Let's choose a finish!

[rob.nester]

So I'm planning on building a kitchen table for the wife. She's requested that it be made from either:

1) Maple & Padauk
or
2) Maple & Bloodwood

Now, I personally prefer the tighter grain of the Bloodwood but she likes the color of the Padauk. Either way, I want to figure out the best finish for the table... I just started reading Bob Flexner's "Understanding Wood Finishing" and it seems like varnish would be a good option - but I'm really weary of doing any finish which could yellow...

I don't have the means to spray a finish, so I'm not sure if lacquer is an option...

I guess I just want to ask:

"If you were building a kitchen table, and wanted to protect it from toddlers banging it with forks, folks spilling drinks on it, etc - What would you use?"

 

[Skymaster]

stainless steel

 

[rob.nester]

stainless steel

That sure would detract from the beauty of the woods though

 

[smallboat]

This may not be the right answer for you but having raised 4 kids and now two grand kids around the kitchen table- the scars have stories I love to remember.
think of it as a workbench and you'll be ok.

I think some others may chime in with useful info on waterbased poly's and brushable lacquers, seems like there should be an answer there for you.

 

[redknife]

I kind of agree with Jack. Our kids are easy and relatively non-destructive yet they did a number on our wood surfaces.
Anyway, I'd personally use Waterlox. Not saying it is the "answer", so I look forward to other opinions.You'll likely want to refinish at some point no matter what you use. Waterlox is durable and can be refinished. If you do use Waterlox, be sure you are prepared to wait a few weeks for it to properly harden. Always seems to take forever even with proper ventilation, temperature, and humidity.

 

[golfdad]

General Finish's Enduro Varnish

 

[dwminnich]

So, a number of years ago I saw some tables in a restaurant that had been surfaced with some sort of thick acrylic resin. For those particular tables, the point was to embed some souvenirs (think "decoupage" from the 70's). The point being, this stuff went on as a poured application, and could be easily built to a significant thickness (about 3/8" thick in this case). Now that would would probably be overdoing it for a kitchen table, but something of the sort in a thinner application would be a possibility, if surface durability is important. A quick search turned up this link, as an example: http://www.uscomposites.com/kk121.html.
It's sold as a finish for bars and restaurant tables.


--dave

 

[Bill Clemmons]

I just finished an Oak dining table this week. For the base, I sprayed 3 coats of clear shellac. On the top I sprayed 3 coats of satin lacquer. If you don't have the means to spray, brushing lacquer can do a pretty good job. It's also good protection against spills and light scuffing. As for dings and dents from toddlers, no finish I'm aware of can protect from that. Just think of it this way: 30 years from now when your grandkids are eating at that table, you can point out each scar their parents put in it. :wwink:

If future "yellowing" is a major concern, then definitely go w/ a water based finish.

 

[BobN]

After reading your question this morning I went and look under my kitchen table. I always put the date that I finish a project on the bottom somewhere. I finished my kitchen table in April of 2000. So it is 15 years old and has held up very well. I am a big fan of Waterlox so that is what I used to finish the table and 4 chairs with. I put on 3 or 4 coats of Waterlox Sealer/finish and then added 2 coats of Waterlox High Gloss finish and it has held up very well for 15 years of constant used.

I am also interested in hearing what other people have used for finishing a kitchen table, not a table for a formal dining room but a kitchen table.

Bob

 

[rob.nester]

After reading your question this morning I went and look under my kitchen table. I always put the date that I finish a project on the bottom somewhere. I finished my kitchen table in April of 2000. So it is 15 years old and has held up very well. I am a big fan of Waterlox so that is what I used to finish the table and 4 chairs with. I put on 3 or 4 coats of Waterlox Sealer/finish and then added 2 coats of Waterlox High Gloss finish and it has held up very well for 15 years of constant used.

I am also interested in hearing what other people have used for finishing a kitchen table, not a table for a formal dining room but a kitchen table.

Bob

This was what I've been looking for - what are folks _actually_ using on kitchen tables which take abuse. Thanks for the info! I hope others throw in their .02 with what they've used as well!

