I'm refinishing a mahogany dining room table top. I plan to strip the old
varnish, sand thoroughly, stain, and cover with a high-gloss polyurethene.

Question: Which is better, oil-based or water-based polyurethene?

"Ray" wrote in message
...
I'm refinishing a mahogany dining room table top. I plan to strip the old
varnish, sand thoroughly, stain, and cover with a high-gloss polyurethene.

Question: Which is better, oil-based or water-based polyurethene?




If you really want a top notch finish, use the oil base. If it is mahogany,
no stain is needed, just the natural beauty of the wood.

Thin the first coat about 25% with mineral spirits Sand with 220 grit
Apply second coat, then sand with 220 grit
Apply third coat and sand with 20
Apply fourth coat, let it cure a minimum of 2 weeks. sand with 400 grit
Sand with 600 grit
Rub with pumice
Rub with rottenstone
Wax
Admire

Yes, it is worth the time to do it right

On Aug 7, 8:13*am, "Ray" wrote:
I'm refinishing a mahogany dining room table top. I plan to strip the old
varnish, sand thoroughly, stain, and cover with a high-gloss polyurethene..

Question: Which is better, oil-based or water-based polyurethene?

Water base cures faster, oil has more time to level out smoother.
Water base probably wont be as impervious to a stain from a wet cup
sitting. Gloss oil is a harder finish. Gloss is the right way to go as
the dulling agent to make satin finishes makes the product cloudy, not
as clear so it will hide grains beauty, and the dulling agent makes it
softer. For a table I would use gloss poly over water base and do as
Ed says. Or do the final coat in satin if you wish.

On 8/7/2010 8:05 AM, dadiOH wrote:
Ray wrote:
I'm refinishing a mahogany dining room table top. I plan to strip the
old varnish, sand thoroughly, stain, and cover with a high-gloss
polyurethene.
Question: Which is better, oil-based or water-based polyurethene?

Oil. It will enhance the natural color of the mahogany and is harder. Skip
the stain, mahogany is too pretty to stain.

Besides which, it's difficult to do a good stain job on something that's
already been finished before.

IMO, you would also do better
with semi-gloss ...high gloss will show every imperfection.

"dadiOH" wrote

Always apply full gloss poly. Let the last coat cure fully
and then you can add a semi-gloss finish -- the quick way
to do that is simply by rubbing the surface with #0000
steel wool and wax.

The gives a semi gloss effect on the surface. If you use
those other products, you'll have the semi-opaque effect
through the entire depth of the finish which masks the
natural beauty of the wood.

Do you mean - seriously - that you can tell the difference between a piece
of wood finished totally with semi-gloss vs. one finished with gloss
except for the last coat? Sorry, I don't believe it. Not unless you put
on scads and *SCADS* of semi-gloss coats.



Anyone that is serious about nice finishes can. Really, they can.

On Aug 7, 6:47*pm, (Malcolm Hoar) wrote:
In article hhj7o.58882$LU.46402@hurricane, "dadiOH" wrote:
Do you mean - seriously - that you can tell the difference between a piece
of wood finished totally with semi-gloss vs. one finished with gloss except
for the last coat? *Sorry, I don't believe it. *Not unless you put on scads
and *SCADS* of semi-gloss coats.

4-6 costs of semi-gloss? Yes, I can see the difference easily.

3-5 costs of gloss followed by one coat of semi-gloss? It's
doubtful if I can see the difference in the finish.

But why buy two types of poly? One can does it all!

Hardness. The flatteners in semi-gloss affect the hardness of the
poly.

If the OP wants the most durable finish, he should go with a two part
catalyzed water based polyurethane meant for floors. Traffic and Trek
Plus are two brand names.

http://woodworkersjournal.com/forum/...hp?t-8392.html
The last post in that thread also addresses the apparent sheen of
gloss with final semi gloss vs all semi gloss.

R

On Aug 7, 8:08*pm, RicodJour wrote:
On Aug 7, 6:47*pm, (Malcolm Hoar) wrote:

In article hhj7o.58882$LU.46402@hurricane, "dadiOH" wrote:
Do you mean - seriously - that you can tell the difference between a piece
of wood finished totally with semi-gloss vs. one finished with gloss except
for the last coat? *Sorry, I don't believe it. *Not unless you put on scads
and *SCADS* of semi-gloss coats.

