Best finish for end table?

[Joe Shinall]

I am making an end table of Curly Maple and African Mahogany. I would like some ideas on finishes and finishing techniques for it. Obviously it needs to be durable in case something spills on it.

I know this will spark different ideas but looking for some people who agree on something nice.

This is my first project using Curly maple. Really my first project using anything besides poplar and oak.

[Quinn McCarthy]

Joe,

There are tons of good durable finishes out there. If you prefer water base Fuhr and Target make great finishes. Most high end finishes are liquid and chemical resistant. To make the grain on the maple come alive you will need some dye. Transtint dyes are one of the best. Some people like boiled linseed oil or shellac. The best way to get it dialed in is on test pieces. That way you can experiment and get the look you want. Some people like filling the pores on mahogany. I never have just sprayed the raw wood.

Get Jeff Jewitt's book Great wood finishes. It is a great reference. He explains all the different finishes available.

Hope that helps.

Quinn

[Prashun Patel]

I humbly disagree that you 'need' dye to make the grain pop. You do need amber color, but you can get that from oil (BLO) or amber shellac.

Consider BLO followed by shellac or an oil varnish.

Beware that by 'grain popping' you will make yr piece amber in hue.

If you wish to use waterbased topcoats, then you can either
a) BLO, shellac, then use a waterbased topcoat like Target's USL (how has a different name).
b) Aniline dye followed by the water top.

[Matt Day]

How do you prefer to apply the finish? Wipe, brush, or spray?

I don't have a spray setup yet, so I've been brushing on Waterlox and am happy with the results.

[Tony Bilello]

I humbly disagree that you 'need' dye to make the grain pop. You do need amber color, but you can get that from oil (BLO) or amber shellac.....

I agree with Shawn. You can get the same effect with any finish that has an amber tint to it including lacquer, poly, etc. With certain products, the term "Water White" is used. This implies NO amber tint. The amber tint to the finish is usually just stated as 'Clear'. This goes back to the days when just about everything was ambered and "Water White" was the unusual and was special ordered.
The slightly ambered tint to the finish is usually the desired finish on wood. Without the ambering, woods like red oak and maple would look lifeless. About the only time you want "water white" is when you have a painted color on the surface and the ambering would change the color.

[Prashun Patel]

This is all just personal preference from a hobbyist:

I prefer to wipe oil-based varnishes, including Waterlox. I prefer thin coats, and many of them. More control, less fuss, just more time.

I prefer to spray shellac or waterbased on broad surfaces.

Brushing is fine - especially with a brush-friendly product like Waterlox, but then you don't have too much control of the depth of finish.

[Joe Shinall]

I have an HVLP system so I can spray. I have never sprayed before so I would try it on a test piece first. I've always hand rubbed, not a big brushing fan.

I was looking at Waterlox or Target, never used Shellac or BLO but was looking into that as well. I just want something to be very durable and make the woods look good too.

[Scott Holmes]

Wipe-on Waterlox is hard to beat, both in looks and durabilty.

[Joe Shinall]

Scott, I think that is the way I am going to go with. I see they have a few different products though. Do I want the Waterlox original sealer and finish? The wife wants a pretty glossy finish. She's big on gloss.

[Prashun Patel]

I say go for the Waterlox "Original Sealer and Finish" - the red one. It starts off glassy, but mellows over the weeks into something a little north of semigloss, but south of garishly glossy.

[Joe Shinall]

I say go for the Waterlox "Original Sealer and Finish" - the red one. It starts off glassy, but mellows over the weeks into something a little north of semigloss, but south of garishly glossy.

Love the way you described that. Exactly what I was looking for!

[Scott Holmes]

The Waterlox Sealer is nothing more than the GLoss thinned to be a wiping varnish.

If she want GLOSS go for the Waterlox Original Gloss thin it about 10% or so to get it to flow out from a brush or mix it 40% with MS to wipe it on.

Trust me on these points:

1. If she wants gloss, do gloss. you can always knock the shine down if she dosen't like it.
2. If at any time she says "that's perfect, I love it" YOU ARE DONE!
3. For a truly perfect gloss finish (on a table top) the surface must be FLAT. Flat and smooth are not the same. ROS add undulations to the table top; use sanding blocks to make it FLAT.

[Joe Shinall]

Oh yeah, she gets what she wants. I was eying that Waterlox Original Gloss down on their site. I'm thinking I'm gonna buy both and try the Sealer on a test piece and try the Gloss thinned %40 with MS on another piece. I like to wipe, I have just never got a good finish from a brush.

I didn't know that about the ROS. When you say sanding blocks, do you mean the foam blocks? Or do you mean a sanding block that you put sandpaper in?

[Scott Holmes]

Why buy both the Sealer is the same finish; the manufacturer aded the MS why pay them to do it.

As for the proper wipe-on technique...

Thin the varnish about 50/50 with mineral spirits (Waterlox may only need to be thinned 40% MS) Wipe it on like the kid wipes the table at the fast food joint. You want it evenly damp with finish; your end table top should take 2 minutes tops.

Let it dry, say 1 hour or so it should be dry to the touch; if not give it time so when you touch a knuckle to it, it's not sticky. Repeat with wipe-on coat #2. Let dry. Repeat with wipe-on coat #3. LEAVE IT overnight.

WATERLOX is a slow dring varnish these steps with other vrnishes can be done in 45 minutes or so.

Repeat the next day or night. 3 wipe-on coats equals one properly applied brush on coat. For a coffee table or end table I'd say not less than 3 brush on coats or 9 wipe-on coats. It will still take 3 days no matter how you apply it.

It is OK to brush on the first coat, let it dry over night, then brush on second coat and let dry 2 days, then wipe-on the last 3 coats. Then give it a month to fully cure. Now if you want it to really shine, buff it.

NOTE: buff AFTER waiting a month for it to cure.

[Joe Shinall]

Oh okk, sorry I didn't read your first post right I guess about the 2 Waterlox finishes.

Thanks for the technique instructions. I really needed that breakdown as I am trying to hone in my finishing skills ALOT!

I am quite patient when it comes to waiting for things to dry. Humidity is horrible down here in Savannah Ga so if something says wait an hour, hour turns into half a day at the least.

Luckily sometimes I can talk the wife into letting me finish in the office instead of the garage. Especially when it's something she really wants