 

[Jeff]

Dings and scratches from rambunctious kids are a given for a kitchen table; like a farmhouse kitchen table that develops character and evolves as an heirloom piece over the years.

Consider the hardness of the wood species for starters; overall not too bad for resisting dings and scratches without a finish.

	Janka hardness
Bloodwood	2900
Padauk	1970
Hard maple (sugar maple)	1450
Soft maple (red maple)	950
Cherry	950

but I'm really weary of doing any finish which could yellow...

Any oil based finish on the maples will be yellowish, but I doubt that you'd notice it on the other woods. So...water-borne whatever. :icon_scra

 

[Roy G]

Rob, I would suggest you glue up some test blanks and try some finishes on them. I know padauk tends to bleed over when you use an oil finish on it. Not sure about bloodwood. Maybe the Boardsmith will chime in.

Roy G

 

[Gofor]

I used Behlans Rock Hard Table Top Finish on the walnut table for our kitchen in 2008. It is our only table, so gets a lot of use. The finish is holding up great. The Behlan's is a rather thick varnish that levels very well. Just don't over-brush it as it starts to tack up fairly quickly. Also, you will want some bloxygen, or the like to spray into the parent can before closing it, or it will skin over very quickly. It is the toughest wood working finish I have found, but I have never tried Waterlox.

To apply mine, I used a 3" boar bristle brush and, starting at the far edge of the table, wet down a strip about two brush-widths wide down the entire length brushing from the dry back into the wet, tipped that out, and then came along side it with the next 6" strip, etc until I had covered the whole width of the table.

I have never used it on padauk or bloodwood, so you would do best to do a test strip if there is danger of bleed-over unless someone else here has tried it on those types of wood.

Go

 

[CrealBilly]

I used Behlans Rock Hard Table Top Finish on the walnut table for our kitchen in 2008. It is our only table, so gets a lot of use. The finish is holding up great. The Behlan's is a rather thick varnish that levels very well. Just don't over-brush it as it starts to tack up fairly quickly. Also, you will want some bloxygen, or the like to spray into the parent can before closing it, or it will skin over very quickly. It is the toughest wood working finish I have found, but I have never tried Waterlox.

To apply mine, I used a 3" boar bristle brush and, starting at the far edge of the table, wet down a strip about two brush-widths wide down the entire length brushing from the dry back into the wet, tipped that out, and then came along side it with the next 6" strip, etc until I had covered the whole width of the table.

I have never used it on padauk or bloodwood, so you would do best to do a test strip if there is danger of bleed-over unless someone else here has tried it on those types of wood.

Go

FYI...The Behlens brand has been around a long time (since 1888). Many folks that build musical instruments use Behlens exclusively. I have yet to try any Behlens products. But I can say a company doesn't stay in business very long or build a loyal customer base by producing crappy products in a competitive market like finishing products.

http://www.hbehlen.com/products.asp

Your Rockhard Table Top Urethane Varnish comes in both satin and gloss and is one page 7 of the Behlens catalog (link above).

Never do anything during the day that will keep you awake at night

 

[Touchwood]

I assume you chose the woods for their contrasting colors. I'm surprised no one has mentioned the fact that Padauk will darken with exposure to light. Even indoors it will turn dark brown from the original orange-red. Finishes with UV protection will slow this down, but eventually it will turn dark brown. Bloodwood also darkens to a deeper red color but very sloooowly. So if you want the red tone to stay, you're better off with it.
As for finish..tung oil will penetrate deeply into the wood so the finish is more in the wood than on the wood. Follow that with any of the good polyurethanes mentioned and you'll keep that color and get a more scratch resistant surface.

 

[rob.nester]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the fact that Padauk will darken with exposure to light. Even indoors it will turn dark brown from the original orange-red.

Bloodwood also darkens to a deeper red color but very sloooowly. So if you want the red tone to stay, you're better off with it.
As for finish..tung oil will penetrate deeply into the wood so the finish is more in the wood than on the wood. Follow that with any of the good polyurethanes mentioned and you'll keep that color and get a more scratch resistant surface.

I'm starting to believe that the table will end up being maple & bloodwood.

Your suggestion of a tung oil finish with a few layers of polyurethane as a top coat is appealing.