Hi all -I've just purchased an Ikea Hammarp birch butcher block and I'd like to make it into a wall to wall desk. I'm handy with building things, but I've never refinished wood, so I'd really like this reddit's advice. My goal is for finishes similar to these options. I love the rich, warm, and slightly golden/honeyed/yellowish colors.My questions are:What finish can I use to go from light birch to the above pictures?What finish is best for a desktop? I'll be setting papers on it, putting a computer monitor on it, etc.. I've read that some oil finish can still soak into pages left on a butcher block weeks after finishing, so I'm trying to avoid that.Any additional advice?I've searched around for people with similar goals, but haven't found anything yet. Most people stain it to a darker color, or keep it light. So I'm at a loss of how to go from light birch to these colors. I've read up on tung oil, danish oil, poly, Waterlox, etc, and about people's issues with finishing birch. I'm starting to wonder if I'm going down the wrong path with an oil finish and instead a stain is the way to go.Thanks in advance for all your help! via /r/DIY http://ift.tt/2sxShMc
