In article ,
"Ed's Stuff" wrote:

Hi Folks
What do you recommend as the final finish for an oak table top. ie varnish,
lacquer , urethan, polyurethane. et.

Also the best way to apply your favorite finish.

Doesn't the answer always seem to be prefaced with, "it depends"?

Well, it depends... how much wear and use do you think the table will
get? A hard used top - especially with kids - would be long-wearing and
relatively low maintenance with polyurethane. (Water based is OK, but I
don't like the bluish cast to the cured finish - oil based lends a warm,
amber cast.)

A table with thinking, moderately careful use will be beautiful with
varnish. This is easy to resand at a later date and recoat - something
not as easily accomplished with polyurethane. Subsequent finishes,
purportedly, don't adhere well to poly - even poly itself - but you
won't have any problem with varnish recoating over varnish.

Lacquer looks good but is more time and skill intensive to apply well.
It can hold up well with care and repairs well with a little practice.

All that said, I finished a red oak futon with polyurethane about 6
years ago and it's held up well in our "TV room" over the use of our now
6 year old.

If you like a "close to the wood" finish where it is protected but
doesn't have the look of a built up finish go with a rubbed in finish
with a cotton rag - multiple coats. If you want a visibly coated finish
go with either spray or brush. (I sprayed the poly on the futon because
I wanted a thicker finish that would be more long-wearing.)
--
Owen Lowe
The Fly-by-Night Copper Company
__________

"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the
Corporate States of America and to the
Republicans for which it stands, one nation,
under debt, easily divisible, with liberty
and justice for oil."
- Wiley Miller, Non Sequitur, 1/24/05