Best Finish For A Coffee Table

Your best bet would be varnish.

Best finish for a coffee table. Choose a finish to match your skill level. All of these activities take a toll on the finish so to get the most bang for your buck it s a good idea to pick the most durable finish. We recommend using a clear coat on dining tables coffee tables desks end tables or entry tables as these are all used daily and subject to wear and tear. See more ideas about redo furniture diy furniture furniture makeover.

Sycamore properly cured and dry will finish much as any other hardwood. Dark painted furniture pieces are especially susceptible to showing smudges and dust so i use a clear coat on those to provide protection. If you exclude professional finishes such as catalyzed lacquer or urethane polyurethane is probably the toughest finish you can find. An oil varnish blend is ok but probably not the right finish for a heavily used table.

A classical stain sealer topcoat approach should be a good way to go. Well the sky and your skill levels of course. Oil based polyurethane is the most durable finish you can apply by hand and catalyzed lacquer and varnish are the most durable sprayed finishes. Things you ll need drop sheets mild liquid soap clean cloths coarse grit sandpaper fine grit sandpaper sanding block or electric sander mineral spirits furniture oil stain varnish or paint and primer paintbrush.

Tung oil and linseed oil are relatively durable. Of all the evaporative finishes lacquer nitrocellulose and acrylic water and solvent based fare the best in terms of overall durability. In general it s best to stay away from shellac. Varnish and oil based poly finishes are the most durable.

A sprayed two part catalyzed conversion varnish such as duravar plus will give you water and abrasion resistance approaching that of formica laminate. I would recomend 5 6 coats of a wiping varnish like arm r seal. Brush on or spray on polyurethane the wipe on method is pretty self explanatory so let s stick to the remaining two brush on and spray on. A sprayed two part catalyzed conversion varnish is the best defense against tabletop watermarks.

Bulletproof but at a price. When finishing a kitchen table you want it to be beautiful but you also need it to be tough. This will leave you with a beautiful finish that protects the wood from the abuse it will most likely see. Beyond that and the sky is the limit.