robertmi Posted May 20, 2015 Report Share Posted May 20, 2015 Hello all, I recently made a table as a school project and I'm looking to apply a finish to it so that it's feasible to actually use it. The table is made using three different kinds of plywood: the table top is made of maple ply with a center inlay of cherry veneer ply. The legs are made of a more fine-ply birch plywood. I've included a few pictures for reference. Another note is that the table was made using CNC joinery, and is easily assembled and disassembled, so if it is at all possible I would like to keep that functionality because it is a pain to move when fully assembled. Let me know what some of my options are, and thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted May 20, 2015 Report Share Posted May 20, 2015 Apply masking tape to all of the mating surfaces then finish however you like. Spray, brush or wipe on varnish, lacquer or a Water Bourne finish. Carefully mask inside holes and both sides of the CNC joints in the top and base. Do not flood the finish near the masking tape or it might soak under. Finish all the parts on all sides except the mating surfaces. You will be finishing the parts loose (unassembled ) painters pyramids are a good idea to use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertmi Posted May 20, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 20, 2015 Thanks a lot, that really helps in terms of assuring that it assembles/disassembles properly. Do you have a specific suggestion of what type of finish to use (ie. lacquer, varnish, etc.)? Also any suggestions on how to keep the corners nice? I know that Plywood on the edges gets messed up pretty easily, and this especially will be bumped into a lot most likely. Thanks again for your help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xxdabroxx Posted May 20, 2015 Report Share Posted May 20, 2015 Adding an edge banding is about the only thing you could do to strengthen the corners as far as I know. Finish is really kinda up to you, is it indoor or outdoors? A lot of people around here are really fond of ArmorSeal, although I have no experience with it. Do you have spray equipment? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertmi Posted May 20, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 20, 2015 Yeah, I kinda figured as much as far as the edging. It's feasable, I've done it before with the equipment I have. As far as finish types I'm a fan of a kind of satin finish, there's a desk I made where I used satin poly on cherry ply, it came out fairly well but I may want to go with something different depending on what works best across different veneer types. I could probably enjoy something with more of a sheen or even something with more of a matte finish to be honest, I'm kind of not sure what will look best. The use of the table is going to be strictly indoors, so the most water seal necessary would be from drink spillage and that sort of thing. I've never used ArmorSeal, so I'd have to do some research on it in terms of look and what not. But I don't have access to spray equipment so I'm kind of limited to a brush on kind of finish. Hope I'm not being too vague, but this is my first time finishing a coffee table so I'm really new at this. I hope you can come up with suggestions based on what I've told you Thanks again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xxdabroxx Posted May 20, 2015 Report Share Posted May 20, 2015 I have pretty limited experience, but I'm liking the danish oil that I wiped on my workbench top. It's not too shiny, but I did only apply a couple of coats. You could also rub down a finish with 0000 steel wool to soften the sheen a bit if what you ended up with came out to shiny. May want to grab some of your scrap wood and try a few different finishes on it to see what you like best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted May 20, 2015 Report Share Posted May 20, 2015 A wiping varnish like Arm r seal might be easiest for you then. If it's a coffee table I would glue the joints in the top and finish it as one piece. If you leave the joint loose to allow disassembly the first time a drink is spilled the joint will swell up and then your screwed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertmi Posted May 20, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 20, 2015 Thanks, I didn't even consider that. Drawbacks of making a CNC coffee table I guess... I did some quick research on both (danish oil and Arm r Seal) and I think I may test out both on some scrap and see how it turns out. But it definitely gives me a good starting point. I'll post some pictures and let you know how it turns out. Thanks for all your help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted May 21, 2015 Report Share Posted May 21, 2015 I would use a wiping poly, maybe Arm-R-Seal, but thinned even more with mineral spirits. Unless the joints require hammering now, I would carefully apply a coat or three of this mixture to the mating surfaces, allowing it to soak in and seal the wood, but not build up a film. Then finish the rest if the piece as normal. That would give you some (but not perfect) protection against joint swelling. Very cool design, by the way! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.