Finishing a Kitchen cutting Board table

[Chuck Harris]

Ok here's the deal. The table has a solid hard maple top with maple breadboard ends. i haven't attached the table top yet. The top will be finished with either "good stuff" or butcher block oil.

The legs and lower part afre made from clear superior grade Alder (I'm not into big knots). I want to color the wood as little as possible and I plan to spray. Normally to get a semi-gloss I use a gloss varnish and rub out with
steel wool after about 7 day of hardening.

Is a laquer a good option and if so what type? I don't want to use shellac for a kitchen but will use Sealcoat to prep. Can I spray a finish like Behlen Rockhard? thanks for any ideas in advance.

[Jim Becker]

Lacquer or a water borne finish for your table base will get you the "clear" look you want. Pick your poison...literally. I use the water borne to avoid said "poison".... (Target USL)

For your top...if you are going to be actually cutting on it, mineral oil is the only thing I'd use. If you are not going to be directly cutting on it, a film finish will make it easier to clean and require less periodic maintenance. (Mineral oil needs re-applied at intervals) My kitchen island has a maple top and I originally finished it with mineral oil because we were not sure on the "cut or no cut" question. It's no-cut. I have a large, separate cutting board that is used for that purpose, both on the island and at the sink. (It's shaped to fit over one section of the sink) So before the weather gets cold, I'll be re-sanding the island top and applying a film finish. It may even be one of my projects for next week when I'm on fiscal year end "use-it-or-lose-it" vacation...

Yes, you can spray a varnish like Rockhard...but since it dries so slowly, it's really a mess to work with relative to overspray. I really don't personally recommend spraying oil-based varnishes for that reason.