I'm fixin' to sculpture some stair treads from some rough cut red oak i
practically stole from an Amish auction ( 85 cents per BF). What i need
to know is what finish i can use that meets the following criteria:

1. not water based poly
2. natural (as clear as oil based can do)
3. not too slick to sock feet

Things that don't matter:

1. odor while applying
2. cost
3. time takes to finish properly

thanks in advance! ,
--
Steve Barker
remove the "not" from my address to email

So I am particular to shellac.
I would do blonde or super blonde dewaxed shellac since you want it as
clear as possible.

That will still help pop the grain.

As far as not too slick. That can be mitigated with sanding after, with
any finish.

Other advantages, in one day you can get 4 coats done. Fast drying so
less dust nubs.
Low odor.

On 2/18/2012 4:42 PM, Steve Barker wrote:
I'm fixin' to sculpture some stair treads from some rough cut red oak i
practically stole from an Amish auction ( 85 cents per BF). What i need
to know is what finish i can use that meets the following criteria:

1. not water based poly
2. natural (as clear as oil based can do)
3. not too slick to sock feet

Things that don't matter:

1. odor while applying
2. cost
3. time takes to finish properly

thanks in advance! ,

On 2/18/2012 4:07 PM, tiredofspam wrote:
So I am particular to shellac.
I would do blonde or super blonde dewaxed shellac since you want it as
clear as possible.

That will still help pop the grain.

As far as not too slick. That can be mitigated with sanding after, with
any finish.

Other advantages, in one day you can get 4 coats done. Fast drying so
less dust nubs.
Low odor.

thanks for the reply. I've never even touched a speck of shellac, but i
must admit after reading all the stuff on this group, my curiosity is
sparked.

On Feb 18, 9:14*pm, Steve Barker wrote:
On 2/18/2012 4:07 PM, tiredofspam wrote:

So I am particular to shellac.
I would do blonde or super blonde dewaxed shellac since you want it as
clear as possible.

That will still help pop the grain.

As far as not too slick. That can be mitigated with sanding after, with
any finish.

Other advantages, in one day you can get 4 coats done. Fast drying so
less dust nubs.
Low odor.

thanks for the reply. *I've never even touched a speck of shellac, but i
must admit after reading all the stuff on this group, my curiosity is
sparked.

Shellac is soft and mars easily. Not suitable for stairs IMHO. I would
use 1 coat BLO to pop the grain, one coat zinsser "seal coat " shellac
for sanding seal and 3-4 coats water poly after. The BLO and shellac
will make the oak beautiful and then the water poly won't give the
lifeless look it would without the 2 steps before it. I do it all the
time with kitchens and such and the look is fabulous.
Amish red oak sounds like it is ~not~ kiln dried. I would be sure it
is KD for stair treads.

RP

On 2/18/2012 3:42 PM, Steve Barker wrote:
I'm fixin' to sculpture some stair treads from some rough cut red oak i
practically stole from an Amish auction ( 85 cents per BF). What i need
to know is what finish i can use that meets the following criteria:

1. not water based poly
2. natural (as clear as oil based can do)
3. not too slick to sock feet

Things that don't matter:

1. odor while applying
2. cost
3. time takes to finish properly

thanks in advance! ,
You need a tough finish, shellac as mentioned would probably be a less
than desirable finish.

A lot of what you want is not going to be easily achieved.

You need a hard finish and a hard finish tends to be slippery.

To make a surface less slick you can mix in sand. but test with and with
out for desired results.

The clearest finish will be water based.

If you absolutely must have an oil based varnish consider General
Finishes Arm R Seal

http://www.generalfinishes.com/retai...base-top-coats


Simply put, you need to be careful on stairs. Solid wood stairs and
socked feet are going to add an element of risk.

On 2/18/2012 3:42 PM, Steve Barker wrote:
I'm fixin' to sculpture some stair treads from some rough cut red oak i
practically stole from an Amish auction ( 85 cents per BF). What i need
to know is what finish i can use that meets the following criteria:

1. not water based poly
2. natural (as clear as oil based can do)
3. not too slick to sock feet

What all sane floor finishers use ... polyurethane. Follow the
instructions on the can.

--
www.eWoodShop.com
Last update: 4/15/2010
KarlCaillouet@ (the obvious)
http://gplus.to/eWoodShop

Before poly, shellac was a common wood floor finish.
It was durable enough, dried quickly.

