Replies

1. 
   wisno | Jun 09, 2013 05:15pm | #1

   The reclaimed wood must be already stable. You don,t need to worry about the wod moisture content, unless you re wet your wood.

   You can apply Poly Urethane or Acid Curing finish. 

   Thanks

   Good luck

2. 
   hackmeister | Jun 12, 2013 12:18am | #2

   Table finish

   Hi,

   Compare the moisture content of the slab to other pieces of softwood in your shop.  If they are around 12% then you should be OK.  If they are way different, you might want to wait until the redwood moisture content equalizes witht he shop, or at least gets closer.  If you have not machined, make sure that moisture content is stable for some weeks, as the center of that super thick slab could be different than the surface.

   Wood does not need to "breathe"; that is an old myth.  In fact, one of the main purposes of a finish is to inhibit moisture loss/absorbsion, to slow wood movement.  Note though that short of encasing the wood in plastic, any finish will still let moisture in and out to some extent.  Any normal finish (varnish, lacquer, oil, shellac) is sufficently flexible to accomodate normal wood movement.

   On a dining table, the biggest considerations are spill and wear resistance; the combination of which is best filled by varnish, particularly with a soft wood like redwood.  An initial seal coat of dewaxed shellac (zissner's shellac sanding sealer) would probably be a good idea.

   Bigger issue is if your apron is going to be strong enough to counteract the movement in that massive top.  Redwood heartwood is really stable, but that is pretty wide and thick.