This is my first post here. I have a business on the side I have been working on for a few years, and am now starting to get some traction. The product consists of 1/4" x 4'x8' sheets with wood veneer on both sides with an MDF core, and then solid hardwood matching the species of the panel. The veneers I am currently using are maple, cherry, beech, walnut, mahogany, sapele, and a solid, 3-ply bamboo. I cut the desired shape from the panel with a CNC router. I have mainly used WATCO Danish oil for my prototypes but it takes too long to cure, offers little protection, and attracts sawdust from the shop. I have spent some time on this forum and others trying to better understand the options.

The constraints are:
  • It needs to dry fairly quickly between coats, ideally less than an hour, with curing time being less than 24-48 hours, before it goes in the box to be shipped.
  • Shipping might take 3-5 days and when the customer opens the box, they shouldn't be overpowered by the smell of the wood finish.
  • It also should offer some UV protection. The customer's environment will typically be an office and the wood product is a vertical surface, so not high wear, or touch.
  • It can be wiped on or sprayed. I have no experience with spraying.
  • Ideally comes in larger container sizes and/or are available at wholesale pricing.


In my research and testing, I have narrowed down to:
  1. Water-based varnish. I bought a gallon of EM8000 to test.
  2. Wipe-on poly. I have tested the Watco version and really like it. Unfortunately the two options I have found, Watco and Minwax, only come in small containers.
  3. Shellac.


I appreciate your time and opinions on this.