Pine slab countertop finish


Denette

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My brother bought an 8' long pine slab and is getting me to finish it up for him as a countertop for his kitchen.  It was rough-cut when I got it.  So far I've milled it so that it is square and gotten a few dovetail keys in a substantial crack.  It was my first effort at inlay of any kind.  Check it out:

15094961_1217877641626822_1189049229805109151_n.jpg

 

So anyway, my question (and the reason this post is in the finishing section) is what kind of finish would be best for a pine slab countertop?  I've been advised by a local guy that cutting oil-based poly 50/50 with mineral spirits will let it soak into the grain and harden the wood to protect against damage, but if anyone has any better ideas I'd be open to them!

 

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I am not one to normally recommend poly but, in this case the flexibility of the product seems right.  Pine is soft and will show abuse even with normal daily kitchen tasks (think picnic table at the park) so a brittle finish will likely fail under impact. Poly is pretty resilient.

An absorbing oil (like mineral oil) would not fracture under use but, would be ill suited for low maintenance kitchen use.    Another option (although this moves into the local watering hole glossy bar-top sort of look) is a thick epoxy finish (think 1970's decoupage).

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Damage from what?

Beer drinking ruffians or kids.:)

If it's kids good luck I have not found anything just short of a epoxy finish Gee dub mentions.

I use the 50/50 finish on my work bench in my shop if sit a drink down there with be a ring from the drink.

The best table top finishes have a High Solids and need to be sprayed.Conversion varnish.

The main difference from the rest are how easy they go down.How nice they look.

Aj

 

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Like others said, not much you can do to impregnate the wood and make it harder with finish. The finish is only as durable as the wood it sits on. Wiping polys are satisfactory, im sure. Waterlox is one of the more popular countertop finishes, but i dont know if it would be considered tougher than poly. I think waterlox has a leg up in water resistance compared to ARS or another wiping poly. More importantly, I think your brother needs to go in with a level mindset. He WILL dent this thing if it drops a plate. He WILL have issues with water if he lets a puddle sit overnight. He WILL damage the finish and wood if he sets a 400° pan directly on the counter without a trivet. Many of the people around here would agree wood counters are beautiful and full of life; however, they do have downsides compared to their stone brethren--durability and water resistance being the top two drawbacks. 

 

Post an installed pic, i bet this looks cool when it is complete. 

 

p.s. every pro says CV is awesome, but please read up on the health concerns before using it. I was all for trying it until i read about the nasty emissions. Just educate yourself and make a decision prior to sourcing it and spraying it. 

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  • 4 weeks later...

Well, the countertop is finished and gets installed today! 8ca75f8e7752e21b9e1ac82ee4a9e5f5.jpg

ae5de47fcb40f2764591dfe6faeff306.jpg

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Because my brother and his wife wanted pine to look like walnut, the top went through no fewer than 18 coats of various finishes. In order they were:

Danish oil

Danish oil

Danish oil

Danish oil

Minwax Jacobean stain

50/50 Mineral spirits/oil-based poly blend

50/50 Mineral spirits/oil-based poly blend

50/50 Mineral spirits/oil-based poly blend

Minwax gel stain (forget the color name)

50/50 Mineral spirits/oil-based poly blend

Oil-based polyurethane

Minwax wipe-on polyurethane

More gel stain to touch up some spots

Wipe-on poly

Oil-based poly

Wipe on poly

Wipe on poly

Wipe on poly

And that's all with a good bit of sanding in between.

But you know, it actually looks alright for pine trying to be walnut. And because I progressively sanded the poly down to 2000 grit between the last few coats, it's baby-butt smooth.

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3 hours ago, shaneymack said:

Wow, the thought of that just made me have to pop a few anti depressants. :(

Sent from my SM-N910W8 using Tapatalk

Already did that one today, I'm good!  :lol::P

12 minutes ago, wdwerker said:

Looks good for pine. I hope you finished the edges and underside well. A thick finish only on top can cause problems.

Yeah, it received similar attention.  

3 hours ago, wtnhighlander said:

That's probably the smoothest finish I've ever seen on a piece of pine!

Thanks!  I'm pretty happy with it.  I'm never doing another commissioned piece in pine.  EVER.  Not doing it.  I'll foot the bill for some poplar or something.

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7 hours ago, Denette said:

Already did that one today, I'm good!  :lol::P

Yeah, it received similar attention.  

Thanks!  I'm pretty happy with it.  I'm never doing another commissioned piece in pine.  EVER.  Not doing it.  I'll foot the bill for some poplar or something.

I worked with some old growth pine this past summer and if you passed a match within 6" of it, it would flame! It was a pleasure to work with. So never say never!

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  • 1 year later...

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