On 06/27/2017 4:56 PM, Bob wrote:
Hi,

Have a piece of red oak, perhaps 12 x 12 x 3/4 which I put a few holes into
to mount a small circular barometer.

Wood has a beautiful grain, that I would always like to see.

Several folks at HD and Lowe's said the "best" way to finish it off,
and still be able to see the grain, is a clear Min Wax Poly Urethane.

Do you agree ?
Or,...?
....

No, not really, altho it depends on the look you want. Do you want
really, shiny, plastic-y coating look or a more subtle shine?

For the novice, the essentially foolproof solution I'd suggest would be
to use a wiping oil instead; I've used the original Minwax oil (in the
red can) for 50 years...it you do just flood the surface and wipe then
buff. Add a few extra coats for extra luster; finish off with a good
paste wax if want a little more shine yet.

There's no worry on brush marks, the no-see-um flying by and getting
stuck in the wet surface and it doesn't look like polyurethane (a big
plus in my book ).

It does have a slight amber color to it that adds a little warm tone; w/
red oak I think it works well...if the section you have has very open
pores there will be a little collected in them that will take some time
to dry and may be a little seepout that need to rub down later. You can
fix this first with a sanding sealer coat first to fill the
pores...won't change color but will fill the pores so aren't quite so
pronounced...

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