I finally got around to making a bench to work on my guns.

I’m not the handiest guy but I think this came out decent for my needs.

What polyurethane would be best for this type of wood? Preliminary searching is saying I should use a water based wood poly and that 3 coats, with sanding in between, should be more than sufficient. I’m not gonna be doing anything heavy duty.

I also saw something about choosing a poly that isn't gonna yellow over time.

And I don’t know if I wanna poly/sand the whole thing. Maybe just the legs and the top/bottom of the table top. Doing the whole bench seems like way too much work.

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I built my workbench over 25 years ago and left it unfinished. It still looks like it did when I made it except for a few stains from actual use. I'll try to grab a pic later today when I head to the shop.

For a workbench any poly will do. I'd ask friends and family to see if they had a partial can left over and use that up.

In general, I prefer oil based poly. It seems to be more flexible, whereas the water-based seems a little brittle. It may be my imagination as both are surface finishes, but oil based appears to penetrate a bit more when applied.

Water based does seem to cure/dry faster and sanding between layers doesn't seem to gum up the sandpaper as much.

I cover my top with 1/8" luan (hardboard) sheets.  Keeps the top clean and I can replace when beat up.

Varathane has held up better than any other finish I have used, and it is on my bar and work bench. I recently tried their water based product and I am thoroughly impressed.

As far as water base being brittle, I used it on a wear spot under my desk chair on an oak hardwood.  Solid product!

I would pick something matte.  Not glossy unless you want it to be slick

Some people use a combo of linseed oil and wax.

This though I mentioned 1/4” in his other thread

I started the same thread in the Do-It-Yourself forum, as that forum has more traffic.

Based on the feedback I got there, I'm gonna use Watco Danish Oil. It seems easy to apply and it'll be a fairly quick process. I'm going to prep the wood per the tech sheet and then apply the finish.

This bench is just gonna be used for basic gun maintenance. I won't be doing anything heavy duty. I don't mind if the table sustains small scratches and dings, and if it does start getting too dinged up I can always touch up those areas with the Watco oil.

Good great choice ! I was going to recommend a linseed oil finish. Membrane finishes eventually wear out, and need replacement.