Shellac's downside is alcohol resistance.
As far as fixing spots, shellac beats them all. Why?
Because it repairs easily remelting the previous layers for repairs.
Lacquer does this too, but it requires more prep, and smells.

But yes, Poly is more durable. But can't be repaired. Poly won't stick
to long cured poly.

On 2/19/2012 9:46 AM, Leon wrote:
On 2/18/2012 3:42 PM, Steve Barker wrote:
I'm fixin' to sculpture some stair treads from some rough cut red oak i
practically stole from an Amish auction ( 85 cents per BF). What i need
to know is what finish i can use that meets the following criteria:

1. not water based poly
2. natural (as clear as oil based can do)
3. not too slick to sock feet

Things that don't matter:

1. odor while applying
2. cost
3. time takes to finish properly

thanks in advance! ,
You need a tough finish, shellac as mentioned would probably be a less
than desirable finish.

A lot of what you want is not going to be easily achieved.

You need a hard finish and a hard finish tends to be slippery.

To make a surface less slick you can mix in sand. but test with and with
out for desired results.

The clearest finish will be water based.

If you absolutely must have an oil based varnish consider General
Finishes Arm R Seal

http://www.generalfinishes.com/retai...base-top-coats


Simply put, you need to be careful on stairs. Solid wood stairs and
socked feet are going to add an element of risk.

Wow, shellac soft?
I don't think so. It is very hard once fully cured.

On 2/19/2012 8:15 AM, RP wrote:
On Feb 18, 9:14 pm, Steve wrote:
On 2/18/2012 4:07 PM, tiredofspam wrote:

So I am particular to shellac.
I would do blonde or super blonde dewaxed shellac since you want it as
clear as possible.

That will still help pop the grain.

As far as not too slick. That can be mitigated with sanding after, with
any finish.

Other advantages, in one day you can get 4 coats done. Fast drying so
less dust nubs.
Low odor.

thanks for the reply. I've never even touched a speck of shellac, but i
must admit after reading all the stuff on this group, my curiosity is
sparked.

Shellac is soft and mars easily. Not suitable for stairs IMHO. I would
use 1 coat BLO to pop the grain, one coat zinsser "seal coat " shellac
for sanding seal and 3-4 coats water poly after. The BLO and shellac
will make the oak beautiful and then the water poly won't give the
lifeless look it would without the 2 steps before it. I do it all the
time with kitchens and such and the look is fabulous.
Amish red oak sounds like it is ~not~ kiln dried. I would be sure it
is KD for stair treads.

RP

What all finishers used to use before POLY? Shellac.


On 2/19/2012 10:31 AM, Swingman wrote:
On 2/18/2012 3:42 PM, Steve Barker wrote:
I'm fixin' to sculpture some stair treads from some rough cut red oak i
practically stole from an Amish auction ( 85 cents per BF). What i need
to know is what finish i can use that meets the following criteria:

1. not water based poly
2. natural (as clear as oil based can do)
3. not too slick to sock feet

What all sane floor finishers use ... polyurethane. Follow the
instructions on the can.

On 2/19/2012 9:54 AM, tiredofspam wrote:

What all finishers used to use before POLY? Shellac.

Not necessarily ... plain old wax was a finish of choice for floor
finishing at one time.

FWIW, at this point you have well established that you are a proponent
of shellac for hardwood floors ... no need to reply to every post that
says otherwise ... you can quit now.

--
www.eWoodShop.com
Last update: 4/15/2010
KarlCaillouet@ (the obvious)
http://gplus.to/eWoodShop

On 2/19/2012 9:52 AM, tiredofspam wrote:
Before poly, shellac was a common wood floor finish.
It was durable enough, dried quickly.

Shellac's downside is alcohol resistance.
....

For flooring it's even bigger disadvantage is water resistance, so
particularly if this is in an entry area that's a consideration.

It is, as noted here and elsewhere, the traditional/historic floor
finish but there are reasons it was surpassed by the poly's and other
floor varnishes and that prime reason is wear.

The key item in choosing here imo would be how much traffic the area
will get and what kind...up and down once in the morning and then again
when go upstairs at night; not such a maintenance issue. Three kids,
two dogs and running up and down constantly; think again...

--

On 2/19/2012 10:15 AM, Swingman wrote:
On 2/19/2012 9:54 AM, tiredofspam wrote:

What all finishers used to use before POLY? Shellac.

