Posted: 6/14/2024 2:18:02 PM EDT
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First off I know nothing about finishes and the various types. I am building a stand for a very large and heavy 3D Printer. Plan is to use a Workstand Leg set from Rockler and 2 layers of 3/4" Red oak plywood as a top surface. I would like some type of clear finish to protect the wood. Something to dress it up a little so it is not just bare wood. Printer will not be moved on the surface once the printer is assembled. Will use work surface to assemble printer. It has to be something simple and easy to use. Plan on finding some simple molding to go around the edge instead of trying traditional edge treatments. Can anyone recommend me a simple easy clear finish? |
Tennessee Squire
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There is a single-step stain/poly combo, that I never used. There is also stain and poly in different steps. You should really google these 2 and decide for yourself. For stain, it's your choice but Natural is a good choice. For poly, again look at yt but don't use gloss, it shows every single imperfection. Satin or matte is a better choice. |
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Minwax will work if you want to stick with the big box stores. I prefer General Finishes. Get the high gloss Use some 4" foam brushes and coat the top. Let dry over night LIGHTLY sand with 320 grit sand paper Wipe down to remove the dust. Microfiber cloth will work well for this. Apply 2nd coat and repeat the above Apply 3rd coat and let dry overnight If you're happy with the results allow to dry as long as you can. Poly can take 30 days to fully cure. Wait a couple of days at least. If you're not happy with the results, repeat the sand, wipe down and apply another coat. Apply light coats. You just want to cover the surface. Go with the grain. Don't glob it on but go back and forth with your foam brush until it is spread out. When getting the poly onto your foam brush, just dip the tip into the liquid about 1/4" at most. Again, you don't want to flood the surface. Dip back into the can if necessary but just the tip of the brush. Do the bottom first. No need to go beyond the 2nd or 3rd coat as nobody is going to see it. Flip it over and put on painters pyramids (little plastic pyramid things you can get at big box stores). Good luck, |
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Team Ranstad
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Originally Posted By SandHillsHillbilly: Is polyurethane repairable or re-coatable later on I damage the surface? I know it's a work surface but it might be nice in the future to rejuvenate it without having to strip it. You don't have to strip it all off to refinish it. Sand out the scratches and re-coat. Bit of a pain but it can be done. Best kind of easily repairable finish is a drying oil type finish. Tounge oil, boiled linseed oil, danish oil etc. You could also try some of the hard wax oil finishes. Rubio Monocoat, Osmo are two hard wax oil finishes that are idiot proof to apply and to refinish you can always just rub more product on in the future. No need to sand. They were originally made as a wood floor finish but have become big in the woodworking world. The drying oil and hard wax oil based finishes do not have much of a shine to them. Depending on what you are looking for that is a plus or not. You can still feel the wood grain texture in the piece. I use Rubio Monocoat a lot myself though it is a bit on the expensive side. |
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EMTECH EM9300 WB Polycarbonate Urethane water soluble can be applied with brush, stays clear, interior/exterior grade, very durable hardness for scratch resistance and good stain resistance chose this for a kitchen table painted in white that gets heavy use and it's held up perfectly for over 4 years now |
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A few things to add. One, the oil finishes (tung oil, Danish oil, etc.) are penetrating oils and give very little to no surface film, so they are basically for color and sheen. These are the easiest to apply and to repair, but they won't offer much of anything in the way of protecting the surface, if that is what you are going for. If you just want it to look finished, this is your choice. Surface finishes will leave a film on the surface that creates a barrier over the wood. This is where you will get the protection of your surface. There are all types with varying levels of complexity in ease of application and repair. If it is a simple workbench for a piece of equipment, I would go with a basic polyurethane that you can get at any big box store. The wipe ons are thinner (thus you can wipe them on) but need more applications to get enough build up to be effective. I would recommend a brush on poly. Build up three or so coats. Each coat can usually be done within an hour of the previous, but check the can. Leave it for a few days to cure, or your feet on the equipment will push in and stick. Even after a few days, you will want to lift the equipment each day for around a month so it won't stick. Repairs are a bit more involved compared to a penetrating oil, if you really care enough to repair a workbench finish. You would need to lightly sand the area that was damaged and feather it out a bit into the rest of the top. It is tough to get that type of repair to look perfect, like you would want for a dining room table, but it is an easy repair for a worktop. |
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Originally Posted By SandHillsHillbilly: Thanks everyone for the replies and tips. Will this be fine for what I need and planned usage? https://mobileimages.lowes.com/productimages/6919aa54-46d9-4ebc-b389-890a957405b2/61745865.jpg?size=pdhism |
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Originally Posted By SandHillsHillbilly: Thanks everyone for the replies and tips. Will this be fine for what I need and planned usage? https://mobileimages.lowes.com/productimages/6919aa54-46d9-4ebc-b389-890a957405b2/61745865.jpg?size=pdhism |
01010111 | 57 | 127 | LXXXVII
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Originally Posted By apierce918: just spray it with lacquer in a can, 3-4 coats, 30 min between coats, go over with 0000 steel wool to get the nubs off and call it good. or shellac, basically the same process +1 on both counts. Came to say the same thing... both shellac and lacquer are dead easy and dry quickly so finishing isn't a days-long process. |