An oiled table is not finished the day it leaves the workshop. It is finished a little more every year, by the people who eat at it.
Every day
Wipe it with a damp cloth and dry it. That is all. No spray polish: the silicone in it sits on the oil and makes the next coat slide off.
Rings and marks
A white ring from a hot mug is moisture under the oil. Leave it a day; most go by themselves. If one stays, rub it gently along the grain with a little oil on a cloth and it will lift.
A scratch in an oiled table is a repair of five minutes. A scratch in a lacquered one is a visit from us.
Once a year
Clear the table, wipe it clean and let it dry. Put a thin coat of hard wax oil on with a cloth, working along the grain, and wipe off everything that has not soaked in after ten minutes. Leave it overnight.
What we use
The same hard wax oil we finish with. Every table goes home with a tin of it and a cloth, enough for about five years.
