Tips for Water Poly on Danish Oil Walnut countertop?

[Rick Tilghman]

Howdy all. As I approach closing out on the danish oil finish for my walnut countertop (custom built-in) I'm starting to think through how I want to protect it. Right now I've settled on water poly for a couple reasons; I want a very clear top coat, I don't want it to yellow, and I want something bulletproof (kids, spills, etc). And yes, I plan to let the top cure for 1-2 weeks after the final DO application before I do the poly.

There are two related questions/concerns I'm grappling with:

1. What poly to use (leaning towards GF High Perf WB)... trying to find a good WBP that doesn't dry out too quickly
2. How to beat the issues I've heard about when doing water poly on a large counter... e.g., fast drying = streaking.

Was hoping some of the expert finishers here might have some recommendations? Some of the articles I've read talk about putting it down with a foam roller and then doing a light finish with a foam brush, etc.

For reference, the countertop is about 9.5' x 2'. I'll be applying the poly in an air conditioned environment at about 80f.

Appreciate any help.

Thanks,
Rick

[John TenEyck]

If you want bulletproof, look beyond GF's High Performance. It's a capable product but it's nowhere near bulletproof. The nearest thing to bulletproof would be a conversion varnish or, even better, a 2K Poly.

Personally, I'd consider an alternative and use Rubio Monocoat. It's stupid simple to apply, looks good, is really durable and, best of all, is easy peasy to repair if/when needed, like no traditional finish.

John

[Rick Tilghman]

If you want bulletproof, look beyond GF's High Performance. It's a capable product but it's nowhere near bulletproof. The nearest thing to bulletproof would be a conversion varnish or, even better, a 2K Poly.

Personally, I'd consider an alternative and use Rubio Monocoat. It's stupid simple to apply, looks good, is really durable and, best of all, is easy peasy to repair if/when needed, like no traditional finish.

John

Thanks for the reply! Well, I mean, bulletproof is just me speaking generally... basically something that can take some abuse, or more than just putting rubbing wax on it. :-)

Never used a 2k poly (first I've really heard of it), I'll take a look. Looks like a more professional finish... can it be applied by hand? I dont really have the facilities to spray it (DIY). Have you applied it or heard of it put over DO?

Thanks,
Rick

[John TenEyck]

I've never used 2K Poly. All the ones I've looked at are spray only, and you need really good PPE, too. The same with many conversion varnishes, spray only and good PPE.

But if you didn't really mean bulletproof, then High Performance is not a bad product. It goes on great with a foam brush and you can slow the drying by adding a few percent of Extender to it to give it more time to flow out. HP dries to a hard, fairly scratch resistant film and will stand up to most foods and chemicals with the exception of nail polish remover and ammonia containing household cleaners.

John