Sanding – depending on how rustic the surface is, take a coarse piece of sandpaper and set to work, following the grain of the wood. A sanding block is useful for this and will save your hands a lot of work (or an electric sander if you have one). Once you have sanded all over the surface with the coarse sand paper, repeat using medium, and possibly fine sandpaper until it’s as smooth as you want it. The wood I am working on is so rustic that I don’t expect to make it perfectly even after sanding, so sand as much or as little as you want to.
Oiling – Oiling the wood will make it water resistant and stop water marks appearing so easily. Make sure the surface is now clean and dust free having sanding it. Using a clean cloth or brush, apply an even coat of danish oil to the surface. (There are many different makes of danish oil, which you can buy in any DIY shop). Wipe off any excess oil with a cloth and leave to dry. Apply a further two coats of danish oil. You will notice that the second and third coats do not soak in quite as much as the first, which is normal as the wood is absorbing the oil.
Waxing – when the final coat of oil is dry, rub over the surface lightly with wire wool. Many different types of furniture wax are available from DIY stores, and most will contain natural beeswax. You can either choose a clear or neutral wax, or a tinted one e.g. antique pine, medium oak. Apply at least two even coats of wax using a cloth or wire wool, allowing each coat to dry before reapplying. Buff the final coat to a sheen using a soft cloth.