Hello there,
I do not have any experience in wood finishing. I do need your advice
on what type of finish/coat I should use on my table top. I need to
have a hard/clear and easy to apply coating. I have surfed different
websites, and I have got this idea that polyurethane is a good
candidate. What do you think?
I am living in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada so I really appreciate if
someone who knows Edmonton retail stores please tell me where I can
buy a good quality polyurethane finish/brush. I have bought MINWAX
polyurthane, however, I am not so sure if this brand name would be
good for a novice person like me. I do not want to screw up my table
just because of bad quality product. Your help is gretly appreciated.
cheers
Fardin
On 9 Dec 2003 20:53:42 -0800, [email protected] (Cameron Lee) brought
forth from the murky depths:
>Now that I've raved about it, I guess I should list some cons of
>oil-based polyurethane:
>
>If you put too thick a finish on a big-grained wood like oak, it can
>make it look cheap and plasticky as it follows the deep contour of the
>pores.
Luckily, only about 90% of poly users do that. :(
>It will yellow significantly. Not a problem for medium to dark woods
>or stains (it really warmed up my cherry), but if your wood is very
>light like natural maple, it might not give you the color you want.
All o/b varnishes give an amber tone. It's one of their nicer
facets. Blonde shellac or w/b varnish go well with lighter woods.
>It's oil-based, so you have to use mineral spirits or other solvents
>for thinning and cleanup. I recommend an organic vapor respirator,
>'cause sucking too much of those fumes can't be healthy.
Good point. I now buy the more expensive odorless and reduced odor
spirits and vent when using them. 5 minutes with an open shop door
does it.
>It cures very slowly, so it picks up lots of dust. You have to take
>pains to keep the dust down.
Yes, and denib after finishing, as with every finish project.
----------------------------------------------------
Thesaurus: Ancient reptile with excellent vocabulary
http://diversify.com Dynamic Website Applications
====================================================
FardinA wrote:
>
> Hello there,
> I do not have any experience in wood finishing. I do need your advice
> on what type of finish/coat I should use on my table top. I need to
> have a hard/clear and easy to apply coating. I have surfed different
> websites, and I have got this idea that polyurethane is a good
> candidate. What do you think?
Behlen's Rockhard table top varnish. Non-poly, so coats fuse better,
producing a nearly optically clear top coat. Cured finish can be
compounded to a higher gloss.
> I am living in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada so I really appreciate if
> someone who knows Edmonton retail stores please tell me where I can
> buy a good quality polyurethane finish/brush.
Cut the varnish (Rockhard or poly) 50%. Slight addition of linseed or
tung improves flowout. Apply with a rag. Toss the rag when finished --
no brush to clean, money saved, less pollution.
> I have bought MINWAX
> polyurthane, however, I am not so sure if this brand name would be
> good for a novice person like me. I do not want to screw up my table
> just because of bad quality product. Your help is gretly appreciated.
No problem with the brand save that you paid mostly for a name.
I don't use my email address because of spam. When spam is eliminated,
I'll be glad to post my real address.
I too have no clue why guys waste their time with off-topic bashing.
Sometimes I lash back, sometimes I ignore, and other times I plonk. I
try not to sink all the way down to their level, but I sometimes go part
way.
I STILL think the correct way to let an OP know how YOU feel is to
answer him directly, instead of arguing with a previous responder. Try
it next time, and see that both opinions can coexist, with no need for
this sort of discussion, which is decidedly OFF-TOPIC!
That being said, I'm not really upset with you as much as you may have
inferred, from my request that you post directly to the OP...
shake?
dave
David Babcock wrote:
> I tried to do the gentlemanly thing, but got this as a response:
>
> The following addresses had delivery problems:
>
> <[email protected]>
> Permanent Failure: Other address status
>
> and here is the response I tried to send:
> I sit here and watch these posts, and wonder why everyone has it out for
> you. And I can't figure it out, so I've stopped trying to. Of course I see
> your name a lot, but that is your privilege to respond to as many posts as
> you choose. I wasn't trying to make you wrong, believe me, but at times I
> see people with simple problems get buried with information, as you did.
> Let me apologize for not taking the discreet approach, and will take my
> lesson learned and put it away for another day. See you can teach old dogs
> new tricks.
> Have a good holiday season and we'll see you around.
>
> Dave
> Oh by the way, I liked your desk. Of course there were things I would have
> tried differently, but that's what makes the world go round.
>
>
> "Bay Area Dave" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:U%[email protected]...
>
>>the gentlemanly thing for you to have done would have been to reply to
>>the OP with your own thoughts on the matter, without trying to make ME
>>wrong.
>>
>>I think YOU missed it DAVID!
>>
>>DAVE
>>
>>David Babcock wrote:
>>
>>
>>>I've got to say this time I feel you missed it Dave. Throughout the post
>
> it
>
>>>was pretty apparent that this person might just be new to all this, so
>
> (and
>
>>>I am not being critical, I think) you bombarded FerdinA with a myriad of
>>>alternatives, formulas, approaches, buffing pads, and sanding grits. I
>
> sure
>
>>>am glad he didn't ask anything complicated.
>>>Might I suggest a better answer?
