On 6 Sep, 20:00, Bill wrote:

So, is there any view on what is likely to work best in a house? Much
info on the 'net seems to say that some sort of oil would be
appropriate,

I finish a lot of oak as interior trim. Generally I'm aiming for a
1900s American Arts & Crafts finish (Stickley et al) so I begin by
ammonia fuming it (dead easy) to a mid-brown. Then I usually finish
it with oil and then shellac. The oil is Liberon, a commercial pre-
thinned tung oil. Don't even think about linseed. The shellac is
Screwfix's button shellac, as that's cheap and decent quality. It's
best dewaxed first by letting it stand for a week first and then using
the clearer top two-thirds. Keep the waxy stuff as sanding sealer.
Apply with a 3/4" synthetic bristle artist's watercolour paintbrush
first, then use a rubber if you prefer. I wouldn't french polish oak
though.

I generally dislike varnish. I don't bother using nice timber just to
make it look like plastic. However if finger wear is likely (a
mantelpiece before a real fire) then I do use two coats (no more) of
"Patina", a gel polyurethane that's applied on a cloth. Screwfix used
to sell it, but now you have to be near Liverpool to find it. Funny
really - gel polys are popular in the US but unheard of here.