finish advice - rocking horse

[moodyfloyd]

Hello All,

My latest project is a Rocking horse I am making for our Baby Girls' first Christmas. It is being made out of Maple, Cherry and Jaboda with a Classic Cherry Stain. I would appreciate all of your advice on the best finish for this project. What would be the best for look, and durability for hopefully a generational piece. Tung oil, poly etc? I'd prefer something I can apply inside since the temps are dropping, but I can close off one of the bedrooms for ventilation purposes if needed.

Thanks in advance!
Shawn

 

[Joe Scharle]

Shellac would be my choice.

 

[merrill77]

Shellac would be my choice.

Me too.

Since you said generational, I'll point out that shellac is one of the most repairable finishes that gives good surface protection.

 

[moodyfloyd]

What shellac do you recommend as long as best application method for something like a rocking horse?

 

[moodyfloyd]

Here's the status of my Rocking Horse Project. After doing some research, I think I am going to use waterlox as a finish. Has anyone used this often enough to comment on if this is a good choice for this application?

Thanks in advance,
Shawn

View image in gallery​

 

[Joe Scharle]

Looks great :icon_thum. There'll be some happy child soon!
As to varnish, I usually find 3-5 coats wiped on to be sufficient. However, I'll stick with my shellac recommendation.