mmasc Posted June 30, 2018 Share Posted June 30, 2018 My DH is building us a simple, but just-what-I-want dining table. I will be doing the staining and top coat finishing of it. I’ve done tons of research by I’m still uncertain about what to use as my top coat! I definitely want satin/matte, but I don’t know if I should use water or oil based, or specifically which one/brand. This part seems so confusing! I even thought of just using hemp oil, but I’m afraid that’s not durable enough for a much used table. Has anyone built a table or have any tips for me? Specific links to products would be awesome. Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retiredHSmom Posted June 30, 2018 Share Posted June 30, 2018 I finished a rocking chair with Varethane (water based) 22 years ago in a satin finish. It still looks great today. We have used varethane on all of our wood working projects since then and beeb pleased every time. Use a separate wood stain, do not use in all-in-one. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted June 30, 2018 Share Posted June 30, 2018 Not what you asked, but my bil has a large family and made their table. He did some sort of granite tile insert in the middle so they never have to deal with trivets for hot dishes. A friend went with a distressed look for her table so it would only look better once we six kids went at it. Another friend pit some sort of prefinished flooring on her table because she figured it would be extra tough. ? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmasc Posted July 1, 2018 Author Share Posted July 1, 2018 5 hours ago, retiredHSmom said: I finished a rocking chair with Varethane (water based) 22 years ago in a satin finish. It still looks great today. We have used varethane on all of our wood working projects since then and beeb pleased every time. Use a separate wood stain, do not use in all-in-one. 1 hour ago, Arctic Mama said: Agree. Stain, then varethane. And you will want to sand between several coats of the varethane to get a glassy, durable finish. Doing just one coat is a common mistake. This? https://www.homedepot.com/p/Varathane-1-qt-Clear-Satin-Water-Based-Interior-Polyurethane-2-Pack-200241H/202057137?MERCH=REC-_-PIPHorizontal2_rr-_-203376969-_-202057137-_-N Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmasc Posted July 1, 2018 Author Share Posted July 1, 2018 56 minutes ago, KungFuPanda said: Not what you asked, but my bil has a large family and made their table. He did some sort of granite tile insert in the middle so they never have to deal with trivets for hot dishes. A friend went with a distressed look for her table so it would only look better once we six kids went at it. Another friend pit some sort of prefinished flooring on her table because she figured it would be extra tough. ? I love the tile insert idea, however this table is already in production! ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Selkie Posted July 1, 2018 Share Posted July 1, 2018 I've never done it myself but have heard several people recommend using Waterlox. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EMS83 Posted July 1, 2018 Share Posted July 1, 2018 I used spar varnish on our bench. One thing I would strongly recommend is filling all your gaps with wood putty before sanding and staining. I wish I'd done that with the bench, which is made of 2x4s. And I could theoretically go back and refinish it, but trust me, you only want to do that once per furniture item! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmasc Posted July 1, 2018 Author Share Posted July 1, 2018 52 minutes ago, CES2005 said: I used spar varnish on our bench. One thing I would strongly recommend is filling all your gaps with wood putty before sanding and staining. I wish I'd done that with the bench, which is made of 2x4s. And I could theoretically go back and refinish it, but trust me, you only want to do that once per furniture item! Do you mean between the board planks? Or just in the knot/hole things? Or both?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EMS83 Posted July 1, 2018 Share Posted July 1, 2018 1 minute ago, mmasc said: Do you mean between the board planks? Or just in the knot/hole things? Or both?! Between the boards: crumbs. I like the plank look, but crumbs just aren't worth it. Or space the boards a bit more so they fall through... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmasc Posted July 1, 2018 Author Share Posted July 1, 2018 15 minutes ago, CES2005 said: Between the boards: crumbs. I like the plank look, but crumbs just aren't worth it. Or space the boards a bit more so they fall through... I’ve definitely been concerned about this. ? The articles online seem split on using wood filler or not. Some say yes!; some say wood filler doesn’t stain the same, or cracks with the wood adjustments to humidity/etc . I guess I’ll see just how big the gaps are once it’s finished. I don’t want yucky food crumbs though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzanne in ABQ Posted July 1, 2018 Share Posted July 1, 2018 I have finished many, many pieces of furniture. For a dining table, I'd use oil based polyurethane (Varathane). You want to be able to clean it with water, over and over and over again, without worrying about messing up the finish. Sand well, stain, coat with the polyurethane. Work FAST, going all the way across the width