Not necessarily ... plain old wax was a finish of choice for floor finishing at
one time.

FWIW, at this point you have well established that you are a proponent of
shellac for hardwood floors ... no need to reply to every post that says
otherwise ... you can quit now.

I seem to recall regular ol' alkyd resin varnish being around for quite a few
years before poly hit the scene. Pretty much the same stuff as today's "Rock
Hard Tabletop Varnish", if I'm not mistaken.

--
Any given amount of traffic flow, no matter how
sparse, will expand to fill all available lanes.
To reply, eat the taco.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboyee/

tiredofspam nospam.nospam.com writes:
Wow, shellac soft?
I don't think so. It is very hard once fully cured.

It is considered a soft finish when compared to hard film finishes such
as polyurethane or spar varnish.

Shellac is not commonly recommended for high traffic areas for that
reason.

Shellac also doesn't tolerate alcohol spills well (but it does repair
easily).

I'd use a good poly for stairs, or a blo-spar-turps blend.

scott

On Feb 19, 10:53*am, tiredofspam nospam.nospam.com wrote:
Wow, shellac soft?
I don't think so. It is very hard once fully cured.


Still fairly soft even when fully cured compared to poly. Mars real
easy. Period. No need to reply. We got ~your~ message.

RP

tiredofspam nospam.nospam.com writes:

On 2/19/2012 10:31 AM, Swingman wrote:
On 2/18/2012 3:42 PM, Steve Barker wrote:
I'm fixin' to sculpture some stair treads from some rough cut red oak i
practically stole from an Amish auction ( 85 cents per BF). What i need
to know is what finish i can use that meets the following criteria:

1. not water based poly
2. natural (as clear as oil based can do)
3. not too slick to sock feet

What all sane floor finishers use ... polyurethane. Follow the
instructions on the can.

What all finishers used to use before POLY? Shellac.

So why did they switch to POLY? Because shellac is inferior
for that application.

scott

"Swingman" wrote in message
...
On 2/19/2012 9:54 AM, tiredofspam wrote:

What all finishers used to use before POLY? Shellac.

Not necessarily ... plain old wax was a finish of choice for floor
finishing at one time.

And before that... nothing! Bare wood was typical in the 18th century and
much of the 19th here in America. BLO was was pretty common too.

John

On 2/19/2012 7:15 AM, RP wrote:
On Feb 18, 9:14 pm, Steve wrote:
On 2/18/2012 4:07 PM, tiredofspam wrote:

So I am particular to shellac.
I would do blonde or super blonde dewaxed shellac since you want it as
clear as possible.

That will still help pop the grain.

As far as not too slick. That can be mitigated with sanding after, with
any finish.

Other advantages, in one day you can get 4 coats done. Fast drying so
less dust nubs.
Low odor.

thanks for the reply. I've never even touched a speck of shellac, but i
must admit after reading all the stuff on this group, my curiosity is
sparked.

Shellac is soft and mars easily. Not suitable for stairs IMHO. I would
use 1 coat BLO to pop the grain, one coat zinsser "seal coat " shellac
for sanding seal and 3-4 coats water poly after. The BLO and shellac
will make the oak beautiful and then the water poly won't give the
lifeless look it would without the 2 steps before it. I do it all the
time with kitchens and such and the look is fabulous.
Amish red oak sounds like it is ~not~ kiln dried. I would be sure it
is KD for stair treads.

RP




no, not dried. But it's been sawn now for about 2+ years. In a garage,
up off the floor. Thanks for the suggestions.

--
Steve Barker
remove the "not" from my address to email

On 2/19/2012 10:29 AM, dpb wrote:
On 2/19/2012 9:52 AM, tiredofspam wrote:
Before poly, shellac was a common wood floor finish.
It was durable enough, dried quickly.

Shellac's downside is alcohol resistance.
...

For flooring it's even bigger disadvantage is water resistance, so
particularly if this is in an entry area that's a consideration.

It is, as noted here and elsewhere, the traditional/historic floor
finish but there are reasons it was surpassed by the poly's and other
floor varnishes and that prime reason is wear.

The key item in choosing here imo would be how much traffic the area
will get and what kind...up and down once in the morning and then again
when go upstairs at night; not such a maintenance issue. Three kids, two
dogs and running up and down constantly; think again...

--

two (almost) senior adults. Twice a day travel.

