Hi – I am going to finish a 42″ x 100″ curly maple table top what will intentionally have a rustic surface, a result of planing and scrapping to produce this type of surface. No sharp edges, but you want to see the plane/scrap marks. This table top will be the main table in a house. A combination dinning / kitchen / project table and so will get some abuse (to add to its character). I’ll be using dyes to pop the curl and intend on using Watco to bring out the depth. In addition I want to put a protective varnish coating on it. Now comes the problem
All of of the varnishing techniques I see posted assume that the table is flat, so there is no pooling of the coating (maybe I’ll use a wipe-on?), or the sanding between coats will not go through the previous layers. Since the top will have these plane marks, I am concerned that any sanding will be problematic. Maybe I should just layer on the Watco and that should be enough protection for a such a high use table, though I doubt it. Any suggestions? Thx
-Yurij
Replies
If you apply varnish in thin coats, using a good brush to spread the varnish well, it shouldn't pool. After all it is possible to put varnish on vertical surfaces without having it all run to the bottom. Instead of sanding between coats use steel wool, being sure to remove all the swarf. (By steel wool I mean the synthetic pad variety.) Steel wool isn't as good at removing dust nibs as sand paper, but with some care will get the job done.
You can't "layer on" Watco, all excess should be wiped off after each coat.
You can use a wiping varnish, such as Waterlox Original. If recoated within reasonably short time periods it won't need to be sanded between coats. Again, steel wool to remove imperfections.
The pooling can be handled. I'll experiment with the synthetic pad, but it sounds like it will require some effort. I never have good results with the steel wool. Leaves debris. As for the Watco, I mean several applications with several hours in between, but each application uses the standard approach, saturate, wait a bit and wipe off.
My inclination would be that dye will establish the depth, so the danish oil will not add to it and will only extend cureout time.
And since this is going to be on the rough side, I'd just work with a very thin formulation of varnish (Waterlox with naptha, maybe?) so the dry times are fast. Use the satin formulation on the last two swipes.
Then at the end, a light rubbing with an abrasive pad?
I am following the Jeff Jewitt article in FFW about poping the curly. He is pretty explicit (as are others on this forum) that the oil is required to add depth. And yes, a light touch with an abrasive pad is probably my only real recourse. thx
Hmmm. Well, I'll defer to Jewitt, but in my experience, a dye pops grain. After that, there are no gains (except for the wetting effect) from intermediary oils.
Your project sounds interesting though.
Sso you would suggest to leave out the oil step and go right to the varnish?
Well, you have to do what you think is right. My approach would not be the oil for two reasons. One, I'm not sure you'll gain "pop" after the dye does its trick. And two, the oil needs at least a good week cure out unless a shellac is placed over it.
Everyone has their theories and preferences.
yurij,
As Steve said, the oil in an oil based varnish will do virtually the same thing as a seperate coat of pure oil without adding the cure time that oil will.
Rob
Dye doesn't always "pop" figure. It works most effectively if you can sand after the dye to lighten the areas between the curls, so to speak. But that's not possible in this case. If using a oil based varnish such as the Waterlox, there is only a little to be gained, if any, by using BLO as a first coat. Waterlox original is pretty thing to begin with and achieving a tabletop protective coat takes a fair number of wiped on coats already--at least 6.
That's true, it (Waterlox original) is not a high resin material, so numerous coats are called for.
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