of the table, applying an even coat with a large sponge brush or even a squeegee, or use the wipe on kind of polyurethane. However you apply it, you need to keep a wet edge. If you don't, then the partially dry part will start to lift when you brush over it with the wet poly, and you'll have a mess. (You might try a spray on polyurethane. I've never used it on a table top). Once you get the top covered, quickly go around and wipe away any drips on the sides. Let it dry longer than you want to (at least a day, longer if it's humid), then sand it thoroughly before applying the next coat. You want to make sure to rough up the surface, otherwise the next coat won't stick, and you'll have a mess. The second coat won't take nearly as much poly, and it will go on easier and smoother, but you still need to keep that wet edge, so work fast. If you decide to apply a third coat, make sure to let the second coat dry thoroughly, at least a day. Then, sand it again to rough up the surface, and coat it again. Get the white kind of sandpaper called "Between Coats Sandpaper". It repels the polyurethane dust, so you can just shake it or tap it, and keep on sanding (regular sandpaper gets clogged up and stops working) Tack cloth is also really helpful for removing sanding dust without getting the surface wet or clouding up the air. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmasc Posted July 1, 2018 Author Share Posted July 1, 2018 ^^^ great tips! Thank you so much! So when you say across the width of the table, you mean to *NOT* go down one whole plank (length) at a time (One plank at a time)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie G Posted July 1, 2018 Share Posted July 1, 2018 I have a gallon of varathane for floors that my floor guy used to refinish our foyer floor. I’ve used it on several items since then and love the way it holds up! I’ve redone old oak thresholds and they have held up beautifully. We were just talking about using it for our kitchen table so this thread is timely. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzanne in ABQ Posted July 3, 2018 Share Posted July 3, 2018 On 7/1/2018 at 7:11 AM, mmasc said: ^^^ great tips! Thank you so much! So when you say across the width of the table, you mean to *NOT* go down one whole plank (length) at a time (One plank at a time)? Oh, sorry, I forgot they were planks (I was thinking one large surface). Planks will be easier. No, in the case of separate planks, if they're separate entities (not touching), do one plank at a time. Complete the width of the plank and work your way down until you've completed the entire plank. Then, move on to the next plank, being careful not to let your brush run over the one that is drying next to it. If the planks are touching in a way that would make it difficult to do one at a time without brushing over the adjacent planks, then take my previous advice and do the entire width of the table at a time, and work your way quickly down the length. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmasc Posted July 3, 2018 Author Share Posted July 3, 2018 Very helpful! Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted July 3, 2018 Share Posted July 3, 2018 We're looking at doing DIY countertops. I'm leaning heavily toward salad bowl finish https://www.amazon.com/General-Finishes-SBQT-Salad-Finish/dp/B001DSXD7A/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1530615567&sr=8-5&keywords=salad+bowl+finish I may not be as crunchy as I used to be, but I still like to stay low-to-no toxins around food. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom@shiloh Posted July 3, 2018 Share Posted July 3, 2018 I have refinished many pieces of furniture and gel varnish is my best friend. ? You just wipe it on with a soft, lint-free cloth. I started using it about 17 years ago, and everything I've done with it has held us beautifully. It's not available everywhere though. If you're doing a table top, there is no such thing as too many coats. Wood floors require three coats. I remember my mom did 7 coats on her table top. Wood filler? I probably wouldn't do it. I did it on some places with my current oak floors. I didn't stain them. I just used varnish, but you can still tell a difference between the filler and the real floor. No one notices it on the floor except me, but I think a table would be more noticeable, and there are some places where it has cracked out with changes in temperature and humidity. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EMS83 Posted July 4, 2018 Share Posted July 4, 2018 Oh no; no filler if you don't stain. Staining helps it become much less noticeable. And ideally, if you have the $$$, I'd just get a solid piece for the top. But if you're wanting to build it for $50 or something, either spacing the boards 1" apart OR fitting them as tightly as possible and filling the cracks will keep all the crumbs from collecting in a too-tight-to-clean space. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retiredHSmom Posted July 5, 2018 Share Posted July 5, 2018 On 6/30/2018 at 8:54 PM, mmasc said: This? https://www.homedepot.com/p/Varathane-1-qt-Clear-Satin-Water-Based-Interior-Polyurethane-2-Pack-200241H/202057137?MERCH=REC-_-PIPHorizontal2_rr-_-203376969-_-202057137-_-N Yep, that's what we use. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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