New Table Finish

[SabertoothBunny]

I am going to be making a small table for my wife's parents to put into the house we are building for them on my property. The wood hasn't been decided yet but I will hopefully get that ironed out this weekend. Most likely oak, pecan, maple, walnut, cherry or some kind of combination of those but no stains. My question is finish, it needs to be lasting and durable while possible to patch/repair as needed. This is a project I will be taking great care on as my in-laws don't have a table, they are planning on using an outdoor set when they get here. They don't know I am doing this so it will be a surprise with their new home which they should move into this May.

You guys here in the forum are more knowledgeable than me in this so please advise on what could work "best" for this project. While I value your input and knowledge, try to put everything in simple laymen terms so I can follow all that you are advising. Here are finishes/questions I would appreciate input on but this is not a complete list so if you know of a one please advise:

Waterlox (which one, satin?)
Polyurhethane (so many kinds.....)
General Finishes Arm-R-Seal or something like it?
A shelac based one?
Varnish?
Lacquer?
Water vs oil (other than dry time)?
How does a sealer play into this?

UPDATE: This is a coating for an indoor kitchen table to clarify.

 

[jfynyson]

Can you clarify if this particular table will be indoors or outdoors ? It seems you state both "a small table for my wife's parents to put into the house" & "they are planning on using an outdoor set". This information is mission critical to our recommendations. Sounds like a great gift/project !

 

[John Jimenez]

IMHO, if you want to keep it natural, I would use Rubio monocoat.

 

[John Jimenez]

Good point Jeremy! I missed that and assumed it was for inside use. If it was going to be an outdoor table then I would recommend waterlox.

 

[Wiley's Woodworks]

Indoors or outdoors, if the table surface has any chance of getting wet, whether it's rain or sweaty drink glasses or flower pots, I use Minwax Wipe On Poly. It goes on easily, darkens the wood minimally, and stands up to a lot of water on its surface. To maintain uniformity on the entire piece, I usually put two coats on the entire piece and three coats on the table top and edges. You might want to consider making a set of matching coasters to protect your work/their new pride and joy. It's a nice way to send a message.

 

[wbarnes]

+1 for Rubio Monocoat. Super easy to apply and can be spot repaired if needed later on.

 

[SabertoothBunny]

Can you clarify if this particular table will be indoors or outdoors ? It seems you state both "a small table for my wife's parents to put into the house" & "they are planning on using an outdoor set". This information is mission critical to our recommendations. Sounds like a great gift/project !

To clarify, I am making a table for use in the house because they do not have a kitchen table. Right now their plan is to use their patio table set inside until they can get a table. My intent is to have the new table as a suprise for them when we show them the house.

 

[SabertoothBunny]

IMHO, if you want to keep it natural, I would use Rubio monocoat.

Yes, the hope is to keep the wood as natural as possible. Their products are intriguing but there are a lot of Rubio Monocoat products, what would I be looking at in their interior line of products?

 

[wbarnes]

I would stick with Oil Plus 2C in whatever color you decide. Pure or Natural would keep the original wood color the best. If you find the wood you use has more color variation than you prefer you can use one of the wood colored options to even out the tone.

350mL option (about $60) is expensive, but this would be enough to do the entire table and probably even matching chairs if you ever decide to go that route.

 

[jfynyson]

To clarify, I am making a table for use in the house because they do not have a kitchen table. Right now their plan is to use their patio table set inside until they can get a table. My intent is to have the new table as a suprise for them when we show them the house.

Gotcha, in that case I'd aim for Rubio Monocoat "Pure"; the volume in this link will be far more than you'll need for this project and will meet your need for ease of maintenance for future and there are many examples given online using this for kitchen tables being very robust and holds up very well to liquids.

https://www.amazon.com/Rubio-Monocoat-Zero-Component-Finish/dp/B00OA5V19K/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=2FHR849OVO243&keywords=rubio+monocoat+pure+100ml&qid=1675961024&sprefix=rubio+monocoat+pure%2Caps%2C754&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&smid=A2JBPGBX4JZG1E&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyUFdTTTRWOVU3SDFQJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNTg2MTM4M09JMjZJSEc3V1lSViZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwOTc4OTEyMUVQTlIxUUc2SlJGVSZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

If you're close to a Klingspors I'd suggest supporting your local woodworking store for buying this product:

Oil Plus 2C Pure 350ml

Klingspor's Woodworking Shop is full line distributor of woodworking tools and supplies from respected companies like Klingspor Abrasives.

www.woodworkingshop.com

 

[chris_goris]

General Finishes Arm-R-Seal

 

[Craptastic]

Gotcha, in that case I'd aim for Rubio Monocoat "Pure"; the volume in this link will be far more than you'll need for this project and will meet your need for ease of maintenance for future and there are many examples given online using this for kitchen tables being very robust and holds up very well to liquids.

https://www.amazon.com/Rubio-Monocoat-Zero-Component-Finish/dp/B00OA5V19K/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=2FHR849OVO243&keywords=rubio+monocoat+pure+100ml&qid=1675961024&sprefix=rubio+monocoat+pure%2Caps%2C754&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&smid=A2JBPGBX4JZG1E&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyUFdTTTRWOVU3SDFQJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNTg2MTM4M09JMjZJSEc3V1lSViZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwOTc4OTEyMUVQTlIxUUc2SlJGVSZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

If you're close to a Klingspors I'd suggest supporting your local woodworking store for buying this product:

Oil Plus 2C Pure 350ml

Klingspor's Woodworking Shop is full line distributor of woodworking tools and supplies from respected companies like Klingspor Abrasives.

www.woodworkingshop.com

I would not only suggest supporting them but also seeking their advice while supporting them. The times I've been at woodworking stores and talked to their folks (at least the good ones) about finishing products I've always gotten at least 7 questions back about various parts of the project. Wood species, finish sanding level, expected humidity where used, expected use, expected level of abuse (i.e. do you have kids or is this for granpappy and granma'am), desired sheen, and budget are always there. Sometimes I get surprised with even more specific questions.

Really. They are a resource that's well worth using if you have access. Usually they can help inspire things you may not even have thought of yet.