4-6 costs of semi-gloss? Yes, I can see the difference easily.

3-5 costs of gloss followed by one coat of semi-gloss? It's
doubtful if I can see the difference in the finish.

But why buy two types of poly? One can does it all!

Hardness. *The flatteners in semi-gloss affect the hardness of the
poly.

If the OP wants the most durable finish, he should go with a two part
catalyzed water based polyurethane meant for floors. *Traffic and Trek
Plus are two brand names.

http://woodworkersjournal.com/forum/...hp?t-8392.html
The last post in that thread also addresses the apparent sheen of
gloss with final semi gloss vs all semi gloss.

R

Thats expensive stuff, is it even sold in quarts.

On Aug 7, 10:21*pm, ransley wrote:
On Aug 7, 8:08*pm, RicodJour wrote:
On Aug 7, 6:47*pm, (Malcolm Hoar) wrote:
In article hhj7o.58882$LU.46402@hurricane, "dadiOH" wrote:

Do you mean - seriously - that you can tell the difference between a piece
of wood finished totally with semi-gloss vs. one finished with gloss except
for the last coat? *Sorry, I don't believe it. *Not unless you put on scads
and *SCADS* of semi-gloss coats.

4-6 costs of semi-gloss? Yes, I can see the difference easily.

3-5 costs of gloss followed by one coat of semi-gloss? It's
doubtful if I can see the difference in the finish.

But why buy two types of poly? One can does it all!

Hardness. *The flatteners in semi-gloss affect the hardness of the
poly.

If the OP wants the most durable finish, he should go with a two part
catalyzed water based polyurethane meant for floors. *Traffic and Trek
Plus are two brand names.

http://woodworkersjournal.com/forum/...hp?t-8392.html
The last post in that thread also addresses the apparent sheen of
gloss with final semi gloss vs all semi gloss.


Thats expensive stuff, is it even sold in quarts.

Hey, it's my job to spend other people's money.

As far as I know it's only sold in gallons.

R

On Aug 7, 8:13*am, "Ray" wrote:
I'm refinishing a mahogany dining room table top. I plan to strip the old
varnish, sand thoroughly, stain, and cover with a high-gloss polyurethene..

Question: Which is better, oil-based or water-based polyurethene?

Oil based poly is yellowish, water based is not. Water based dries
much faster. Factor that into your choice.

Joe

On Aug 7, 9:31*pm, RicodJour wrote:
On Aug 7, 10:21*pm, ransley wrote:





On Aug 7, 8:08*pm, RicodJour wrote:
On Aug 7, 6:47*pm, (Malcolm Hoar) wrote:
In article hhj7o.58882$LU.46402@hurricane, "dadiOH" wrote:

Do you mean - seriously - that you can tell the difference between a piece
of wood finished totally with semi-gloss vs. one finished with gloss except
for the last coat? *Sorry, I don't believe it. *Not unless you put on scads
and *SCADS* of semi-gloss coats.

4-6 costs of semi-gloss? Yes, I can see the difference easily.

3-5 costs of gloss followed by one coat of semi-gloss? It's
doubtful if I can see the difference in the finish.

But why buy two types of poly? One can does it all!

Hardness. *The flatteners in semi-gloss affect the hardness of the
poly.

If the OP wants the most durable finish, he should go with a two part
catalyzed water based polyurethane meant for floors. *Traffic and Trek
Plus are two brand names.

http://woodworkersjournal.com/forum/...hp?t-8392.html
The last post in that thread also addresses the apparent sheen of
gloss with final semi gloss vs all semi gloss.

Thats expensive stuff, is it even sold in quarts.

Hey, it's my job to spend other people's money. *

As far as I know it's only sold in gallons.

R- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

So probably 100$ and he will have 7 quarts left.

On Aug 7, 11:46*pm, Joe wrote:
On Aug 7, 8:13*am, "Ray" wrote:

I'm refinishing a mahogany dining room table top. I plan to strip the old
varnish, sand thoroughly, stain, and cover with a high-gloss polyurethene.

Question: Which is better, oil-based or water-based polyurethene?

Oil based poly is yellowish, water based is not. Water based dries
much faster. Factor that into your choice.