--
Steve Barker
remove the "not" from my address to email

On 2/19/2012 11:22 AM, Scott Lurndal wrote:
tiredofspamnospam.nospam.com writes:
Wow, shellac soft?
I don't think so. It is very hard once fully cured.

It is considered a soft finish when compared to hard film finishes such
as polyurethane or spar varnish.

Shellac is not commonly recommended for high traffic areas for that
reason.

Shellac also doesn't tolerate alcohol spills well (but it does repair
easily).

I'd use a good poly for stairs, or a blo-spar-turps blend.

scott


well we don't make a habit of carrying open containers of alcohol up and
down the stairs......

--
Steve Barker
remove the "not" from my address to email

Ok, Shellac can water spot, leave an ice cold glass on the floor
overnight and you probably will have a water spot.

As far as mopping, no problem.


Years ago someone did a scientific study on the supposed advantage of
poly over shellac... Well poly just nudged shellac, it really was such a
small margin on durability. Water testing showed poly was marginally
better. Which surprised everyone. All the hype. Shellac is a great
finish. But to those that believe poly rules... have at it. My wife kept
watering a plant on the poly floor. Major damage. No difference between
poly and shellac there.

My dog has destroyed our poly floor. My shellac floor was easily
repaired. The poly floor needs to be sanded all the way down, and
refinished.

I'll continue to use shellac... beauty, ease of application, ease of
maintenance, and nice to know that it is used on pills, so it is safe to
your system.

It is very hard, and therefore polishes beautifuly, buffs up to a high
polished finish, easily sands to a luster. Try that with poly.

On 2/19/2012 11:29 AM, dpb wrote:
On 2/19/2012 9:52 AM, tiredofspam wrote:
Before poly, shellac was a common wood floor finish.
It was durable enough, dried quickly.

Shellac's downside is alcohol resistance.
...

For flooring it's even bigger disadvantage is water resistance, so
particularly if this is in an entry area that's a consideration.

It is, as noted here and elsewhere, the traditional/historic floor
finish but there are reasons it was surpassed by the poly's and other
floor varnishes and that prime reason is wear.

The key item in choosing here imo would be how much traffic the area
will get and what kind...up and down once in the morning and then again
when go upstairs at night; not such a maintenance issue. Three kids, two
dogs and running up and down constantly; think again...

--

Spar finish is soft.. That's it's purpose, it's supposed to be flexible.
Shellac is harder than spar.



On 2/19/2012 12:22 PM, Scott Lurndal wrote:
tiredofspamnospam.nospam.com writes:
Wow, shellac soft?
I don't think so. It is very hard once fully cured.

It is considered a soft finish when compared to hard film finishes such
as polyurethane or spar varnish.

Shellac is not commonly recommended for high traffic areas for that
reason.

Shellac also doesn't tolerate alcohol spills well (but it does repair
easily).

I'd use a good poly for stairs, or a blo-spar-turps blend.

scott

On 2/19/2012 1:03 PM, tiredofspam wrote:
Ok, Shellac can water spot, leave an ice cold glass on the floor
overnight and you probably will have a water spot.
....

Leave a wet shoe or a puddle from a snow melt off the kids' overshoes
and you _will_ have a white spot.

Fixed can be, yes...more likely to need fixing--also, yes.

--

Just trying to beat the thing to death. Many misconceptions about shellac.

On 2/19/2012 11:15 AM, Swingman wrote:
On 2/19/2012 9:54 AM, tiredofspam wrote:

What all finishers used to use before POLY? Shellac.

Not necessarily ... plain old wax was a finish of choice for floor
finishing at one time.

FWIW, at this point you have well established that you are a proponent
of shellac for hardwood floors ... no need to reply to every post that
says otherwise ... you can quit now.

On 2/19/2012 1:03 PM, tiredofspam wrote:

Years ago someone did a scientific study on the supposed advantage of
poly over shellac... Well poly just nudged shellac, it really was such a
small margin on durability. Water testing showed poly was marginally
better. Which surprised everyone. All the hype. Shellac is a great
finish. But to those that believe poly rules... have at it.

What's the difference in cost?

--
www.eWoodShop.com
Last update: 4/15/2010
KarlCaillouet@ (the obvious)
http://gplus.to/eWoodShop

Maybe, or rather than buy lac from India, they can manufacture it right
here. Yes it is marginally stronger, but given all the downsides.. it is
marginal...

