What finishing product to use?

[Bobby Kirbos]

It's not turning or carving, but wood working of some sort, so I figured this was as good a place as any to put this.

The dining table in our camper is made of compressed siht board (particle board) with a textured laminate. It's the texture that drives us crazy as the surface is a btich to clean. We acquired a table that I plan to cut a new top from. The existing finish is beat, so we don't feel bad hacking the thing up. I will go the cutting, shaping, etc. My wife will do the finishing work.

It's real wood. My concern is the temperature/humidity extremes that this will be exposed to between trips causing the wood to warp. Being a dining table, it's going to need to be waterproof, so we definately want something that seals.

What would be the best clear coat product for this application? We're thinking perhaps spar urethane, maybe? Something different? Water based, oil based? The only "MUST" is that it must be a brush-on product (my wife hates spray cans - too messy).


Table top:


End Grain: It's real wood all the way through, not siht board with a veneer.


Finger Joints: Joining the end grains

 

[sean donato]

I use the spar urethane for a lot of outdoor benches, seats, and my gun stocks. Holds up pretty well in the elements. I would think it would do well inside your camper.

 

[holeycow]

The classic: beeswax and linseed oil with a hint of turpentine (or just leave that out..). It makes a beautiful, durable finish but takes a long, long time to finally soak in and dry.

It's best to warm the mixture to over 150f (melting point of beeswax) and apply to warm wood. Twice. At least.

it will take about a week...or 10 days.

 

[KiwiBro]

Osmo Polyx oil. Expensive but worth every cent. It's almost, all I use these days having resisted it for years due to cost, but it just does such a good job, is easy to apply and very durable.

Cheap (if your time isn't included in costs) option would be multiple coats of a homebrew danish oil - 1/3 polyurethane, 1/3 boiled linseed oil, 1/3 (max) turps.

 

[tdmiller12]

I would recommend Epifanes marine varnish. I have used it on our front door and on wood countertops in our kitchen. Front door has held up well to the south Georgia heat and humidity. Counter top also hoping up to all the abuse a counter will get.

 

[medalist]

Epifanes is a top quality choice and does the job. Plan on multiple coats and pay attention to proper dry times.

For faster results in terms of dry times x number of coats this product works very well.

These are both good products...follow instructions!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00J33B0C2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_UXcrFbMJ8G3PD

 

[christylleam]

It think it can't be under too hot things.