Ball point proof a cherry table top/desk

[Judson Green]

Ron Popiel's cherry wood hardener!?!

Coat it and forget it!

Where do I send my money?

[Jim Matthews]

Sounds like a writing desk is your next project.

My kids have marked up our dining table, in Eastern Black cherry -
as well they should.

Some kind of overlay is called for, if you want the surface to remain smooth.

I would try an inexpensive plastic placemat first, to see if you like the feel.
It should not have a texture that will translate through the paper as you write.

MLP placemat.jpg

[Judson Green]

Jim, that's totally my style!

Pony of Ni! Or perhaps it should be Niihiihii!

Screenshot_2014-02-20-11-16-41.jpg

[Sean Hughto]

I really don't think this is possible short of impregnating the wood with acrylic like those blue spruce mallets. Glass or leather or blotters of various sorts are the only real alternatives. Otherwise, just embrace the patina.

[Winton Applegate]

Ball point pen proof table.
awwwww that's easy:
Build a desk with a nice leather writing surface and a comfortable desk chair.
Buy a nice sword, you know, a big two handed zarker, and hang it on the wall near your cherry table.

Then call a family meeting. Let it be known desks with leather WRITING surfaces are for writing on and that anyone who writes on the cherry table gets to play the role of sword target.

You could coat the table with epoxy clear coat but then you would be stuck with looking at it.
Better to bury a few bodies (every family has a few skelletons in the closet so get busy bro) and have a nice natural wood finish table I say. Maloof finish.

[Winton Applegate]

OK, ok
As much as I would like to speed up the process of "natural selection" I understand this is a "family oriented" forum.
So . . . in the spirit of all that rot, I mean, goodness and light (if I have to, I guess) . . .
. . . I will share with you my Winton Systems Approach
mostly cause I can sit on the couch and write stuff but I also use these to protect the table.

TA DAAAAAAH !

The actual writing surface on both is Blacksmith's leather from Tandy's leather supply. Comes pre finished and ready to make stuff out off. I use it for everything. From my pocket folder/wallet to one of my shop aprons.

One advantage of it over the usual leather writing surface that I have seen is this blacksmith's leather kind of holds the paper in place and you can write one handed without having to hold the paper from sliding around.

The small one is a clip board with the clip removed. Between the board and the leather I always keep a page or three of scrap 8-1/2" x !!" paper for . . . you know . . . writing on.

The larger one is "high tech". The base layer is a foam core drafting board with two metal side edges for using a small T-square on (super light weight), the second layer is a layer of drafting table self healing mat for using compasses etc and the top layer is obviously the blacksmith's leather.

This large one is for when I really start to get crazy and need more communicatin' room.
The drawing was from a thread when Derek and I were banging the table about something or other . I think we wound up agreeing but in the heat of the post it seemed like we were on separate planets.
Awwww the power of the pen.