Have you tried Shellac on a floor?

On 2/19/2012 12:24 PM, Scott Lurndal wrote:
tiredofspamnospam.nospam.com writes:

On 2/19/2012 10:31 AM, Swingman wrote:
On 2/18/2012 3:42 PM, Steve Barker wrote:
I'm fixin' to sculpture some stair treads from some rough cut red oak i
practically stole from an Amish auction ( 85 cents per BF). What i need
to know is what finish i can use that meets the following criteria:

1. not water based poly
2. natural (as clear as oil based can do)
3. not too slick to sock feet

What all sane floor finishers use ... polyurethane. Follow the
instructions on the can.

What all finishers used to use before POLY? Shellac.

So why did they switch to POLY? Because shellac is inferior
for that application.

scott

On 2/19/2012 1:07 PM, tiredofspam wrote:
Just trying to beat the thing to death. Many misconceptions about shellac.

So far I haven't find a flooring contractor who will warrant a shellac
floor finish like they will their recommended finish product, which for
many years now has always been a polyurethane.

That said, you're preaching at the choir in most respects ... my finish
of choice, for just about everything I build in the shop, excluding
kitchen cabinets (and floors), is indeed shellac.

--
www.eWoodShop.com
Last update: 4/15/2010
KarlCaillouet@ (the obvious)
http://gplus.to/eWoodShop

Probably about the same, it was 12 years ago.

I did 3 rooms in poly,
and 3 in shellac. the 3 in poly were dining, living and family room.
I have a ranch.
My 3 bedrooms and HALLWAY were going to be a problem for poly. I needed
to get to the bathrooms. And poly's one day to dry per coat was not
going to allow us to live there. Shellac would allow me to finish the
job in one day, and be able to walk to the bathroom an hour after
application in socks.

The HALLWAY takes the most abuse... and has exceeded expectations.
It has exceeded the poly too.

Which would I do next time in the family , dining and living room?
Shellac. No questions about it. Even if longevity winds up being 1 year
less. I have 12 years on both now. The ease of finish is about the same.
You need to work a little faster with Shellac to keep a wet edge.

For both I used lambs wool applicator... Poly keep the lambs wool in a
saran wrap... Same for shellac, or keep it in shellac... or clean with
alcohol...

For poly apply wait a day, sand nubs, vacuum, apply, wait a day. sand,
vacuum, apply.. 4 days for 3 coats.

For shellac, apply, light sanding in 3 hours, vacuum, apply, apply,
apply, wait until fully cured, and either sand or use a green
scotchbrite. Can't use scotchbrite with poly. its too hard (I guess
that goes to the hardness issue). The first sanding is necessary for
nubs. Whatever was not picked up by vacuum.... But after your just
building coats. It dries so quick that you don't need sanding each
time.. the dust won't settle in like poly.

Either poly or shellac are good finishes, but I don't see the big
advantages to poly.

Which looked better when done. Both, they both look awesome when done.
Over time they both wear and lose their sheen. With shellac I can get
most of look back with a maroon then white scotchbrite. Not with poly.
It won't pop back up. Is it oxidation, just scratches not being able to
be rubbed out??? I don't know.

On 2/19/2012 2:07 PM, Swingman wrote:
On 2/19/2012 1:03 PM, tiredofspam wrote:

Years ago someone did a scientific study on the supposed advantage of
poly over shellac... Well poly just nudged shellac, it really was such a
small margin on durability. Water testing showed poly was marginally
better. Which surprised everyone. All the hype. Shellac is a great
finish. But to those that believe poly rules... have at it.

What's the difference in cost?

On 2/19/2012 1:04 PM, tiredofspam wrote:
Spar finish is soft.. That's it's purpose, it's supposed to be flexible.
Shellac is harder than spar.



On 2/19/2012 12:22 PM, Scott Lurndal wrote:
tiredofspamnospam.nospam.com writes:
Wow, shellac soft?
I don't think so. It is very hard once fully cured.

It is considered a soft finish when compared to hard film finishes such
as polyurethane or spar varnish.

Shellac is not commonly recommended for high traffic areas for that
reason.

Shellac also doesn't tolerate alcohol spills well (but it does repair
easily).

I'd use a good poly for stairs, or a blo-spar-turps blend.

scott


I used spar on b grade plywood in my darkroom. Indestructible for many
years even with the chemicals. But way to yellow for my red oak.