Joe

Dries faster = doesnt level and retains brush marks. Yellow, my
antiques look fine, unless he wants the Ikea look, but the
practicability of the smoothest and toughest finish make oil the
choise for wood workers that use a brush.

On Aug 8, 7:12*am, ransley wrote:
On Aug 7, 9:31*pm, RicodJour wrote:



On Aug 7, 10:21*pm, ransley wrote:

On Aug 7, 8:08*pm, RicodJour wrote:
On Aug 7, 6:47*pm, (Malcolm Hoar) wrote:
In article hhj7o.58882$LU.46402@hurricane, "dadiOH" wrote:

Do you mean - seriously - that you can tell the difference between a piece
of wood finished totally with semi-gloss vs. one finished with gloss except
for the last coat? *Sorry, I don't believe it. *Not unless you put on scads
and *SCADS* of semi-gloss coats.

4-6 costs of semi-gloss? Yes, I can see the difference easily.

3-5 costs of gloss followed by one coat of semi-gloss? It's
doubtful if I can see the difference in the finish.

But why buy two types of poly? One can does it all!

Hardness. *The flatteners in semi-gloss affect the hardness of the
poly.

If the OP wants the most durable finish, he should go with a two part
catalyzed water based polyurethane meant for floors. *Traffic and Trek
Plus are two brand names.

http://woodworkersjournal.com/forum/...hp?t-8392.html
The last post in that thread also addresses the apparent sheen of
gloss with final semi gloss vs all semi gloss.

Thats expensive stuff, is it even sold in quarts.

Hey, it's my job to spend other people's money. *

As far as I know it's only sold in gallons.

So probably 100$ and he will have 7 quarts left.

So he'll have enough to do more furniture, his foyer floor or
whatever, and the table will be finished in a day. Someone else was
suggesting multiple coats and taking weeks to do the work. There are
always trade offs in life.

R

In article
,
ransley wrote:

On Aug 7, 9:31*pm, RicodJour wrote:
On Aug 7, 10:21*pm, ransley Mark wrote:





On Aug 7, 8:08*pm, RicodJour wrote:
On Aug 7, 6:47*pm, (Malcolm Hoar) wrote:
In article hhj7o.58882$LU.46402@hurricane, "dadiOH"
wrote:

Do you mean - seriously - that you can tell the difference between a
piece
of wood finished totally with semi-gloss vs. one finished with gloss
except
for the last coat? *Sorry, I don't believe it. *Not unless you put
on scads
and *SCADS* of semi-gloss coats.

4-6 costs of semi-gloss? Yes, I can see the difference easily.

3-5 costs of gloss followed by one coat of semi-gloss? It's
doubtful if I can see the difference in the finish.

But why buy two types of poly? One can does it all!

Hardness. *The flatteners in semi-gloss affect the hardness of the
poly.

If the OP wants the most durable finish, he should go with a two part
catalyzed water based polyurethane meant for floors. *Traffic and Trek
Plus are two brand names.

http://woodworkersjournal.com/forum/...hp?t-8392.html
The last post in that thread also addresses the apparent sheen of
gloss with final semi gloss vs all semi gloss.

Thats expensive stuff, is it even sold in quarts.

Hey, it's my job to spend other people's money. *

As far as I know it's only sold in gallons.

R- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

So probably 100$ and he will have 7 quarts left.

If he can buy a gallon, use some, and end up with 7 quarts left, I'd say
he's making a good profit.

"Smitty Two" wrote
If the OP wants the most durable finish, he should go with a two
part
catalyzed water based polyurethane meant for floors. Traffic and
Trek
Plus are two brand names.

So probably 100$ and he will have 7 quarts left.

If he can buy a gallon, use some, and end up with 7 quarts left, I'd say
he's making a good profit.

That was my first though, then I realized you may have to buy a gallon of
each to mix. Imron is a 3:1 ratio (and is about $300 a gallon)
These come in 2 gallon kits http://www.ipaint.us/poguehbephib.html

On Aug 8, 11:27*am, "Ed Pawlowski" wrote:
"Smitty Two" wrote

If the OP wants the most durable finish, he should go with a two
part
catalyzed water based polyurethane meant for floors. *Traffic and
Trek
Plus are two brand names.
So probably 100$ and he will have 7 quarts left.

If he can buy a gallon, use some, and end up with 7 quarts left, I'd say
he's making a good profit.

