Protecting Oak window frames and door

[danjennings1958]

Hello - first post here looking for some advice?

We have a 15th Century house in suffolk recently sanded back many years of dark stain to reveal some really rather nice oak window frames and a reasonable door, albeit a bit hobbled together, its looking a lot better after removing the dark stain, as you can see in the picture.
Wede like to keep the lighter colour, which is even lighter after sanding starting at 40 grades, then 80, 120 and 240 sandpaper.
as far as protecting it is concerned were looking for something that wont darken the wood at all.
ive tried a sample patch using tung oil but it looks terrible.

Any suggestions please?

[CliffordPope]

If those windows and the door are really 15th century then they seem to have lasted well . I'd use whatever they used.

[danjennings1958]

Sorry should have explained, the house is 15th century the windows are nicely made, oak framed, leaded, properly made but modernish - maybe 30-40 years old, can only guess knowing some of the house history and its owners, last used was a dark stain of some sort that sanded off quite easily, almost like a dust. The lighter oak looks better, even if some would say its not in keeping, with the period and it brightened the whole house front up, its that i dont want to loose.
Im thinking a wax and shellac mix, or wax and turpentine, or a water based varnish, but thought id throw my questions on here first.

[steveb]

Decent raw linseed oil will add an orange tint. Or do nothing, let them go grey.

I would tend towards the latter, but it's not everyone's taste. Here is our on our last house , oak and originally coated with linseed but then neglected. You can see them greying at the bottom part

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[danjennings1958]

thanks for your response, its appreciated not sure ill leave it as personally i feel darkened, what is in effect water damaged oak looks awful, sorry no offence meant.

Im moving toward a water based satin or dead flat varnish, ill do a few trials and maybe post results here.

My builder who has had years of old oak frames etc, suggested wax and shellac mixture, so may try a sample area of that too, but the clocks ticking for a decent weather window before it gets damp and wet.

[Zebra]

Wax and shellac sounds like a better idea than a water based varnish because it will to some extent soak into and feed the wood, whereas a water based varnish will form a film and sit on top, meaning that with any cracks due to weathering, water will get in.