--
Steve Barker
remove the "not" from my address to email

On Sun, 19 Feb 2012 14:04:35 -0500, tiredofspam nospam.nospam.com
wrote:

Spar finish is soft.. That's it's purpose, it's supposed to be flexible.
Shellac is harder than spar.



Harder yes, but it is more durable?

On Sun, 19 Feb 2012 10:15:43 -0600, Swingman wrote:

On 2/19/2012 9:54 AM, tiredofspam wrote:

What all finishers used to use before POLY? Shellac.

Not necessarily ... plain old wax was a finish of choice for floor
finishing at one time.

Waxing and rewaxing was a real, time-consuming chore back in the day.

Now, both water-borne & oil-based polys and polycrylics are used.
Flooring is the one area I won't argue that poly is best.

I've used Future floor wax (acrylic) for decades now, but on lino
flooring. I have carpeting everywhere but the kitchen. Commercial
Indoor/Outdoor went into the bathroom. It's much warmer and nicer for
those nocturnal jaunts down the hall, knowwhatImean,Vern?


FWIW, at this point you have well established that you are a proponent
of shellac for hardwood floors ... no need to reply to every post that
says otherwise ... you can quit now.

Maybe that's his sig or sumpin'? (He's filtered here.)

--
The ultimate result of shielding men from folly
is to fill the world with fools.
-- Herbert Spencer

On 2/19/2012 11:22 AM, Scott Lurndal wrote:
tiredofspamnospam.nospam.com writes:
Wow, shellac soft?
I don't think so. It is very hard once fully cured.

It is considered a soft finish when compared to hard film finishes such
as polyurethane or spar varnish.


Ok, careful there, a spar varnish is absolutely not hard, it remains
flexible so that it will not crack when flexed.

On 2/19/2012 12:41 PM, Steve Barker wrote:
On 2/19/2012 11:22 AM, Scott Lurndal wrote:
tiredofspamnospam.nospam.com writes:
Wow, shellac soft?
I don't think so. It is very hard once fully cured.

It is considered a soft finish when compared to hard film finishes such
as polyurethane or spar varnish.

Shellac is not commonly recommended for high traffic areas for that
reason.

Shellac also doesn't tolerate alcohol spills well (but it does repair
easily).

I'd use a good poly for stairs, or a blo-spar-turps blend.

scott


well we don't make a habit of carrying open containers of alcohol up and
down the stairs......


That could be beer or wine.

On 2/19/2012 2:18 PM, Steve Barker wrote:
On 2/19/2012 1:04 PM, tiredofspam wrote:
Spar finish is soft.. That's it's purpose, it's supposed to be flexible.
Shellac is harder than spar.



On 2/19/2012 12:22 PM, Scott Lurndal wrote:
tiredofspamnospam.nospam.com writes:
Wow, shellac soft?
I don't think so. It is very hard once fully cured.

It is considered a soft finish when compared to hard film finishes such
as polyurethane or spar varnish.

Shellac is not commonly recommended for high traffic areas for that
reason.

Shellac also doesn't tolerate alcohol spills well (but it does repair
easily).

I'd use a good poly for stairs, or a blo-spar-turps blend.

scott


I used spar on b grade plywood in my darkroom. Indestructible for many
years even with the chemicals. But way to yellow for my red oak.


Spar varnish is more of a marine varnish for out door use. Designed to
not harden but to remain flexible so that a spar does not crack it when
it flexes. Not really a furniture grade varnish.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spar

On 2/19/2012 5:59 PM, Leon wrote:
On 2/19/2012 12:41 PM, Steve Barker wrote:
On 2/19/2012 11:22 AM, Scott Lurndal wrote:
tiredofspamnospam.nospam.com writes:
Wow, shellac soft?
I don't think so. It is very hard once fully cured.

It is considered a soft finish when compared to hard film finishes such
as polyurethane or spar varnish.

Shellac is not commonly recommended for high traffic areas for that
reason.

Shellac also doesn't tolerate alcohol spills well (but it does repair
easily).

I'd use a good poly for stairs, or a blo-spar-turps blend.

scott


well we don't make a habit of carrying open containers of alcohol up and
down the stairs......


That could be beer or wine.

LOL. not here.

--
Steve Barker
remove the "not" from my address to email

tiredofspam wrote:


Can't use scotchbrite with poly. its too hard (I guess
that goes to the hardness issue).

