Kitchen Table

[Harbo]

As a forum newbie I apologise if this topic has been covered before?

I have just completed constructing a kitchen table from some sycamore and need to treat it with a fairly durable finish.

I have seen on the web, a "system" of a mixture of white spirit, danish oil and polyurethane varnish (3 or 4 coats) followed by 3/4 coats of wax (white spirit, tung oil and beeswax). It's a lot of coats, but the wiping on appeals to me and does the PU make it durable?

Has anybody used this mix - is it durable? Grateful for any advice.

Regards

Rod

 

[Chris Knight]

Rod,

It's way too complicated for your needs. A kitchen table is often left unfinished if food is to be prepared on it. If this is not the case, then a durable water resistant finish is desirable and this is most easily achieved with one of the many water borne lacquers made by eg Ronseal et al and available in every DIY store.

They are most easily applied with a paint pad or brush designed for water based material. You will need up to three coats and denibbing between coats with a fine sandpaper is recommended for a smooth finish.

Don't use wax on a kitchen table. It just gets messy and needs frequent attention. The sort of finish I have described just needs a damp cloth once in a while.

The finish I have described also darkens sycamore much less than your witches' brew.

 

[Wanlock Dod]

Rod,

I used Tung oil on a sycamore kitchen table, about 4 or 5 coats. It seems to be holding up pretty well so far (6 months use). It will need to be reoiled periodically though, and the oil did darken (yellowish) the wood a bit, which the waterbased finishes suggested by Waterhead may not do.

I like it, but it took ages to dry.

Cheers,

Dod

 

[joekid]

yes Harbo ,i do a 50/50 mix more spirit for a finer finish/its worked for me for over ten years of speaker making/veneers/ but you must use a fine abrasive paper/ wire wool ,between coats,then a clean lint free cloth, have fun have even used /T cut for car body work to polish out scuffs,and got a mirror sheen to boot/ if youve got a matt finish thats got a polyeurathane finish,t cut will make it shine like glass, its hard work working in small circles but well worth the end result, oh and hot fingers

 

[woodbloke]

Waterhead37 wrote:

A kitchen table is often left unfinished

Alan Peters advocates this method of finishing in his book and I quote..'all it has received in treatment or finish is a regular wipe over with a damp cloth after use, and once a month perhaps, it is thoroughly washed and scrubbed with hot water and household detergent. The hot water raises any bruises and the table looks like new, or rather even better than new, for it has aquired a lovely patina now. There is no comparison with the treacly, bruised and scratched polyurethane surfaces so often encountered with modern manufactured pine tables' - Rob

 

[johnnyb]

sycamore would be perfect for this "non" finish i think as there is no grain.
think chopping boards or even the old belfast drainers which were sycamore. this would give quite a rusticated weathered look.