What finish do you reccomend for this table.

Some sort of varnish. Oil based will add a bit of an amber hue, water based will be clearer. Just depends on the final look you want.

I like wiping varnishes, like General Finishes Arm-R-Seal. Easy to apply, easy to make look good. Haven’t had good luck with brushing Poly, but I haven’t tried in a while.

-- The quality of one's woodworking is directly related to the amount of flannel worn.

Some sort of varnish. Oil based will add a bit of an amber hue, water based will be clearer. Just depends on the final look you want.

I like wiping varnishes, like General Finishes Arm-R-Seal. Easy to apply, easy to make look good. Haven t had good luck with brushing Poly, but I haven t tried in a while.

- jmartel

I was looking at your Mission End tables and saw that you finished them with 5 coats of Arm-R-Seal on the top, and 4 on the rest.

All but the last coat was done in gloss, and the final coat on everything was done in Satin.

Following that, paste wax was used to give it a bit of a shine and to smooth everything out even more.

Ok a couple questions about this.

Why change from gloss to satin on the final coat?

Why apply paste wax at the end?

Just a suggestion: put something on the interior that’s not oil based, regardless of the choice for the exterior. Oil based finishes in a closed space like that will smell forever…as well as impart that smell to whatever may be inside. Use shellac, nitro lacquer, or a waterborne on the inside. Nice table, BTW.

-- Our village hasn't lost it's idiot, he was elected to congress.

Just a suggestion: put something on the interior that s not oil based, regardless of the choice for the exterior. Oil based finishes in a closed space like that will smell forever…as well as impart that smell to whatever may be inside. Use shellac, nitro lacquer, or a waterborne on the inside. Nice table, BTW.

- Fred Hargis

Thanks Fred, was actually thinking about lining the inside.

This was my first coffee table as well as my first butcher block style top.

What about the bottom side of the top?

-- Our village hasn't lost it's idiot, he was elected to congress.

What about the bottom side of the top?

- Fred Hargis

That is something to think about. Will keep that in mind as I decide what finish to use.

Reminds me of a butcher block style top, so boiled linseed oil comes to mind. I’ve been very happy with the results every time I’ve used BLO.

Reminds me of a butcher block style top, so boiled linseed oil comes to mind. I ve been very happy with the results every time I ve used BLO.

- one19

I am glad that it reminds you of a butcher block because that is what I was going for.

What about the bottom side of the top?

- Fred Hargis

That is something to think about. Will keep that in mind as I decide what finish to use.

- bbandu

Whatever you do to the outside of the top, DO NOT leave the inside of the top unfinished!
A finished outside and an unfinished inside of that top will come back and bite you in the butt.

-- Perform A Random Act Of Kindness Today ... Pay It Forward

What about the bottom side of the top?

- Fred Hargis

That is something to think about. Will keep that in mind as I decide what finish to use.

- bbandu

Whatever you do to the outside of the top, DO NOT leave the inside of the top unfinished!
A finished outside and an unfinished inside of that top will come back and bite you in the butt.

- JoeinGa

Thanks I will not be leaving the underside of the top unfinished.

I was looking at your Mission End tables and saw that you finished them with 5 coats of Arm-R-Seal on the top, and 4 on the rest.

All but the last coat was done in gloss, and the final coat on everything was done in Satin.

Following that, paste wax was used to give it a bit of a shine and to smooth everything out even more.

Ok a couple questions about this.

Why change from gloss to satin on the final coat?

Why apply paste wax at the end?

- bbandu

By default, finishes are made in gloss. They add in particles to lower the sheen to satin, semi gloss, matte, etc. The thought is that you end up with a clearer finish with less diffraction if you do all but the last coat or two in gloss. I don’t think it really made much of a difference.

I put paste wax on to smooth it out (wax fills the pores) and to even out the sheen. Ends up with a smoother feeling finish. Not a huge difference, but I think it adds a bit of something extra.

The Entertainment center that I built was done in all satin coats of Arm-R-Seal and no paste wax (because I didn’t want to wax that whole giant thing). I don’t think it was significantly different. I’m just planning on buying satin from now on. Will still wax pieces that get handled more, though.

-- The quality of one's woodworking is directly related to the amount of flannel worn.

I was looking at your Mission End tables and saw that you finished them with 5 coats of Arm-R-Seal on the top, and 4 on the rest.

All but the last coat was done in gloss, and the final coat on everything was done in Satin.

Following that, paste wax was used to give it a bit of a shine and to smooth everything out even more.

Ok a couple questions about this.

Why change from gloss to satin on the final coat?

Why apply paste wax at the end?

- bbandu

By default, finishes are made in gloss. They add in particles to lower the sheen to satin, semi gloss, matte, etc. The thought is that you end up with a clearer finish with less diffraction if you do all but the last coat or two in gloss. I don t think it really made much of a difference.

I put paste wax on to smooth it out (wax fills the pores) and to even out the sheen. Ends up with a smoother feeling finish. Not a huge difference, but I think it adds a bit of something extra.

The Entertainment center that I built was done in all satin coats of Arm-R-Seal and no paste wax (because I didn t want to wax that whole giant thing). I don t think it was significantly different. I m just planning on buying satin from now on. Will still wax pieces that get handled more, though.

- jmartel

Awesome, thanks for the explanation.