What's the best method for applying Osmo?

There are many different ways of applying Osmo hardwax oil that can work well. Each has its own fans. The basic concept is to apply the Osmo thinly and evenly along the wood grain in just the right quantity to enhance the wood and protect it. Not so much that you create a sticky mess that you have to remove, and not so little that you have dry patches or insufficient protection.

What is the right amount? For “high traffic” areas - that is, floors that will be walked upon or horizontal surfaces that will be graced with coffee cups, pasta sauce, soda spills, etc. - protection is key. A decorative box or bookshelf will see less scuffing and food mess, so will not need the protection of a high traffic area.

Typically 2 coats of Osmo are desirable for finishing. But the amount of Osmo that will be applied using this “2 coats” calculation can vary significantly depending upon the method of application, so in fact a third coat might be worthwhile. Beyond this point, additional coats may not even be able to penetrate the wood, so they are not recommended.

Application methods could include:

• Rags:
  Advantages - Inexpensive and easy to use. Can be used with a variety of complex shapes, such as carved chair legs.
  Disadvantages - Requires elbow grease. Amount of Osmo that is applied is probably the lowest for all methods, so for high traffic areas, more than 2 coats might be necessary. Remember to use lint-free rags only and to dispose of oil-soaked rags safely.
• Osmo Easy Pads:
  Advantages - Easy to use. Definitely lint-free, unlike some mystery rags. Can be used with a variety of complex shapes, such as carved chair legs.
  Disadvantages - Requires elbow grease. Amount of Osmo that is applied is among the lowest for all methods, so for high traffic areas, more than 2 coats might be necessary. Remember to dispose of oil-soaked Easy Pads safely.
• Non-abrasive white pad:
  Advantages - Inexpensive and easy to use. Can be used with a variety of complex shapes, such as carved chair legs. Most significant advantage: the pads really push the Osmo into the wood’s pores, burnishing the wood a bit as your work. You can cut up a standard sheet into several smaller size pads, making the cost even more economical.
  Disadvantages - Requires elbow grease. Amount of Osmo that is applied is lower than that of a brush, so more than 2 coats might be necessary.
• Natural bristle paint brush:
  Advantages - Can be used with a variety of shapes. Familiar. May be most ergonomically easy for vertical surfaces. Doesn’t require much elbow grease. Will encourage the use of plenty of the product for protection. But you really do need to push the product into the wood.
  Disadvantages - Way too easy to put too much product on the wood. You should not see any brush strokes - if you do, you’re applying the Osmo too thickly.
• Foam brush:
  Advantages - Can be used with a variety of shapes. Familiar. Doesn’t require much elbow grease. Will encourage the use of plenty of the product for protection. Cheap.
  Disadvantages - Way too easy (even more so than the bristle brush) to put too much product on the wood.
• Osmo microfiber roller with very thin nap:
  Advantages - Allows you to work swiftly and with some discipline you can get just the right amount of Osmo finish onto the wood. (Don’t even think about using a regular paint roller with a shaggy nap - it’s not appropriate for Osmo or other oil finishes.)
  Disadvantages - Somewhat easy to put excess on the wood. Not good for any surface that isn’t straight and simple. Not as inexpensive as the other methods.
• Trowel or scraper
  Advantages - Allows you to work swiftly and get thin layers down. Check out some YouTube videos of people working with a ballet-like grace. Osmo’s own scraper is by far the best of this kind.
  Disadvantages - Not good for any surface that isn’t straight and simple. The Osmo scraper is expensive.
• Bristle floor brush:
  Advantages - Tends to use the right amount of material. Pushes the Osmo finish into the wood pores.
  Disadvantages - For comfort, you need the telescopic handle combo. On the expensive side.
• Osmo Application Fleece:
  Advantages - Feels comfortable to use with either the Hand Pad Holder or on its own.
  Disadvantages - Osmo mainly encourages it for the second coat only, not the initial coat, and doesn’t recommend it at all for thinner products like the Wood Wax Finish Extra Thin 1101.

What’s the best way? Our own preference is the white non-abrasive pad. Use it for application, wipe down and reapplication. If you want to do some scuff sanding between coats, we recommend the gray pad, the next least abrasive. But each method listed above can work very satisfactorily if you watch out for the potential pitfalls. Bonus: You can also affix the white pad onto a random orbital sander or buffer and buff the Osmo into the wood. And here’s a YouTube video from New Brit Workshop that tests a few methods and really ends up advocating for a wipedown with a white pad between coats regardless of the method of application.

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