best clear finish for trim work?

I used poly-acrilic (water based poly… blue can…. I think Minwax makes it) on our pine trim when I built our house.

cut to length
sanded with 220 on belt sander
sealer
pecan stain
poly-acrlic
touch sand with 220 emery
poly-acrlic
poly-acrlic
installed with pneamatic finish nailer

looks great

took forever, even though the poly-acrlic dries really fast

when we built the addition I learned my lesson and used pre-primed tounge and finger joined trim and painted it.

-- Matt -- I yam what I yam and that's all what I yam

@ssnvet that sounds way too labor intensive for an attic rumpus room, I’m thinking more along the lines of 2 coats of varnish and done! Maybe I’m too optimistic…

I would use shellac if the floor is not to be mopped. Shellac
goes on quick and easy, looks great, is non-toxic. It can get
damaged in trim by repeated wet mopping though.

@ Loren, we are going with wall to wall carpet, so no mopping. Have you used shellac on trim, and if so, how many coats, and how did it hold up?

Rinny, I have done miles of trim and use polyurethane. It goes on quick and is easy to apply and will practically stop a speeding bullet.

-- Challenges are what make life interesting; overcoming them is what makes life meaningful- Joshua Marine

Gel stain is what I am currently using on oak trim. I made some comments in Rich Greer’s post on gel stains (lumberjocks.com/topics/34460). Use gel stain if you are going for color, otherwise, as Scott Bryan suggested polyurethane.

forgive my ignorance, Arm-R-Seal is polyurethane, right?

Shellac holds up roughly as well as lacquer if not subjected
to water or alcohol. It lasts well and is the easiest film finish
to repair. The Zinnser in the can delivers a gloss appearance
in 3 coats. Dries in about 5 minutes so the work goes
rapidly and dust in the finish is not a problem.

Rinny, you are correct. Arm R Seal is a oil base wiping urethane varnish that can be applied by wiping, spraying or brushing with a foam brush.

-- Challenges are what make life interesting; overcoming them is what makes life meaningful- Joshua Marine