I got the finishing fear. Any pointers for a simple finishing job?

[Gabe Caraway]

I just finished my first project of any real scope. My wife requested a new dining room table in an old American farmhouse style.

I found a 7 foot heart pine door and shortened it to 80"; widened it to by 8" to 42" using simple whitewood boards from a home center; put heart pine aprons on it; and against my wishes, we used deck posts for the legs. Those actually looked better than I thought, but I wonder what they'll do as they dry out.

Anyway, I put the time in on it from the hours upon hours it took to get the lead paint off to the hand cut mortises and tenons. I'm proud of this and look forward to my 2nd real project.

But I'm not sure how to finish. She wants it painted an off white - something about Swiss Coffee. Okay, cool. I think an oil base would hold up to the rigors of being a dinner table, but I wonder if that matters and I should just put a clear coat on top of the paint. Does anyone have advice?

Keep in mind that whatever I do will also get beat up before it comes in the house. A little sanding here, a chisel mark there, some keys over there, and so on.

I know this is a simple finishing job compared to the posts I've just read, but I had a lot of fun doing this first project and don't want to end it with a real sour taste in my mouth. Thanks for whatever you got.

[Jamie Schmitz]

Oil is a good bet,latex would also work,either way I would oil prime or shellac it first. If you do distress it you might want to glaze it,that is put a tanslucent color over the paint to accentuate the dings and such.
To get an good idea as to different looks go to a home store that has plenty of cabinet door samples and check it out.
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_CiHgnf0HkJo/TOtGvltaALI/AAAAAAAAAJs/DFE5GlFM5Ag/s400/distressed.jpg

[Steve Schoene]

Oil based enamel would make a good choice. Considerably more durable than waterborne finishes. A good paint is more durable than the clear coat you would put over it, so clear coat over paint is primarily an aesthetic choice.

"Latex" is a term subject to a lot of confusion, helped along by several meanings among manufacturers of paint. Some manufacturers use it as a generic term for all waterborne paints (that seems true for Sherwin Williams.) That's technically correct, too, since the term means the little packets of finish emusified in water that then coalesce when the paint is curing. But, it used to distinquish between old fashioned waterborne paint, whose resins give performance that wouldn't be acceptable for any kind of table or shelf, and 100% acyrlic resin waterborne, with much superior properties.

Doing distressed finishes is quite an art, not really one of the simple jobs. Think about how it might have been used over years as a table. That's where wear goes, not randomly. Distressing is easy to overdo. Recall that painted furniture is frequently painted and repainted over the years--and sometimes the paint wears through. Sometimes an undercoat of a different color that peaks through in a few spots is used. I'm hoping some guys who are real artists at this will chime in with tricks, pointers, and things to avoid.

[Gabe Caraway]

Thanks guys for the input.

I've decided to put down a stain first and then paint over that with one good coat of a flat paint. I'll rough that up in a few places in an effort to get to the stain and then put several layers of polyurethane on the top. I don't think the legs and apron will need several coats as protection so maybe just one good coat there.

[Clisby Clark]

I'm not sure I know what you mean here, but when I hear the word, "deck" I start thinking about Pressure treated lumber. I hope you used something else, but if you did use any PT wood on the table, please change them out immediately! Paint rarely adheres to pt lumber and no telling how it looks as it dries out-many twists and splits.

[Chris Padilla]

Gabe,

Sounds interesting. Can you post a few pictures? We can likely help you a bit better. :) Welcome to the Creek! :D

[Jim Becker]

I'm not sure I know what you mean here, but when I hear the word, "deck" I start thinking about Pressure treated lumber. I hope you used something else, but if you did use any PT wood on the table, please change them out immediately! Paint rarely adheres to pt lumber and no telling how it looks as it dries out-many twists and splits.

I more or less agree with Clisby on this. If it is pressure treated lumber, at a minimum, you'll want to wait at least 6 months before you paint it so that it can drop in moisture content. PT lumber is "sopping wet" because of the processing to make it pressure treated and because it's generally green when treated. It can twist, crack and otherwise deform as it dries, too. A good lumber yard can generally supply you with similar non-PT kiln dried material designed for indoor use...think stair parts if you want something other than a square post.

Outside of that, you can get a nice antiqued/stressed look with the finishing regimen you list. Applying several different color coats can lend a particularly interesting look after you distress, too. Rather than using a polyurethane varnish for your top-coating, consider a nice alkyd or phenolic resin varnish...the latter is often a preferred choice for tables. Examples are Behlen's Rock Hard and Waterlox.