I would like to know what is the best finish for sealing wood. I am wanting to seal the beams and inside construction of a billiards table and have read that oil and resin base finishes are better than water based finishes. The beams and inside construction is hardwood. My main objective is to minimize wood movement and prevent moisture adsorption.Are there certain finishes that are superior to others?
I have been doing research on Fine woodworking and also sealing wood. figured out that sealing the wood beans and inside wood construction of the billiards table will help stabilize the wood and help control the amount of moisture it could absorb. Even though the wood beams are kiln dried they should be sealed in some matter just to help the wood stabilize and strengthen from the inside out.
The marine wood sealer I have researched on is made by Pettit and is very highly rated. I like that it is oil based and the penetration into the wood will allow it to absorb to the core.
Replies
The best sealer for blocking moisture transfer is shellac, much better than varnish.This has been demonstrate by tests made by the U.S. Forest Products Laboratory.
By the way, water resistance is not the primary attribute of marine varnish, what is more important is flexibility is the wood on boats flexes considerably, and also UV resistance Oil based interior varnishes, which are less flexible are more water resistant, although not nearly as good as shellac at retarding the passage of water vapor.. Pettitt does make some good varnishes it's just not the best choice in this application.
Steve is correct
Shellac is the best barrier for water vapor. Zinssers sells a product called SealCoat, a 2 lb cut of dewaxed shellac that will work well for you.
choose the best
You can choose between Wax, Shellac, Oil or some other alternatives like Lacqueror Aniline Dye.
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