Craft table

[Gregor1]

My 2 youngest grand daughters are both 7 years old. They have out grown their present craft table that's in one of our spare bedrooms. I want to make them a new one. The top will be a combination of ash and maple. ( my wife chose the wood ) They use markers, paints, crayons, glue, and an assortment of anything they can get their hands on. What would make the most durable, and cleanable, finish for this new table top?

Thanks Greg

[Willyou]

Probably one of the polyurethane products; especially one made for floors, would be the most durable of the film finishes. If I was doing it, I would consider nothing other than a plastic laminate for this purpose.

[Bill Wilson]

Probably one of the polyurethane products; especially one made for floors, would be the most durable of the film finishes. If I was doing it, I would consider nothing other than a plastic laminate for this purpose.

Agreed.  In fact, I would perhaps lean towards something sacrificial, that could be replaced, like coated hardboard (whiteboard) or something similar.

[OneStaple]

Something like plastic laminate will be easiest to clean. If you stick with wood, I'd advocate that the top be maple only and not ash. Things like crayon shavings will get in the open pores of the ash and be impossible to fully clean. Unless you take measures to fill the pores as part of the finishing process.

Tyler

[Gregor1]

I mentioned before that I was making a craft table for my two youngest grand daughters. It's taken me a while, but I finally have it completed. The base is an old treadle sewing machine. The top is maple with walnut inlay. May not look much like a little girls craft table, but they like it. As far as deciding on a finish, I went with poly, then covered the whole thing with plexiglass. If it gets too marred up, I can simply replace it.
[attachment=44683]
And it has secrets. There is a small drawer under the table, with their names on each side.
[attachment=44684]
[attachment=44685]
And it has another secret. Without going onto great detail, there is a pencil sharpener mounted, held against the treadle wheel with a torsion spring. While one of the pumps the treadle, the other can sharpen her colored pencil.
[attachment=44686]
And there is one more secret. When not in use as a craft table, the top slides back, and down, and a secondary top put in place, which makes it a simple side table, not taking up as much space in the room.
[attachment=44686]