stephwood Posted June 17, 2011 Report Share Posted June 17, 2011 Hello -- need to finish a bar top made of 1.5" reclaimed red oak (smooth), three 12" wide boards to be joined by glue and "biscuits" to form a U-shaped bar top. Like samples stained with Minwax Provincial. For finish, considering a coat of Waterlox Original, folowed by a couple coats of Waterlox High Gloss -- this looks like it would provide the non-plastic looking finish that I want, but have the gloss my wife wants. Not crazy about the long dry times and odor (can work in my garage), but it's tolerable. This sound like a good route? If so, couple questions: 1) necessary to use the Waterlox on the board undersides to prevent possible warpage, or is Waterlox not a true sealer like a poly? and 2) any concerns about finishing the boards separately, then assembling as a bar top unit? The two joints would not be sealed, unless I did a touch-up after placing; however, I do not envision this top getting wet much -- just a home basement bar. Thoughts?, and thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thewoodwhisperer Posted June 17, 2011 Report Share Posted June 17, 2011 Hey Kansas! For a home bar, I think Waterlox would make for a beautiful finish. How "plastic" it looks kind of depends on how many coats you put on. But you should be able to find just the right film thickness to please both you and your wife. I would indeed recommend finishing the underside. Now you don't need to go quite as far as you do on the top, but at least give it a few coats to seal it up. That will go a long way in helping keep the top "balanced". And FYI, pretty much any film finish will act as a sealer, so it doesn't need to be a traditional poly to seal. And for your second concern, I would say as long as your pieces are all identical thickness and you finish them with the same number of coats, you'll be fine. You'll have a noticeable ridge where the pieces join but it sounds like that ok in this situation. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beechwood Chip Posted June 17, 2011 Report Share Posted June 17, 2011 I don't have personal experience, but red oak is an open pore wood, and I've always heard that open pores plus high gloss is a bad combination unless you fill the pores. Perhaps someone else (who actually knows what they are talking about) can comment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thewoodwhisperer Posted June 17, 2011 Report Share Posted June 17, 2011 Oh I didn't even notice the red oak part. Good catch. The gloss is only a problem visually. And honestly it might not be a problem for everyone. Just looks odd to my eye when you see interruptions in an otherwise perfect surface. So if it were my bar, I'd definitely be doing a pore fill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hayashiox Posted June 17, 2011 Report Share Posted June 17, 2011 Interior phenolic resin varnish are excellent choice for bar top use. Their interior Waterlox Original which contains tung oil is slightly resistant to water and moisture resistance. There is couple ways to fill in the grain. What I like to use is poor the varnish in the middle. I then use a squeegee and force it into the pores. I will have a catching pan on the other side to catch the excess. Let dry, sand, do it again. I would thin the varnish 50%. Do this couple of times. 1) necessary to use the Waterlox on the board undersides to prevent possible warpage, or is Waterlox not a true sealer like a poly? and ANY FIRST FINISH you put on wood is a seal coat. Its a marketing hype where I see people go buy. You can seal it with just Original Waterlox. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephwood Posted June 22, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 22, 2011 Thanks much, guys! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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