What surface to varnish on?

[Steven Pearson]

What is the best material to make the table I apply varnish on? Also for drying?

I am doing small production style finishing. I want a table material, or a liner that I can repeatedly varnish a product, wait for it to dry, clean up, and reuse. If it is a liner that is being suggested I don't mind having to throw away liners each use as long as they are inexpensive.

I was thinking a melamine table with a rosin paper liner.

[Andy Giddings]

I think you could get by with just rosin, Steven. Unless you have a significant spill, I've never had varnish go through the paper. Melamine is also good but a bit slippery for my liking. A couple of other options - Butcher Paper, Waxed Paper and Silicone Rubber Sheet are all viable. I recently switched over to the silicone sheet. Nothing seems to stick to it, cleans up quickly and its non-slip on both sides. Just lays flat on the workbench.

[Jamie Buxton]

Sheet plastic works -- dried varnish flakes off it. By sheet plastic I mean the stuff they sell in the paint section of your local big box. It comes in thickness from a mil or so up to six mils. The six mil stuff is really pretty durable. I have a piece that protects my shop floor when I'm finishing furniture. It is several years old, and it sees quite a bit of abuse. Silicone rubber is likely stronger, but it is quite a bit more expensive, and the only sheets I've seen are sized for going in a kitchen oven.

[Alan Lightstone]

Would lacquer and shellac also flake off silicone sheets?

[Jamie Buxton]

Would lacquer and shellac also flake off silicone sheets?

I haven't tried those, but I'd bet good money they will. Nothing sticks to that stuff.

Dunno how this would help in woodworking, but silicone rubber sheets are remarkably heat-resistant. They are sold to be baking sheets. You plunk your cookie dough or whatever on the sheets, put them in the oven, and pop the cookies off when they're cooked. The sheets are undamaged by any temperature your kitchen oven can make.

[Andy Giddings]

You can get larger silicone sheets from Amazon https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1 is one example. Also there are numerous suppliers on line that will sell it at whatever width/length you want. Its more expensive but so far I've not had anything stick to it

[Steven Pearson]

Thanks a lot guys! I am going to stick with rosin paper for now. Silicone mats may be in the near future though!