' at the top of this forum 'traveller preparation for woodwork restoration' which describes the various options / methods available for wood treatment: http://www.mmoc.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=14856