DIYbanter - View Single Post - Cherry-Walnut kitchen countertop finish?

(ed_h) wrote in message . com...
Very interesting idea. I've done some similar things, and can offer
some experience:

1. Cherry gets darker over time, walnut gets lighter. The time may
come when the contrast is greatly subdued.

2. Providing you keep standing water wiped up, the biggest risk of
damage from water is in endgrain areas that you can't get to, like the
perimeter of the sink cutout, or the faucet cutouts (depending on
whether the sink mounts from above or below). Caulks will fail.

3. Even normal use in a kitchen is pretty tough service for any
surface coating, and unfortunately, the most durable are probably the
least asthetically appealing (IMO, at least). I'd consider a
non-toxic oil treatment--not a finish, really--like regular
applications of mineral oil. This is traditional on maple or similar
countertops. This has the advantage of being more repairable.

I recently purchased the "Understanding Wood Finishing" (1994) by Bob
Flexner and read parts of it. I think this is a very good book and he
knows what he is talking about. This is what he says about water
protection (From Page 202):
"Resistance to water and water vapor depends as much on the thickness
of the finish as it does on the type of finish. The three type of
varnish (alkyd, phenolic and polyurethane), which are nearly
impermeable to water and water vapor when built up to a thick film,
lose almost all of their resistance when applied thin in the form of a
wiping varnish. ... It follows that oil-containing finishes offer very
little protection against water and water vapor, because they are also
very thin.
Among the film finishes, the best water and water vapor protection
is provided by varnish and conversion finishes. ..."

On page 208 he rates (0 being the worst and 5 being the best) oil
containing finishes for water resistance as:

Wax: 0 to 2
Oil-Containing finishes: 0 to 2
Shellac: 2
Varnish Polyurethane: 5
Conversion Finishes: 5

What is best for water protection is listed as worst for repair and
appearence like you are saying.

I am still not sure which way I should go!

I may end up applying conversion varnish underneath the block and oil
on top like you and Matt suggested.

Jim