Huh? Who ever told you that?


--

-Mike-

On Sun, 19 Feb 2012 23:27:56 -0500, "Mike Marlow"
wrote:

tiredofspam wrote:


Can't use scotchbrite with poly. its too hard (I guess
that goes to the hardness issue).

Huh? Who ever told you that?

Now do you see why I filtered him? /rhetorical question

--
The ultimate result of shielding men from folly
is to fill the world with fools.
-- Herbert Spencer

"Larry Jaques" wrote in message
...

On Sun, 19 Feb 2012 23:27:56 -0500, "Mike Marlow"
wrote:

tiredofspam wrote:


Can't use scotchbrite with poly. its too hard (I guess
that goes to the hardness issue).

Huh? Who ever told you that?

Now do you see why I filtered him? /rhetorical question
================================================== ======
Personally, I have never used scotchbrite on poly. I have used a lot of it
on steel. Works great for that. Poly must be some tuff stuff.

--
The ultimate result of shielding men from folly
is to fill the world with fools.
-- Herbert Spencer

On Feb 18, 3:42*pm, Steve Barker wrote:
I'm fixin' to sculpture some stair treads from some rough cut red oak i
practically stole from an Amish auction ( 85 cents per BF). *What i need
to know is what finish i can use that meets the following criteria:

1. not water based poly
2. natural (as clear as oil based can do)
3. not too slick to sock feet

Things that don't matter:

1. odor while applying
2. cost
3. time takes to finish properly

thanks in advance! ,
--
Steve Barker
remove the "not" from my address to email

Here is what we did, partially at the suggestion of an area wood floor
manufacturer:

1) Using pre-made Red Oak treads we sanded to desired surface prior to
installation. and covered them with cardboard as they were installed.
2) Applied one coat of MinWax Natural stain which was recommended by
the floor manufacturer to match the flooring we had previously
purchased.
3) Applied three fairly heavy coats of MinWax Satin Poly with some
sanding between coats.

I know the word MinWax drives some of the folks here to distraction
but, again, this was the floor manufacturer's recommendation. They
use a higher class of finish on their hardwood flooring but this is
the process they recommended for a contractor and homeowner. They
also steered me away from using MinWax floor finish because it was
more costly and provided no real wear advantage. Apparently it does
dry faster. The odor is what you expect from the MinWax products
mentioned. We were able to put two coats of finish on one day and the
third the second day. Then stayed off of it, with shoes, for another
day.

The color we ended up with is a great match for the flooring. We did
the first half of the staircase about 2-1/2 to 3 years ago when we
were finishing the house. We followed up last spring with the bottom
half which is at an angle to the upper part (as part of the basement
finish). after the two year or so time lapse the two stair sections
are perfectly matched, and we have seen no appreciable wear on the
first half.

BTW - Don't varnish you way into the basement or upper floor! (not
that I would) :O)

RonB

On Feb 19, 1:03*pm, tiredofspam nospam.nospam.com wrote:

It is very hard, and therefore polishes beautifuly, buffs up to a high
polished finish, easily sands to a luster. Try that with poly.

If that wasn't rhetorical and you are interested in learning,

http://www.woodweb.com/knowledge_bas...igh_Gloss.html

There is a lot of info on how to do it, including articles and
opinions of luthiers and others that do just that.

There used to be a picture (may still be) on J. Jewitt's site of how
he polished his own waterborne poly to a mirror finish so fine you
could read the writing on the can of finish in the image reflection
from the table top.

Robert

"Steve Barker" wrote in message
...
I'm fixin' to sculpture some stair treads from some rough cut red oak i
practically stole from an Amish auction ( 85 cents per BF). What i need
to know is what finish i can use that meets the following criteria:

1. not water based poly
2. natural (as clear as oil based can do)
3. not too slick to sock feet

Things that don't matter:

1. odor while applying
2. cost
3. time takes to finish properly

thanks in advance! ,
--
Steve Barker
remove the "not" from my address to email

Personally, red oak with a clear finish is an ugly wood, and it turns orange
in time as light ages it. I would first do something to adjust the color to
something more pleasing to the eye then coat it with a very durable finish.
Stairs get a lot of abuse, more than most floor areas, most of the wear is
concentrated in the middle and front of the the tread, and it will wear very
quickly if it is not finished properly. Shellac is great but it won't last
very long.