Plastic Laminate for Table Tops

[John McCall]

I am building bar tables for my son-in-law's new extablishment in which he will be serving high-end whiskies. I found reclaimed warehouse wood from the Wild Turkey Distillery and will be using this 8/4 wood for the tables. The wood is full of nail holes, cracks, checks and knot holes. It will make an interesting and attractive table top. The wood is maple, oak, ash and walnut (still have not cleaned it all enough to identify all species). The issue is how to preserve the rustice appearance of the tables while making them easy to keep clean. Originally, I thought I would use commercial fillers to fill cracks, etc., then apply several coats of polyurethane. But the flaws are so numerous I think it would be better if I could cover the entire surface with a clear plastic laminate which would allow the tables to be cleaned easily. I cannot find a product I can install in my home shop. Any suggestions?

[Jerome Stanek]

Try something like Kleer Kote bar epoxy.

http://www.shopmaninc.com/kk121.html

[Troy Turner]

I agree with some epoxy of some sort. Plastic laminate or acrylic, while it may be easy to clean, wouldn't do this wood justice. With the epoxy, you'll still get the same ease of cleaning while showing off the table with all it's characteristics.

Make sure you post up some pics so we can see how it comes out :D

[John McCall]

Thanks for the advice and product contact information. I have place my order and will post pics when the job is done.