Reply by ArtMann

I make carved signs and plaques out of barn wood, which reminds me a lot of your table. The wood has been out in the weather for a hundred years and has taken on a lot of dirt, bug residue, etc. I don’t want to lose the barn wood appearance but I need to seal the material before it is hung on someone’s wall. I use rattle can spray lacquer made by Minwax and sold at Walmart, Home Depot and similar places. I would not brush it on if I wanted to keep as much of the original appearance as possible. If the coat is light, it doesn’t alter the color much. I think it is an enhancement of the appearance. You can keep applying light coats until you are satisfied with the appearance. I have used the Polycrylic material that someone else recommended and I think it looks like the surface is plastic coated. Different opinions from different people. If I were you, I would buy cans of all the suggested material and try them on scrap. That table is way too beautiful and unique for you to be unhappy with the finish. This is how the lacquered material on the barn wood looks.