Wooden counter top finishing suggestions?

[Tim Thomas]

I am working on building a kitchen island that will have a wooden counter top made from hard maple. My project overseer and client (the missus) is looking for a medium-to-dark finish. And of course I want it to hold up well to kitchen abuse.

PotentialColors.jpg

The samples above I think represent the type of color I would like to get. I haven't worked with maple before, so I don't know how it takes up stain. I know when I have worked with pine I always get better results when I use a sanding sealer first to reduce blotching. Is that necessary with maple? Would you recommend a dye, gel stain, oil based, etc? Do you have experience with any particular brands that you would swear by?

For the protective coat I was just thinking of using a good polyurethane. I figure if it is good enough for bowling alleys it should hold up for our counter, but I am open to other suggestions. I have heard some good things about Behlen's Rockhard varnish, but have never used it. I'm not the most experienced finisher, so I would prefer something that is pretty foolproof to work with.

Fortunately, since this is a counter top and the bottom will not be visible, I do have plenty of surface that I can use to test out products and techniques until I get the color my wife is looking for. However, I would prefer not to buy half a dozen products and spend 2 weeks on that process. Any advice you can share would be greatly appreciated.

Final thought: the base cabinet of the island is going to be painted, and I am also making a cabinet for a wall oven that will be painted. I am planning to use a good quality 100% acrylic latex paint, but if you have any other recommendations for the paint I'm all ears on that front too.

Thanks in advance.

[Scott Holmes]

This countertop can't be used as a cutting board! If you want to use it as a cutting board skip the coloring step, skip the varnish topcoat. A knife will cut through the varnish and compromise the finish.

If you want to color it... Color the maple with a water soluble dye. No pre-stain conditioner needed.

This countertop can't be used as a cutting board!

Behlen's is better than poly, it's HARDER, more UV stable and more waterproof. Waterlox is even better than Behlen's in this application. Varnish made with Tung oil (tung oil's only real claim to fame) is more waterproof and more water vapor proof than varnish made with linseed oil.

FYI: No finish is completely waterproof. Exterior "spar" and "marine" varnishes are LESS waterproof than interior varnishes, because they are formulated to be softer and more flexible.

This countertop can't be used as a cutting board!

[Howard Acheson]

>>>> For the protective coat I was just thinking of using a good polyurethane.

The polyurethane used on most bowling alleys is not the stuff you find in the big box. It's a two part finish that is very expensive and can have some danger associated with its application. Maple is a wood that has a high propensity to color unevenly particularly if you use a pigment stain like Minwax. You will have better results if you use a water based dye stain.

Is this surface going to be used for food preparation? If so, you may be in for problems if you plan to use a stain. Knife cuts or other abrasion and dings will be readily apparent. For a surface that is going to be used for food prep, you want to use a treatment that is easily repaired and renewed. If you plan the surface just to be used temporarily to hold plates etc, then a good oil based finish would work. But no treatment will stand up to hot pots and pans or plates.

[Tim Thomas]

Thanks for the replys. For the record: I have no plans to use this counter top for food prep. No knives will touch it, and the only food that will contact it would be because of a spill. So, that said, it is looking more and more like I will probably use Waterlox for the topcoat. I've been doing some online research since my original posting this morning and found that several professional shops that make wooden counters use Waterlox to finish them. That information, combined with what Scott said pretty much seals the deal on that decision. Also, I have used Waterlox before, which makes me pretty comfortable with it. I've used it on furniture projects and I love it, but I was just using it because I like the way it looks. I didn't realize that it was so durable.

It also looks like water soluble dye is the way to go for the colorant. Does anyone have recommendations for particular brands? I live about 2 miles from a Woodcraft and can easily get anything they have in stock. I've heard good things about TransTint but have no experience with it.

So, just a couple more questions:

1) Waterlox is available in a lower VOC formula. If you have experience with both, are there any drawbacks to the low VOC stuff?

2) How do you like to apply water based dye? Mix with water (distilled?), alcohol, or directly into the Waterlox?

Thanks again for the help. This maple is the most expensive wood I've bought to date, and as you can probably tell I'm a bit anxious about not messing it up.

[Prashun Patel]

If I were you, I'd try hard to counsel yr clients against a dark color on maple. This surface will require repairs over its life. A dark color will be harder to repair. A natural color - or a wood that has the desired dark color naturally - will be easier to repair. Call me crazy, but I would finish the surface with an oil varnish and no color. Any scratches can be relatively easily sanded out and re applied. A properly ov'd wood surface will have similar stain resistance as sealed stone; that is, spill penetration will be retarded, but you always have to be careful about leaving things like red wine standing.

If you are going to use a film forming varnish, I would use the best stuff money can buy. It's been my (limited) experience that even a quality varnish eventually takes a drubbing on a counter top.

[Tim Thomas]

If I were you, I'd try hard to counsel yr clients against a dark color on maple. This surface will require repairs over its life. A dark color will be harder to repair. A natural color - or a wood that has the desired dark color naturally - will be easier to repair. Call me crazy, but I would finish the surface with an oil varnish and no color. Any scratches can be relatively easily sanded out and re applied. A properly ov'd wood surface will have similar stain resistance as sealed stone; that is, spill penetration will be retarded, but you always have to be careful about leaving things like red wine standing.

