Hi Gloss Table top?

[Luciano Burtini]

Not sure if I should post this in the Finishing section or not.

I am looking for a method to produce a high gloss, solid black inset into a table top. Basically, I would like a super hard, very high gloss, opaque top which will be surrounded (picture frame) by hardwood.

I have thought about arborite, but I am afraid it will look like arborite (which is not the look I want) and I don't think I could find the high gloss finish I am looking for anyway.

Any ideas appreciated.

????

[Daryl Upole]

FWW had a great article on using a polyurethane finish and just using a high speed buffer with 3M Finesse rubbing compound (from an auto parts store). It looks like glass when you are done.

So, an idea might be to use a black base paint and seal it with 3-6 coats of water-based poly. Still sand & smooth in between coats as you normally would. Then, with the Finesse & buffer you will be shocked at the outcome in just a few minutes. I am an amateur at the finishing game, but this method gave a finish I though was not possible by me.

[Luciano Burtini]

Thanks for the info. Do you remember the issue of FWW that had the article? Was it recent?

[Rob Amadon]

Just so you know, poly is one of the worst finishes to use when a high gloss is desired. The whole idea behind a high gloss finish is to sand it perfectly flat and then rub out the scratches with finer and finer scratches until they are too small to see. The whole idea behind poly is to resist being scratched. It accomplishes this by being softer than other resins used to make finishes.

Rob

[Jamie Buxton]

Super hard? How 'bout granite? You can buy granite kitchen-counter material with a glossy finish.

[Carl Eyman]

I've had good luck with Behlen's Rock Hard table varnish when I've wanted to rub out a tabletop