(04-15-2021, 10:26 AM)nocrapman Wrote: I am finishing a live edge spalted maple hall table top. 
Anything with Oil (my usual goto) will make it yellow and mute the contrasting patterns. 
I have put on a coat of wax free shellac to seal. Probably will repeat after some sanding. 
Need recommendations for a top coat. Something that wont make it yellow - water based poly? Lacquer? 

Please advise

(04-18-2021, 02:20 PM)tablesawtom Wrote: I would put on a second coat of shellac. Then I would wipe on one or two coats of Antique oil by Minwax. To many coat and it may have some yellow in it but it goes away very quickly. The nice thing about the Antique oil is as long as you do not wax the surface you can come back 15 years from now, rub it down with #0000 steel wool and apply another coat and it will be as good as new.

To apply, put on Nitrile gloves, usually blue in color. I cut off a piece of handy wipes and use it to apply  the oil, but a tee shirt also works and so does a paper towel. Since one or 2 coats of shellac is uses in some places there may be a little more oil in other places I just use a paper towel to smooth and blend. I hang the whatever I used to apply the finish over the trash can to dry, prevents spontaneous combustion. Then I take off the gloves and I am done. no clean up.

If only using the oil finish I apply 2 coats, I do nothing in between after 2 coats I sand with 320 grit and use steel wool and then recoat one more times. If one wants a higher gloss apply 3 coats before sanding and steel wool, .and then a fourth. If more coats are required just use steel wool in-between coats. One tip I have, is allow 24 hours in between coats. After 7 coats I haven't seen any more improvement.

Tom