Durable finish for Redwood table top???

[Roger Benton]

I have some redwood salvaged from water towers and it looks great when smoothed and oiled, but it is so soft I am hesitant to use it for a dining table top. Like stick your thumbnail into it soft. Has anyone use something like Behlen's rock hard or any other table top finishes on redwood? Recommendations appreciated!

Thanks,
-Roger

[Phil Phelps]

Redwood isn't used for fine dining. I would only use oils or TWP to help repel water. If it had to be, I'd top it off with beveled glass, but that's a stretch.

[Scott Holmes]

A hard finish like Behlens RHTT Varnish will not make the wood durable. It's very soft.

It would make a wonderful outdoor table that will withstand the elements.

Hard finish + soft wood = cracked finish.

If you are determined to use it I would go with an oil/varnish blend. Watco, Minwax Tung Oil Finish (an oil/varnish blend with 0.0% tuing oil) or make your own with equal parts of varnish, BLO and mineral spirits.

[Henry Ambrose]

This is a job for epoxy. Sand it completely to get past the oil you applied and put on a 2-3 of coats of West System resin. Once the grain is filled and you have a nice smooth surface put your choice of finish over that. You'll have a hard thin shell that is much harder than when you started. The finish will still break if you drop something big, sharp and hard on it but for normal use it'll hold up lots better than naked redwood. If you really want it tough, put on a layer of fine fiberglass cloth. It will disappear when finished and make a thicker film that is very tough - as in tough enough for a canoe. But as others have written Redwood is not the best choice for this purpose.

[Roger Benton]

If it had to be, I'd top it off with beveled glass, but that's a stretch.


I thought about glass for a minute too but the table has to extend and so the leaf would need glass and that's just not going to happen.

The epoxy idea was also something we toyed with, using a self leveling type.
I suppose both top and bottom of the top would need to get this treatment and that is also too much of a production for this project.

Thanks for the advice guys.

Probably best to just save the redwood for something else, preferably outdoor stuff.