Info on our finishes

Oiled and waxed finish;

What can you buy these days that will last for hundred years or more ? when you think about it there's not much really, jewelery perhaps.

An oiled finished Eclipse dining table will, in fact there's no reason why it won't last longer than a hundred years. There are two reasons why I say this, the first is because of the tough, dense Australian hardwood timbers that we use and the second reason is because of the natural finish.

The oiled and waxed finish on an Eclipse table, provided it has been maintained, will last as long as the table does and will even look better in a hundred years because the wear and tear factor will not detract from it's appearance, over the years it will develop a beautiful patina that can only be created by many years of constant family use and basic care.

A coated finish, no matter how good it is, will progressively suffer from marking and general wear and tear and will eventually begin to break down due exposure to uv light to the point where the whole table will require stripping off and refinishing. It's a bit like buying a new car, the day you take delivery is the best that it's ever going to look, unless you keep in the garage the whole time.

We finish our tables in a 100% natural oil and wax, all ingredients are plant or animal derivative. The table will require some on going maintenance throughout it's life, oil or wax will need to be applied periodically to keep the surface impervious to moisture. It's a bit like owning a pair of quality boots that have been well worn and polished every now and then over the years, you will appreciate and love them a lot more in say seven or eight years time. It's important to note however that it won't be a disaster if this ongoing maintenance is not done for an extended period of time, it will just mean that certain remedial action will be required to bring the surface back to good condition and all of this is very achievable by any able bodied person.

A natural product deserves a natural finish.

With every table purchased, customers receive a complete after care kit with a nourishment product, fine steel wool and instructions on how to look after it.

Our Lacquered Finish:

Having sung the praises of our oiled finish as highly as I have above, I'm also the first to admit that an oiled finish doesn't suit everyone. If you want to buy a beautiful table that has no ongoing maintenance because you're either way too busy or you simply can't be bothered with oiling or waxing a table or the table won't be used on a daily basis then by all means go for our hard wearing, scratch resistant two pack lacquered finish, it will still last for many years depending on the type and extent of use.

It is important to be aware of the fact that there different types of lacquers being used on furniture out in the wide market , put very simply there single pack lacquers and there two pack lacquers which have a hardener added to them before they're applied. To the untrained eye they will look much the same and in many cases the sales person selling a mass produced item of furniture may not even be aware of what type of lacquer has been used on something they're selling. But be rest assured the difference will be very obvious given a year or two of use, especially with dining tables.