That was my first though, then I realized you may have to buy a gallon of
each to mix. *Imron is a 3:1 ratio (and is about $300 a gallon)
These come in 2 gallon kitshttp://www.ipaint.us/poguehbephib.html

Nah - not nearly so bad. This is where I get it from:
http://www.goldcoastflooring.com/Flo..._1_Gallon.aspx

The catalyst comes in a pint container, and it's poured into the jug
and mixed directly. It's a good system. There's a strainer screen in
the cap and the jug is great for pouring it onto the floor. For
smaller batches you'd obviously need a smaller mixing container. Pot
life is something like six hours, so you can get ~three coats out of a
mixed batch.

R

On Aug 8, 8:30*am, RicodJour wrote:
On Aug 8, 7:12*am, ransley wrote:





On Aug 7, 9:31*pm, RicodJour wrote:

On Aug 7, 10:21*pm, ransley wrote:

On Aug 7, 8:08*pm, RicodJour wrote:
On Aug 7, 6:47*pm, (Malcolm Hoar) wrote:
In article hhj7o.58882$LU.46402@hurricane, "dadiOH" wrote:

Do you mean - seriously - that you can tell the difference between a piece
of wood finished totally with semi-gloss vs. one finished with gloss except
for the last coat? *Sorry, I don't believe it. *Not unless you put on scads
and *SCADS* of semi-gloss coats.

4-6 costs of semi-gloss? Yes, I can see the difference easily.

3-5 costs of gloss followed by one coat of semi-gloss? It's
doubtful if I can see the difference in the finish.

But why buy two types of poly? One can does it all!

Hardness. *The flatteners in semi-gloss affect the hardness of the
poly.

If the OP wants the most durable finish, he should go with a two part
catalyzed water based polyurethane meant for floors. *Traffic and Trek
Plus are two brand names.

http://woodworkersjournal.com/forum/...hp?t-8392.html
The last post in that thread also addresses the apparent sheen of
gloss with final semi gloss vs all semi gloss.

Thats expensive stuff, is it even sold in quarts.

Hey, it's my job to spend other people's money. *

As far as I know it's only sold in gallons.

So probably 100$ and he will have 7 quarts left.

So he'll have enough to do more furniture, his foyer floor or
whatever, and the table will be finished in a day. *Someone else was
suggesting multiple coats and taking weeks to do the work. *There are
always trade offs in life.

R- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Or he is like me, and it will sit in his basement till the can rust
away.

On Sun, 08 Aug 2010 07:27:07 -0700, Smitty Two
wrote:

In article
,
ransley wrote:

On Aug 7, 9:31*pm, RicodJour wrote:
On Aug 7, 10:21*pm, ransley Mark wrote:





On Aug 7, 8:08*pm, RicodJour wrote:
On Aug 7, 6:47*pm, (Malcolm Hoar) wrote:
In article hhj7o.58882$LU.46402@hurricane, "dadiOH"
wrote:

Do you mean - seriously - that you can tell the difference between a
piece
of wood finished totally with semi-gloss vs. one finished with gloss
except
for the last coat? *Sorry, I don't believe it. *Not unless you put
on scads
and *SCADS* of semi-gloss coats.

4-6 costs of semi-gloss? Yes, I can see the difference easily.

3-5 costs of gloss followed by one coat of semi-gloss? It's
doubtful if I can see the difference in the finish.

But why buy two types of poly? One can does it all!

Hardness. *The flatteners in semi-gloss affect the hardness of the
poly.

If the OP wants the most durable finish, he should go with a two part
catalyzed water based polyurethane meant for floors. *Traffic and Trek
Plus are two brand names.

http://woodworkersjournal.com/forum/...hp?t-8392.html
The last post in that thread also addresses the apparent sheen of
gloss with final semi gloss vs all semi gloss.

Thats expensive stuff, is it even sold in quarts.

Hey, it's my job to spend other people's money. *

As far as I know it's only sold in gallons.

R- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

So probably 100$ and he will have 7 quarts left.

If he can buy a gallon, use some, and end up with 7 quarts left, I'd say
he's making a good profit.

But his profit is in polyurethane. Try to spend that when your
shopping.

If it's too heavy to carry you can carry a Polyurethane Debit Card.

But the store has to have a Polyurethane Modem or it won't work.