Baby Changing Table Finish

[Greg Cuetara]

I am in the process of trying to figure out what I want to apply for a finish to my changing table. I have used cherry and have been doing a lot of reading about cherry and what to use as a finish. There is a top and 4 drawers and a small door. I did utilize 1/2" poplar plywood for the back of the case but did use solid cherry for all of panels etc. (i figured where no one would see it it didn't matter too much) I used hard maple for the drawer sides / front and back and 1/2" poplar for the drawer bottom.

I think I have made a decision but please help me out if I am off track.

For the inside of the case and drawers I was going to use Clear Zinsser Bulls Eye Shellac. I have a quart but did see that they sell the shellac in a spray can. Would this be easier for the drawers or should I stick with applying with a soft cloth?

For the outside that is going to be seen I was going to use BLO then a coat of Zinsser sanding sealer shellac and then top it all off with lacquor. Will this provide a durable finish? I have seen that you can get lacquor in a spray can. I do not have a good sprayer so spraying is kind of out of the question...although I do have the critter spray setup. Will that work or should I stick with the spray can?

I have been a minwax kind of guy, with poly, up until I joined the forum. I am learning a lot now so I am trying something new but I will definately try everything out on scrap first. I am just trying to put together a plan of action first.

Thanks for the help,
Greg

[Steve Schoene]

If you are going to have Zinnser Seal Coat around, you might as well use it for the interiors instead of the Clear. Seal Coat is more water resistant and durable, though it is just a little darker than the Clear. Also remember that ammonia damages shellac easily, so if there is a chance that household cleaners would be used I'd shift to a waterborne acyrlic for interiors. (Don't use an oil based finish inside unless you want to smell it for what might seem like forever.)

Given the prospects of fluids on the exteriors, I would use a varnish instead of a brush on or spray can lacquer. (Catalyzed lacquers of various sorts would be fine, but those require real spray equipment.) A wiping varnish might be easiest to apply. Waterlox Original/Sealer applies easily, and can be built to a protective coating on the top without developing the plastic look of poly in that thickness. You won't need a shellac coat between the BLO and Waterlox.

[Randy Klein]

(Don't use an oil based finish inside unless you want to smell it for what might seem like forever.)

If you finish the inside with oil and then coat it with shellac, won't the shellac inhibit the oil smell?

[Steve Schoene]

It would likely do that, but why? No reason that I can see to use two steps when one will do as well.

[Randy Klein]

It would likely do that, but why? No reason that I can see to use two steps when one will do as well.

One step being just shellac or oil?

[Jim Becker]

One step being just shellac or oil?

Just shellac.

[Steve Schoene]

Thanks Jim, yup, just shellac.

[Howard Acheson]

>> If you finish the inside with oil and then coat it with shellac, won't the shellac inhibit the oil smell?

In addition to the issue of why use two finishes, let me say that trying to seal in the odor with shellac is not always possible. If there is the slightest area not completely coated with the shellac, it will be as if there were no barrier at all. In my experience, overcoating an oil with shellac has about a 25% failure rate.

[Greg Cuetara]

Thanks for all the advice. I went out and picked up some seal coat for the inside. I will hopefully start that soon. For the outside I am just going to go with BLO and then waterlox. I tested the BLO and waterlox on a small piece and it looks good so far but not sure how it is going to look overall on the piece.

I guess the only last question I have is should I finish the drawers and drawer guides with the sanding sealer shellac and then use a wax after to allow the drawers to slide smoothly?

Greg

[Steven Wilson]

I would finish the entire piece with Shellac. You can use a bit of BLO on the outside to pop the grain but it's not real necessary. Shellac is also infinately repairable. If you use freshly made shellac, apply many thin coats, and let it cure for a couple of weeks you would be surprised at how resitant it to solvents over a brief period and if you do eventually damage it, it's real easy to fix.

[Matt P]

Jim,
I think I've got this irrational notion in my head that shellac itself would be delicate - e.g. that even moderate hand contact with it would wear it away, etc.. Thanks to you, though, I am learning that shellac doesn't necessarily need a varnish over it. Funny how one can get "stuck" with certain finishing ideas that run counter to the facts.
Matt

[Greg Cuetara]

I just want to thank Steve Schoene for the suggestion to use waterlox on my projects. I ended up using a coat of dewaxed shellac over the whole piece and then 4-6 wiped on coats of waterlox. I finished a small cherry table a year ago and was really not happy with the results, stain and then minwax poly. To say that I am very happy with the look of the waterlox would be an understatement. I am very happy with the end result and how everything turned out. Both my projects came out with a sheen between a satin and a semi-gloss, exactly what I was looking for. I used the original sealer / finish. Again thank you for the advice. I look forward to picking your brains again soon. Once the baby grows up maybe I can get back in the shop....lol.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=67518