Finishing craftsman table

[Jeffrey Cole]

Good morning, I am new to finishing. I am ready to finish my 1/4 sawn white oak table. I have some Michael's Cherry stain from Mohawk. I would like to put something over that for durability. I am not a fan of a film finish. I like Tried and true as it leaves a nice feel to it. any help is very much appreciated!!
Jeffrey

[Jim Becker]

What kind of table and what kind of use will it see? Those are material to recommendations that folks might make. T&T is "best" directly to the wood or over a dye; not really great over a stain that has a binder which seals the wood. Easiest for a table (in general) will be a wipe on varnish (12-15 coats) if you have to hand-apply or a water borne product if you can spray.

[Jeffrey Cole]

thanks Jim, the table will be used between 2 chairs, for pictures, plants and possibly a drink or two. When you say wipe on varnish, is that like a Arm-R-seal finish?

[Andrew Seemann]

The nature of a table kind of lends itself to a film finish for protection. Things get set on it; things get spilled on it; things try to scratch it. All of those want a finish on the hard side to resist. A satin polyurathane works well, and a coat of dewaxed shellac over the stain helps with compatibility. Satin doesn't look as "filmy" but it still gives good protection.

[Phil Mueller]

I agree with the above. You need to seal the top and protect it. Poly satin, ArmRSeal satin or semi gloss, Waterlox would all work. 3 thin coats then wax should do it. I’ve also seen where a more protective finish was applied to the top, and a less film forming finish used for the rest.

[Bill Carey]

I've used Minwax wipe on poly with great results on the tables I've made. Anywhere from 6 to 12 coats. A round oak table I made 7 years ago shows no signs of wear after being used for breakfast, lunch and dinner all those years with all the usual spills, wet glasses, silverware being dropped on it etc. Come to think of it, I use it on everything now - love the finish I get with the satin.

[Jim Becker]

The nature of a table kind of lends itself to a film finish for protection. Things get set on it; things get spilled on it; things try to scratch it. All of those want a finish on the hard side to resist. A satin polyurathane works well, and a coat of dewaxed shellac over the stain helps with compatibility. Satin doesn't look as "filmy" but it still gives good protection.

It's important to note that the nature of polyurethane finish isn't to be "hard"...it's actually "softer and more pliable" to resist abrasion as compared to finishes like shellac, lacquer and many non-poly resin varnishes. Those are "hard" and scratch easily because the brittleness increases a little with the hardness, as it were. Flooring was an original intent for polyurethane finishes and resistance to abrasion was the problem trying to be solved. There are other urethane finishes available today that greatly eclipse the typical polyurethane finishes that most folks buy and use when it comes to durability. Their application tends to be a lot more involved, however, so the average hobbyist woodworker isn't generally going to use them due to the spray environment required, etc.

-----
Jeffery, something like Arm-R-Seal is a worthy product to consider. It's easy to apply and looks great. But even then, I'm still a proponent of using coasters, etc., for both drinks and live plants as well as making sure any standing moisture is removed expeditiously.

[Prashun Patel]

Arm R Seal is great.

From the big box stores, these products will be fine:

Minwax Wipe on Poly
Watco Danish Oil.


The key to getting a flawless, non-film finish is to (IMHO) sand the top to 600 grit, then apply the product thinly with a quartered shop towel. Keep rubbing it in. If your towel is too wet, use a second towel to wipe it off.

You can do this twice a day. I promise, in about 3 days, you'll have the finish you are looking for, without streaks, film, or dust nibs. Your fingers and eyes will tell you when you have enough coats on.

People generally underestimate the benefit of sanding to 600 grit (if you have 1000, even better). If you wipe on / wipe off as above, you won't have to sand between coats. There is also a general misconception that a thin finish is not durable - or at least will not degrade gracefully. My desk at work gets a lot of abuse, and was finished as above with spar varnish (another fine choice here), and has worked out wonderfully.

[roger wiegand]

I don't think it matters nearly so much what the resin or solvent is, but rather how you rub it out to produce a final surface. I end up seeing very little difference between polyurethane, Arm-R-Seal, Waterlox varnish, and a Maloof-style BLO/poly blend, all of which I use. Most stuff I finish with 0000 steel wool and wax for a non-shiny surface. Sometimes I'll do pumice/rottenstone and then automotive polishes for more gloss.

Never tried anything requiring spray equipment.