Wood Finishing Help Needed

[MarkV]

I’ve also seen your type of project done where the cabinet top was replaced with a stone or solid surface counter material.

MarkV

 

[bmac]

<font color="blue">Being under a basin, soon or later water will get spilled on the glass, run to the edge and then seep under the glass. Most likely ruining the wood finish under the glass. </font>

midlf,

Thanks. That was my wife's concern.

 

[bmac]

Hi, goaliedad,

<font color="blue">I would visit a good paint paint store and talk to them about a high quality varnish- spar or marine? </font>

We've got your typical Sherwin Williams, Benjamin Moore, Duron type stores. Never really considered them "good" paint stores. Maybe I'm underestmating their knowlege / product line. Is this the type of store you are referring to?

<font color="blue"> Good luck and make sure to show is the "finished" project. </font>

It may be embarassing, but I'll take a picture.

 

[bmac]

BDF,

<font color="blue"> The epoxy is a really durable product that stands up to all kinds of abuse but to me looks to plasticy. </font>

You know, when the epoxy trick was mentioned, I didn't think about the actual look it would give the furniture. Now that you mention it, I now have a good mental image of the "plastic" look it may give. Back in my drinking days, I have seen bartops with this finish and now I'm not sure that this is the look we are going for. Thanks for jogging my memory.

 

[bmac]

Hi, Mark. Good to hear from you. How's everyting up in Cedertown?

When I think local, I REALLY local, as in Newnan. I don't know why I didn't think of Highland Hardware. Although I've never been to their store, I have shopped their on-line catalog and am very familiar with their reputation of being a very nice woodworker's supplier. Thanks for the reminder.

I'm beginning to think that the shellac/oil-based poly is, indeed the way to go with this. For pure protection, the epoxy would likely be the best product. But, the more I think about it, I beginning to think that it will look odd.

<font color="blue">I’ve also seen your type of project done where the cabinet top was replaced with a stone or solid surface counter material.
</font>

I think my wife wanted to keep the original wood surface, but I'll run this idea by her again. Thanks.

I'll check out Highland Hardware for wood finishing products.

 

[bmac]

Scotty,

The problem here is that my wife has seen my caulking and is probably justifiably concerned that I would end up with a goopy mess. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[goaliedad]

I understand your concern about the knowledge or lack there of from alot of the chain stores- certainly an independent store would be more in line with my thoughts- having said that, you may be surprised.
How about a furniture refinishing business? kind of pricey for sure, but they may share some information. just a thought.

 

[Rob_H]

Nice looking piece there. It's good to see it being put back to good use.

I think Cliff and Scott Vt. have it about right. This looks like a 1920's factory piece that was either fumed with ammonia or stained then shellacked.

What I would recommend is what Cliff said - clean the piece with mineral spirits or Naptha to dissolve the wax and accumulated crud. Sand lightly with 220 or 320 sandpaper to create a "tooth". Be careful not to cut through the old finish and expose any traw oak - especially on the sharp conrners. It's easy to cut through when sanding, even with 320.

Go over the piece with a tack cloth (at paint stores) after every sanding, and use a new one each time to remove all dust and grit.

Then give it a coat or two of clear shellac - remember shellac is an alcohol based finish, so it dries fast - you need to keep a continuous wet edge as you go over the top and the rest of the piece. Shellac is also pretty thin so it is easy to get drips and sags on the vertical surfaces. Clear shellac won't change the color, you could also use a mixture of clear and orange shellac if you want to add a little warmth to the piece.

Sand the shellac lightly with 320 again to give something for the poly to stick to. I've had good luck with teak kitchen counters with two coats of water based gloss poly, and one or two coats of satin. The water based poly dries in an hour or two, and doesn't smell as bad. I've been using it for about 10 years and haven't had any problems. If you want to be really safe you can use spar varnish or marine varnish which is designed for sailboat wood work - that's as waterproof as you get without going to the plastic look of epoxy, but dries slowly, so you have to have the piece in a dust free environment for at least 24hours after each coat.

I would also recommend finishing the counter top portion before you install the sink, and be sure to finish all the end grain from where the hole for the sink is cut. This will minimize water wicking into the wood and swelling, splitting over time. It also might make sense to remove the top and put a couple coats of shellac then one of poly on the underside of the top. As a sink base it will be in a wet environment and the unfinished underside can absorb moisture and swell which will cup / warp the counter surface.

You can usually find clear and orange shellac at the big box stores (HD & Lowes), but be careful - shellac has a short shelf life. There will be a production date on the can, don't buy it if it is more than six months old.

Good Luck!

Rob H

 

[EddieWalker]

bmac,

What type of usage will this sink see? Will there be allot of people using it, or will it be more of a guest bathroom that is more show than go? I keep thinking that a sink like this is a design element, and not something that will get used very often.

If it's not going to be used very ofter, if ever, why even worry about it? Just about any wood finish can handle getting wet and wiped up right away. Why not just put a coat of wax on it and be done with it???

I can't imagine you are the type of person that will have puddles of water sitting around on your counter top for days on end. In fact, this is turning into one of those extremly over engineered projects that could easily be done for a few bucks. Bar tops and commercial tables take a level of abuse that nothing in your home will compare to.

I wouldn't even deal with getting a piece of glass to put over it. Just find a decent paste wax, rub it on and your done.

Simple, effective and cheap.

Eddie

 

[genelp]

Moisture can and will migrate through any wood finish, with the exception of epoxy, (which is used in boat building). I would look seriously at the post written by Ron H. I would try to use the de-waxed shellac. Apply your shellac and lightly sand between coats with a fine grit sandpaper. Thin out your first coat of polyurethane with mineral spirits (do a 50-50 mix). At this point lightly sand in between coats with a fine grit sandpaper, (be careful not to sand completely through any coat of polyurethane as polyurethane will form a layer between each coat and this will show if you sand completely through a layer). After letting it dry for several days I apply a paste wax (use dark for yours) with #0000 steel wool and then buff out. I believe this will give you the look you want. ( For old furniture like yours I would normally apply only 3-4 thinned coats and wax, but you will be dealing with a moisture problem. Good luck with your project!

Genelp