If you are going to use a film forming varnish, I would use the best stuff money can buy. It's been my (limited) experience that even a quality varnish eventually takes a drubbing on a counter top.

I agree wholeheartedly. Unfortunately, the "client" is my wife. This makes negotiations.... problematic. And I would love to have made the counter out of mahogany or something like that, but the budget won't allow it. The good news is that since it is just the counter and not the entire cabinet that I can change it out years from now if it becomes a problem (And since the counter will be at least 1.5 inches thick I could even cut it up along the glue lines and reclaim it for other projects). I really don't like to use stain in general. I like to paint cheap woods (like pine and poplar) and treat premium woods with just boiled linseed oil and wax (some Waterlox on occasion).

But, I also like learning new things related to finishing and woodworking, and water based dye is something I haven't done before. Maybe somewhere down the line I'll wish I had done the counter top differently, but if that is the case, I'll just redo it, and learn something else.

[Scott Holmes]

Woodcraft carries both TransTint and TransFast dyes. The first is liquid and is water and alcohol soluble; the latter is water soluble powder. I use both often.

The water soluble will penetrate a bit deeper and will be more colorfast. Water soluble is easier to apply by rag. It is also easier for a beginner applying dye. Alcohol dye is better sprayed and not wiped. I use TransFast then lock it in place with a light spray of dewaxed shellac. Then I can top coat with a brush, rag, or spray.

Using TransTint and then shellac (alcohol) can cause the dye to move.

As for adding color to the Waterlox... Bad idea... that creates a toner; toners are sprayed 99% of the time. Minwax doesn't agree, but then again they make Polyshades "a one step sealer, stain and finish"... yeah right! A really bad idea. Toners are great if the dry quickly and don't run or drip. Ever seen varnish dry fast? (<5 minutes)

[Tim Thomas]

Thanks everyone, and thanks especially to Scott. You really know your stuff, and judging from your user profile I'm not the only one who thinks so. This forum is so great. Where else could I get access to finishing advice from someone who writes for American Woodworker?

Based on the great advice I have received, here is my plan for finishing the maple counter tops:

1) Raise the grain with distilled water and sand it back (My tap water is very hard)
2) Application of TransFast (again, mixed with distilled water)
3) Spray with shellac to lock color
4) Multiple coats of Waterlox

All of this seems very doable to me. Nothing too far outside of what I have done before. I will be sure to post pictures when I get to this part of the project, probably in the first week of January. Thanks again!

[Scott Holmes]

I don't usually bother with raising the grain. Here's a link to an article a friend of mine wrote on pre-raising the grain.

http://www.hardwoodlumberandmore.com...The-Grain.aspx

I tried out his process and it works like a charm; I follow his advice on this matter.

[Jim Rimmer]

I am doing my first project using dye. I got the Transtint from Woodcraft. I bought 2 colors, Brown Mahogany and Dark Mission Brown. I took a sample board completely through my sanding cycle and then taped off sections for different mixtures of dye. I very carefully measured and logged the ratios and applied the dye and the finish (SealaCoat and GF ArmRSEal Varnish. I then asked LOML out to the shop, showed her the choices and without hesitation she picked the one she wanted. It is very close to the last sample in your post however it is on Honduran Mahogany. The point of this post is that if you look at the Transtint samples on line you can get a pretty good idea of what you need and then buy the dyes, experiment (but keep good records) and you won't have to spend a tremendous amount of money. I ended up using only the Brown Mahogany dye but will use the other on future projects.

This step outside my comfort zone in finishing is based on lots of good advice from Sawmill Creek. Good luck with your project.

[Howard Acheson]

>>>> Waterlox for the topcoat.

Waterlox Original is an excellent choice. It's not only very durable, it is one of the most water and water-vapor resistant finishes. The Sealer/Finish is already thinned for wiping. Both the Gloss and the Satin can be thinned to be used as a wiping varnish.

[Tim Thomas]

I don't usually bother with raising the grain. Here's a link to an article a friend of mine wrote on pre-raising the grain.

http://www.hardwoodlumberandmore.com...The-Grain.aspx

I tried out his process and it works like a charm; I follow his advice on this matter.

Your friend makes a compelling argument. Since I'm testing out the finish on the underside of the counter anyway, I think I will try one patch with the pre-raising and another without. I'm betting your friend is right though, his argument makes complete sense. And if it saves me a day on my finishing schedule, I'm all for it!

[Henry Ambrose]

It really is OK to add color to Waterlox. Typical oil based stains are compatible - try a test for yourself to see what it looks like. Longterm, its better than mixing finishes as you mention in your finishing schedule. (stain, shellac, topcoats) If you ever need to patch in to repair damage you're going to have trouble if you've used multiple finishes. Maple is hard and won't need filling and won't take much finish in the wood, it'll mostly sit on top, but if you've put your color in the first coat the color will be as deep in the wood and integral to the wood and topcoats as you can make it. Just mix some stain in the first coat of Waterlox and then add as many topcoats of unstained Waterlox as needed. Let each coat dry well before adding the next coat. If you've got time give it 4 days or even a week between each coat.