This is my first post here (thanks Robert for helping me sign in), but I've been lurking over this forum for years.
I've just bought a vintage wooden tub washer. Not as "vintage" as it looks, it was made in 1986. This was a fairly common model here in Brazil, and a replica with a plastic tub inside of a wooden body is still being made ( loja.wanke.com.br/produto/lavado... ), although I had never seen one with a wooden agitator before and that's what made me buy it.
It had been dry for years and leaked like a sieve when I first filled it but after a couple hours with water it was almost completely watertight.
It was originally varnished on the inside and out, there are still remains of the old finish, but I'm not completely sure about how to refinish it. I don't want to take it apart, just make it look better when dry, so I'm thinking about just applying furniture wax to the outside. Is it ok to not have the interior varnished?
When searching for maintenance on wooden barrels and buckets, most sources refer to wine or whiskey barrels, so most recommendations for sealing include wax. Since a washer doesn't need to be food grade, can I just use silicone on the last small leaks?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. The washer is in my grandparents house right now and I'll post more detailed pictures when I have a chance over the weekend.
Comes to the Rescue!
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