Quick curing outdoor finish for my wedding reception tables? Time is a factor :D


VizslaDad

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Hi folks - I've built eight tables for my wedding reception that's coming up 16 June, and wanted to see if I should take a different approach to their finish than what I currently have in mind. I obviously have some time constraints given the date is looming closer by the moment so multi-day coating and surfacing programs are not going to work. Long story short, I am loading these tables into a trailer 10 June and driving them up to Pender Island in British Columbia the next day, so ideally I would like to complete the finish application tomorrow (8 June), let the tables cure for two days, and be finished with them so I can focus on my many other wedding tasks. 

I plan to employ the finish that Izzy Swan describes here (70% teak oil, 30% helmspar urethane). The table tops are made out of doug fir and knotty pine veneered cabinet grade plywood, thickened up with shop-grade birch ply beneath, and edge-banded in solid VG doug fir. Three of the bases are trestle-style made out of kiln-dried construction grade doug fir, and the remaining five are simply 2x4 sawhorses. I plan to give everything two coats following the process in Izzy's video, and am fine with the finish only lasting through the week if that's what it comes to. I plan to sell and/or give them away after the event anyway, and if they need repair or refinishing I can do that.

What do you think of this approach? Should I go in a different direction? Here they are in their unfinished glory:

wedding_reception_tables.jpg.14cac1c3387fe46b8f1df791737d0096.jpg

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@Tmize - I thought about shellac but worried about it getting gnarly sitting outside for a week before the ceremony 

@wdwerker - I already have the helmspar material. Do you think coats of that thinned with mineral spirits would fit the bill? I was thinking maybe water-based poly could be an option, too. 

@..Kev - I have used that before with success on indoor products. Maybe I could find some in Wenatchee, WA (where I am located). Big box options might be the only ones that make logistical sense given my constraints, though. 

 

I really appreciate the feedback, folks!

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17 minutes ago, Wood Basher said:

Would shellac be a bad choice anyway for a wedding, where there is a fair chance that someone will spill alcohol at some point? I thought that would mess up the surface.

There is a greater than zero chance that this will happen. Great point! Haha. No one wants shellac gunk on their elbows. 

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1 hour ago, wdwerker said:

The Helmsman will dry slower and leave a softer finish. The fast drying does just that, especially if you use thin coats.  Can you return the Helmsman ?

@wdwerker - are you referring specifically to https://www.minwax.com/wood-products/clear-protective-finishes/interior/minwax-fastdrying-polyurethane or a class of products? I can return the helmsman. 

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There exists an exterior grade WB poly GF exterior 450. You should be able to build a finish fast with that. I'd return the helmsman. I used it once and even after a week the finish was soft. I think it took near a month to get firm enough that you couldn't dent it easily.

If you need the finish to last only a week interior finishes will last that long. My old hardwod dealer had wooden racks on their company vehicles he used regular interior minwax and said it lasted 2-3 years..

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9 minutes ago, Woodenskye said:

What are you going to do with all of them after the wedding?  with the time left, I would do nothing.  I was going to suggest lacquer, epiphanes or CPES, but like I said time isn't on your side.  

If CPES were available (you usually have to order it) this would work - just do the CPES before the wedding, Epiphanes after the wedding.  Otherwise I like Werker's solution.

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@Woodenskye - I plan to give a couple as gifts, and hopefully sell the others. They aren’t fine furniture by any stretch but can definitely hold up a few beers. 

I ended up going with Minwax Polycrilic. I did a pretty sloppy job with two coats just to get the task finished so I can move onto others. The material is fine (obviously not meant for this particular application) and I am confident it would produce decent results given appropriate preparation and careful application. 

 

Thanks to eveyone for your feedback!

 

 

D758F6F1-151D-44D8-AFEB-B80A120AA95E.jpeg

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