Finishing a Kitchen table made from multiple wood species

[Eric Anderson]

I need some advice on how to best finish the kitchen table I'm building. It is made from alternating strips of walnut, cherry, and mahogany. Since it will be used as a kitchen table, it is going to take a lot of abuse, so I need a good strong finish, I was leaning toward a HVLP applied water based varnish or polyurethane that I will then rub out to a high gloss finish, but don't know if I need to start with a natural stain, shellac, oil or other first coating. I want to do something to really bring out the beautiful grain and color of the woods but not sure how to proceed. Any help is most appreciated. I'm a pretty good sawdust maker but have never really developed a similar skill level with finishes.

Thanks

Eric

[Brian Kent]

Waterlox. Very hard and durable. Totally worth the high cost.

[David Hawxhurst]

if you want to use water based i would look at general finishes enduro conversion varnish (i have no personal experince with it). i use a solvent based 2k poly from delta labs (makes the grain pop similar to the way oil or shellac would). depending on the top coat you choose and look you want will determine if you should use oil, shellac or stain first.


for other chooses waterlox would look nice on the woods your using by itself. behlens rock hard tabletop finish would be pretty good also, although not as dark as waterlox.


all can be applied with hvlp. the oil based finishes generally are not applied with hvlp because of their long drying times (you can do it though).


for a gloss finish use gloss for all coats (you would think this would be obvious).

[Sam Stephens]

IMO, to maintain the distinction between the wood species I'd opt for a very clear finish like blonde shellac, but not for a kitchen table top. Next choice for me would be a clear waterborne finish. I worry an oil-based varnish would muddle the contrasting colors/ grain.

[Malcolm Schweizer]

I have three tables I built some 15 years ago that I finished with polyurethane. One of those tables now resides on my porch, and as I type is getting rained on. It is still holding up! Very durable finish that you can set your water glass on without any issues.

[John TenEyck]

General Finishes EnduroVar over dewaxed shellac would be a good choice. The shellac will bring out the color of the wood, and EnduroVar is a very durable WB topcoat. My own testing showed it to have better chemical resistance than solvent based polyurethane. EnduroVar will age slightly with time, just like a solvent based varnish. If you don't want that to happen, then GF's Clear Poly would be a better choice. Just as durable (maybe more so, if that's possible) and it stays crystal clear for many years due to the UV stabilizers in it. Both products spray beautifully. You can buy EnduroVar at your local Rockler, but the Clear Poly is a pro product and they don't carry it. I got it from Jeff Jewitt at Homestead Finishing who carries GF's complete line of products.

John

[Eric Anderson]

Thank you all for your advice. I think I like John's suggestion on using shellac followed by the clear poly. I am familiar with Jeff Jewitt and Homestead finishing. Now, all I need is some good warm temperatures and some more free time to finish this critter.

Again, thanks for the replies.

Eric