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I'm making my first edge grain countertop and I'm looking for a little advice on finishing it. I will be using Waterlox on the top and sides but I'm looking for tips on finishing the bottom side. I'm sure many of you know that Waterlox is expensive so I'm looking for an alternative for the bottom. I'm thinking about just a coat or two of shellac to seal it off. Can anyone convince me of a better idea?
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How about either a full coat on both sides of seal coat shellac followed by Waterlox on the top? Or carefully seal just the bottom with any shellac and only Waterlox on the top?
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My idea is a full 2-3 coats of Waterlox (as per their instructions) on the top and then a coat or 2 of shellac on the bottom. With Waterlox being a penetrating oil, wouldn't a sealcoat of shellac interfere with the oil?
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If it were mine I’d do 1 coat Waterlox to the whole piece then build more on the top. I agree that I’d expect a better raw wood bite without the shellac but shellac has an excellent track record of anything sticking to shellac and shellac sticking to anything. I would do a sample piece first.
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(02-12-2022, 10:28 AM)mr_skittle Wrote: I'm making my first edge grain countertop and I'm looking for a little advice on finishing it. I will be using Waterlox on the top and sides but I'm looking for tips on finishing the bottom side. I'm sure many of you know that Waterlox is expensive so I'm looking for an alternative for the bottom. I'm thinking about just a coat or two of shellac to seal it off. Can anyone convince me of a better idea?
You're making this for sale, right? Ask yourself how much your reputation is worth vs. the cost of a couple of coats of Waterlox for the bottom.
John
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(02-12-2022, 08:33 PM)jteneyck Wrote: You're making this for sale, right? Ask yourself how much your reputation is worth vs. the cost of a couple of coats of Waterlox for the bottom.
John
Agreed. Would that cost even $10?
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Yes, I am making it for sale and I've already paid for the Waterlox with the client's deposit. So yes, I will go ahead and put the finish on both sides and call it a day. I have no other reason for my inquiry other than the fact that I am a penny-pincher to my core. It's the mindset that I've had forever in every part of my life. It's a mindset that I've got to work on now that I'm operating my own furniture business. Old habits die hard. Thanks for the input!
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If I was using Waterlox, I would not worry about the cost of it. A can of it goes a long way, then you have the issue of storing it in smaller and smaller containers so it doesn't gel.
BTW, You can order 2 oz containers of Waterlox directly from the company. A little more expensive per ounce, but for smaller projects where you don't want to open a larger can, they can be great.
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OMG, you’re making something for sale and are worried about cost of material ?
That’s the client’s problem to worry about.
Like jten said, you need to be more concerned with your reputation.
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This is not the advice you are looking for...why are you using Waterlox on a counter top? Waterlox was my go-to finish (wish someone would give me $1 for every can I bought). If it were mine, I would want a poly finish. If I'm wrong, hope someone will step forward and explain.
"I tried being reasonable..........I didn't like it." Clint Eastwood
