I have just completed two end tables made of quarter sawn white oak. I want
to leave them in their natural color when finishing them. I really am bored
with the standard polyurethane finish option. Would you please recommend
some different techniques / materials for finishing these pieces?
Thank You in advance,
9/11/2003
--
Best Regards,
Joe Shea
[email protected]
I have been building furniture items out of white oak for about 2 years now.
The finish I like best is to stain the white oak with a light golden oak
stain and to top coat it with a clear high gloss pre-catalized lacquer. The
pre-catalized lacquer is highly resistant to moisture and to normal
scuffing. If you sand the last coat of the lacquer with 500, 1000, and 2000
grit sand paper you will get a finish that is perfectly smooth, almost clear
in color, and a mat finish that showes of the grain of the wood beautifully.
Try this technique. Everyone to his own taste but you may find that you
like this finish much more than poly. I know that I do. This finish is
probably as durable as the poly with out the plastic look of the poly.
"Joseph E. Shea, Jr." <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:BB86219C.A094%[email protected]...
> I have just completed two end tables made of quarter sawn white oak. I
want
> to leave them in their natural color when finishing them. I really am
bored
> with the standard polyurethane finish option. Would you please recommend
> some different techniques / materials for finishing these pieces?
>
> Thank You in advance,
> 9/11/2003
> --
> Best Regards,
> Joe Shea
> [email protected]
>
"Joseph E. Shea, Jr." <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:BB86219C.A094%[email protected]...
: I have just completed two end tables made of quarter sawn white oak. I
want
: to leave them in their natural color when finishing them. I really am
bored
: with the standard polyurethane finish option. Would you please recommend
: some different techniques / materials for finishing these pieces?
:
: Thank You in advance,
I just discovered shellac yesterday. I'm impressed. Brushed on, looks
smooth, only minor sand/buff to polish (which I didn't do yet). I did fill
the pores with (ehem) wall patch compound, but it looks great.
I also followed the techniques in a book (imagine that) that I bought.
I'll get the name of it later.
Joseph E. Shea, Jr. wrote:
> I have just completed two end tables made of quarter sawn white oak. I want
> to leave them in their natural color when finishing them. I really am bored
> with the standard polyurethane finish option. Would you please recommend
> some different techniques / materials for finishing these pieces?
Give shellac a try!
I, too was bored of poly. I'm learning the joys of shellac on my current
project. Much less fumes. Dries in 1/10th of the time. Not quite as
tough as poly...but much tougher than oil finishes.
--
************************************
Chris Merrill
[email protected]
(remove the ZZZ to contact me)
************************************
A "Sam Maloof type finish" is nice for QSWO (4 or 5 coats of equal parts
tung/BLO/poly, followed by 2 coats of tung/BLO/wax mixture).
it is time consuming, but worth the effort, IMO.
If I want a light finish on the oak, I use Zar's Provincial 114 stain
beforehand ... this still gives you a very light color.
Take a look at the traditional table and/or A&C coffee table on my website
for examples of the finish as above.
You might want to consider an additional film finish for just the tops if
they are going to be used for drinks, etc. A gel varnish like Bartley's
works for me in that regard.
--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 9/08/03
"Joseph E. Shea, Jr." wrote in message
> I have just completed two end tables made of quarter sawn white oak. I
want
> to leave them in their natural color when finishing them. I really am
bored
> with the standard polyurethane finish option. Would you please recommend
> some different techniques / materials for finishing these pieces?
On Thu, 11 Sep 2003 16:56:56 GMT, "Joseph E. Shea, Jr."
<[email protected]> pixelated:
>I have just completed two end tables made of quarter sawn white oak. I want
>to leave them in their natural color when finishing them. I really am bored
>with the standard polyurethane finish option. Would you please recommend
>some different techniques / materials for finishing these pieces?
Give Tried & True Varnish Oil a shot. It's good stuff,
doesn't reek like some finishes, and doesn't change
the color much at all.
--============================================--
Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional.
---
http://diversify.com Comprehensive Website Development
http://www.homesteadfinishing.com/htdocs/mission_oak.htm
--
There are no stupid questions.
There are a LOT of inquisitive idiots.
"Joseph E. Shea, Jr." <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:BB86219C.A094%[email protected]...
> I have just completed two end tables made of quarter sawn white oak. I
want
> to leave them in their natural color when finishing them. I really am
bored
> with the standard polyurethane finish option. Would you please recommend
> some different techniques / materials for finishing these pieces?
>
> Thank You in advance,
> 9/11/2003
> --
> Best Regards,
> Joe Shea
> [email protected]
>
"Joseph E. Shea, Jr." <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:BB86219C.A094%[email protected]...
> I have just completed two end tables made of quarter sawn white oak. I
want
> to leave them in their natural color when finishing them. I really am
bored
> with the standard polyurethane finish option. Would you please
recommend
> some different techniques / materials for finishing these pieces?
>
> Thank You in advance,
> 9/11/2003
> --
> Best Regards,
> Joe Shea
> [email protected]
>
Shellac. If you want to get fancy, you could french polish the top.
"Joseph E. Shea, Jr." <[email protected]> wrote in message news:BB86219C.A094%[email protected]...
: I have just completed two end tables made of quarter sawn white oak. I want
: to leave them in their natural color when finishing them. I really am bored
: with the standard polyurethane finish option. Would you please recommend
: some different techniques / materials for finishing these pieces?
:
: Thank You in advance,
: 9/11/2003
: --
: Best Regards,
: Joe Shea
: [email protected]
:
http://www.am-wood.com/finishes/finishes.html
http://www.samallen.com/woodchar.html