How about a finish recommendation for this walnut table top?

[Kansas City Fireslayer]

I'll soon be finishing this air dried Missouri walnut kitchen table top. My preferred finish is pre cat lacquer--which I love--but I don't think that would be the best finish for this top. I'd like to find a waterborne finish in satin that will brush out nicely, rub out, and hopefully can be purchased in a Qt. A UV inhibitor would be a bonus as well since it will get lots of sun. The table will see plenty of "work" with a 11 and 7 year. I haven't decided if I will add a light coat of dark walnut dye to it or not. I like a little dark walnut dye to help keep walnut from getting orange as it ages. The legs, apron and chairs will be finished with some sort of color like black/white or something else in-between. I'm not concerned about the finish for the rest of the table and chairs as I'll have enough finishing to do to justify spraying it. Thanks...

[Scoony]

I have had great results with General Finishes Enduro water based finish. It is one of their professional line so I had to order it online, but I was able to get it in a quart can.

I finished a walnut sofa table last year with it and I was really happy with the results.

Just last week I used it to finish a oak table top that I refinished for a friend. Turned out great and the owner was ore then pleased.

I have not brushed it, but I am sure that a wide foam brush or quality brush for water based products will work fine.

I have also used Minwax Oil Modified Water Based products and that stuff goes on great. I used it on my stairs last year and no noticeable wear after a year of hard use.

[Kansas City Fireslayer]

Thanks for the recommendation Scoony. Did you use a sealer at all with either product? Did the GF product keep a "cooler" looking tone with the walnut? I know that's subjective but when I think of "warm" with a finish I think amber. I hope that makes sense.

While I have your attention, have you used the GF finish over any of the milk paint projects you've done? Milk paint may be an option for the base and chairs if I buy unfinished chairs. I don't have the chairs yet but I know rubber wood chairs finish with much difficulty and a safer route would be an opaque finish. I have some old fashioned brand milk paint I need to experiment with. The chairs may end up being an old solid maple set made by Ethan Allen. There's many sets floating around and they're usually very cheap for the wood and construction you're getting.

[Worthing]

That top looks almost exactly like the air dried black walnut desktop I did earlier this year. I'd send a picture but it's covered with papers and monitors.

I went easy, BLO and GF Arm-R-Seal brushed on with a foam brush for 3-4 coats, then sanded back a bit (not all the way back to wood) so the grain is mostly leveled. Then a couple coats to build it back up and finally a few coats of GF Arm-R-Seal mixed 50/50 with mineral spirits to create a wiping varnish to get it back to a gloss finish.

This combination did a fantastic job of bringing out all of the colors and hues in the walnut. There are browns, purples, reds, oranges...it's beautiful. I wouldn't even consider a dye.

I recently finished a cabinet made from walnut plywood, so probably not air dried, with GF Endurovar. It looks nice. It does not even compare to the beauty of the desktop though.

I need to clean the desk anyway, I'll do so tomorrow and snap some pictures.


Shane

[jteneyck]

That's going to be a great looking table, Damon. EnduroVar would be a good choice if you want to use a brushable WB varnish. It brushes nicely with a foam brush and is very chemically durable. It doesn't look blue either, like some WB finishes. It doesn't have a UV package in it, but it is advertised as looking and aging like OB varnish, which should counteract some of the fading that happens to walnut. GF's HP Poly is the only WB, brushable product I've used with a UV package in it, but I wouldn't use that on a kitchen or dining table.

I would not hesitate to use a dye under it either. But if you do, I would apply a spray coat of shellac or other sealer over the dye before using a WB product that you plan to apply by brush. Otherwise, the brush will pull up some of the dye and make a muddy mess.

Someone just posted about rubbing out EnduroVar, too, so if you want to do that you should be able to.

But Arm-R-Seal would be my number one recommendation on walnut. It is very chemically durable and just looks amazing, as another poster said. It will take longer to dry, but the results are hard to beat.





You can rub out ARS after 10 - 12 days using whatever technique you like.

If you want a WB finish to go over GF's Milk Paint, they recommend HP Poly. It works very well, but if you want a higher level of protection I would spray GF's Enduro Clear Poly (not to be confused with EnduroVar). It's a spray only product. It's almost as chemically durable as EnduroVar, harder, and water clear.

I buy EnduroVar and Arm-R-Seal from my local Rocklers, when I have to. Otherwise, the best prices I've found for GF's products is through Woodworker's Hardware. All the products I mentioned are available in quarts.

John

[JR1]

basically +! for John. I like to use shellac (I like the red of Thai seed on oak) . Use a 1# cut coat and 1 to 3 coats. If the color isn't right add transtint. Shellac wipes a sprays very easily although brushing is difficult. You can use about any finish as a topcoat and I do like the GF.

[Scoony]

For the walnut table, I used tung oil, allowed that to dry several days, then sprayed the finish. The customer did not want the walnut too dark so that it would match better with their existing furniture.

For the oak table, I used Minwax honey oak stain followed by two coats of garnet shellac to better match the original finish on the apron. I basically sealed in the stain, but the main purpose was color matching and the shellac added in the reds that I needed. I then top coated with the GF product.

For the projects that I used milk paint on, I top coated with either Minwax Antique Oil, or home brew Varnish/oil/MS mix. I have been using the Antique oil more and more and really like that stuff. For the home brew, I have been using Sherwin Williams Varnish which works really nicely.

JR, why do you always have to mention that shellac is hard to brush? Basically, your discouraging folks from trying new techniques. Brushing shellac is hard if you never try. Heck dovetails are hard if you never try. I prefer to spray shellac and will pad it on occasionally, however it is not that hard to brush if you give it a try. We should be helpful and encouraging, not telling fudge that "You can't do that"

[Kansas City Fireslayer]

Thanks for the input everyone. I haven't had much Woodnet time lately with the ongoing construction of the table. I'll report back on this topic....

[JR1]

Well it may be me; but a lot of folks seam to have problems. It does brush OK, but wipes far easier and sprays easiest of all. I hate to see folks shy away from a very useful family of finishes.

[Gregory of Sherwood Forest]

Damon, we are carrying General Finishes at Metro Hardwoods now. Drop in and I'll cut you a deal.

Good stuff!