Will I be making a mistate with this finish?

[jared herbert]

I am making a dining table for my son. It is 36x54 with a hard maple top and walnut legs and skirt. I am nearing completion and about ready to put the finish on. I planned on using the same finish on it as I do on all of the rest of my stuff, Old Masters gel varnish. It is an oil based product about the consistancy of pudding that you wipe on, let it sit for a couple of minutes and then wipe off. I usually use 5-6 coats and had planned to use maybe 10 on the table top to provide more protection and durability. I have seen in catalogs, etc a lot of different finishes, some designed just for table tops, according to the literature. I dont have the time or resources to test them all. My question is will the type of finish I plan on using, a wipe on oil base type, hold up good enough for daily use, resist water spots, etc. I need some group input on this. Thanks in advance Jared

[Casey Gooding]

It should be just fine. I've used this product on several projects and really like it.

[Scott Holmes]

Seems like a waste to wipe on a gel varnish then wipe (more than half?) of it off.

You may want to try a non-poly, non-gel varnish and mix it 50/50 with mineral spirits to make your own "wiping varnish" then you can wipe it on and leave it; not wiping it back off will go a long way to saving varnish and money.

[Jamie Buxton]

I used to use gel varnish, but stopped. It used to be fairly resistant to water, but then something changed, and it wasn't any longer. I certainly not use it on a dining table. I've gone to wipe-on varnish, like Scott mentions. You can make your own, or you can buy it already thinned to wiping consistency. Minwax sells a good one.