I'll peface by saying I don't know much about oil finishes (actual oils not oil based like Poly). For those who have used the SurFix , how do the oils themselves compare to other brands on the market? Would you choose them  for reasons other than the application method?


Seth

Anyone have any thoughts on this?


Seth

I am interested in hearing from anyone on this topic too -- thanks for posting it, Seth.  The applicator looks slick (no pun intended) and if the finish holds up well to various work, then I would be inclinded to give it a go.  I pretty much only use oil finishes on my work so this is pretty appealing.

Scot

I wasn't at all impressed and sold my surfix kit on ebay probably to some other sap who, like me, was taken in by the festool name. As timtool pointed out in his review, which I have just skimmed through, you need quite a lot of oil just to load the sponge and it is useless for anything other than a large flat surface. Try doing the sides or top of a carcase or the edges and you get into all sorts of mess. Also as timtool noted, after anymore than 24hrs you have to replace the foam pad as the metal box to store it in isn't airtight. In fact the tin is so flimsy - of similar thickness to a coke can - it distorts just opening and closing it. I've also heard of people having trouble with the festool oil not going off fully and leaving a tacky mess. Don't be taken in like I was thinking that you were getting a quality piece of German engineering - I will stick with osmo polyx applied with a brush or 4" microfibre roller and ragged off with paper wipes as this is a more tried and trusted method.

Im curious how long/ effective  the Exterior Surfix oil lasts before recoat. I got a out door project to do ( a gate) and want a easy oil finish that I dont have to fool with every year or so.

Festool make the very best woodworking tools in the world - they do not make oil. Osmo make the best oil finishes in the world - they do not make woodworking tools and f they did make just one tool it would be rubbish.

The Surfix concept is brilliant but it would be better if Festool did a deal with Osmo and dropped their current oils. In the meantime, keep buying the fabulous Festool tools and get your oils from Osmo.

Peter

I stopped using the surfix system, for me it doesn't fit in my workflow as well as a regular can of oil applied with a brush.
The applicator in my eyes was the weakest point of it all, the sponge is basically for 1 use and then throw away because it hardens. So that is the first part i abandoned, then i just used the bottles to squeeze the oil out and wipe with a rag, very messy.
Now i'm just using osmo oil with a brush, goes faster and works cleaner. And if you put the brush in spirits you can can keep using it forever.

The surfix is ideal for those oiling kitchen worktops on site and such, it's not for big jobs or frequent use i think.

I don't see why other oils couldn't be used with the surfix applicator.  I have tried out the Surfix on a number of projects and found the applicator specifically likes flat surfaces. I also found three light coats works best for me.

Kevin

i pretty much only use oil, i really like the one step oil. The applicator is killer it really makes it very easy and clean

if the sponge is kept in a ziplock type bag and the air excluded the sponge will be good for  six months plus

Have you tried this for a long period - my experience with oil finishes is that they will damage a plastic bag if left in contact for a long time.

Peter

This is brilliant - I will do this from now on. About a year ago I experimented by putting my brushes in some snappy wrappy (cling film to ordinary mortals) and also in a plastic bag from a supermarket. Neither method worked beyond a few days and the plastic bag (which I forgot about) had deteriorated and after 3 months I had to throw the whole lot away.

Great - many thanks.

Peter

i've put a little plastic sheet as a liner in the base of the can and had the Surfix oils last a few weeks, no problem.
the same trick with osmo did not work as well (maybe i got a day or two?), the problem is that the osmo just dries too quickly. i guess i could try a ziplock...
in my experience linseed oil, which is the primary ingredient in the surfix, takes a particularly long time compared to other oils to dry/cure, so this helps with storage.

i use osmo in the empty surfix applicators and it works fine, you just might use up a few more sponges due to storage.
there's quite a bit of pushing the applicator around for large wood surfaces and this can get tedious, so i plan to change up to a very large sponge or similar for jobs with a lot of surface area.
but for medium, small jobs the surfix thingy works great and quickly, with either oil. nice for inside corners and panel edges too. when its about 3/4 empty, it can get very hard to squeeze the finish out- i refill early and it makes it much easier.