>>>Yes........polyurethane will be fine for your table top, whether gloss
>
> or
>
>>>satin finish is up to you. Buy a few of those inexpensive foam brushes,
>>>they can be had in most hardware stores and they put down a smooth layer
>
> of
>
>>>finish. Long strokes along the entire length is best. Let the surface
>
> dry
>
>>>thoroughly, probably overnight to be safe, and then sand it lightly with
>
> a
>
>>>fine grit sandpaper (300 to 400) Then wipe it clean, with a dampened
>
> cloth,
>
>>>(mineral spirits is good) and reapply the poly. The more coats you apply
>
> the
>
>>>deeper the finish will get, but it sometimes makes a cloudy finish if
>
> you do
>
>>>too many coats.
>>>
>>>Dave
>>>
>>>"Bay Area Dave" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>>>news:[email protected]...
>>>
>>>
>>>>I recently did an oak desk in Minwhacks poly, as I exhausted all
>>>>alternatives for a safe, hard finish. I looked into pre-cat lacs, CV
>>>>varnish, water based urethanes, and ended up not wanting to deal with
>>>>xylene, lacquer thinner, soft finishes, or something that was a downside
>>>>to each of those products. The only downside while finishing is the
>>>>slow drying time and the settling of the sticky mist on anything nearby.
>>>> If you can deal with than while spraying, or are really good with a
>>>>brush, poly's your ticket. I rubbed it out a bit with a white synthetic
>>>> pad. between coats I sanded a bit with 320. Turned out fine. Folks
>>>>I asked also told me that lacquer wouldn't hold up as well as poly, so
>>>>even with the toxicity/flammability issue aside, poly still won out for
>>>
>>>me.
>>>
>>>
>>>>I did do the cabinet in water based poly and loved it for it's fast
>>>>drying and it looks fine. It goes well with the poly'd top.
>>>>
>>>>dave
>>>>
>>>>FardinA wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>Hello there,
>>>>>I do not have any experience in wood finishing. I do need your advice
>>>>>on what type of finish/coat I should use on my table top. I need to
>>>>>have a hard/clear and easy to apply coating. I have surfed different
>>>>>websites, and I have got this idea that polyurethane is a good
>>>>>candidate. What do you think?
>>>>>I am living in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada so I really appreciate if
>>>>>someone who knows Edmonton retail stores please tell me where I can
>>>>>buy a good quality polyurethane finish/brush. I have bought MINWAX
>>>>>polyurthane, however, I am not so sure if this brand name would be
>>>>>good for a novice person like me. I do not want to screw up my table
>>>>>just because of bad quality product. Your help is gretly appreciated.
>>>>>
>>>>>cheers
>>>>>Fardin
>>>>
>>>
>
>
I've got to say this time I feel you missed it Dave. Throughout the post it
was pretty apparent that this person might just be new to all this, so (and
I am not being critical, I think) you bombarded FerdinA with a myriad of
alternatives, formulas, approaches, buffing pads, and sanding grits. I sure
am glad he didn't ask anything complicated.
Might I suggest a better answer?
Yes........polyurethane will be fine for your table top, whether gloss or
satin finish is up to you. Buy a few of those inexpensive foam brushes,
they can be had in most hardware stores and they put down a smooth layer of
finish. Long strokes along the entire length is best. Let the surface dry
thoroughly, probably overnight to be safe, and then sand it lightly with a
fine grit sandpaper (300 to 400) Then wipe it clean, with a dampened cloth,
(mineral spirits is good) and reapply the poly. The more coats you apply the
deeper the finish will get, but it sometimes makes a cloudy finish if you do
too many coats.
Dave
"Bay Area Dave" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I recently did an oak desk in Minwhacks poly, as I exhausted all
> alternatives for a safe, hard finish. I looked into pre-cat lacs, CV
> varnish, water based urethanes, and ended up not wanting to deal with
> xylene, lacquer thinner, soft finishes, or something that was a downside
> to each of those products. The only downside while finishing is the
> slow drying time and the settling of the sticky mist on anything nearby.
> If you can deal with than while spraying, or are really good with a
> brush, poly's your ticket. I rubbed it out a bit with a white synthetic
> pad. between coats I sanded a bit with 320. Turned out fine. Folks
> I asked also told me that lacquer wouldn't hold up as well as poly, so
> even with the toxicity/flammability issue aside, poly still won out for
me.
>
> I did do the cabinet in water based poly and loved it for it's fast
> drying and it looks fine. It goes well with the poly'd top.
>
> dave
>
> FardinA wrote:
>
> > Hello there,
> > I do not have any experience in wood finishing. I do need your advice
> > on what type of finish/coat I should use on my table top. I need to
> > have a hard/clear and easy to apply coating. I have surfed different
> > websites, and I have got this idea that polyurethane is a good
> > candidate. What do you think?
> > I am living in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada so I really appreciate if
> > someone who knows Edmonton retail stores please tell me where I can
> > buy a good quality polyurethane finish/brush. I have bought MINWAX
> > polyurthane, however, I am not so sure if this brand name would be
> > good for a novice person like me. I do not want to screw up my table
> > just because of bad quality product. Your help is gretly appreciated.
> >
> > cheers
> > Fardin
>
the gentlemanly thing for you to have done would have been to reply to
the OP with your own thoughts on the matter, without trying to make ME
wrong.
I think YOU missed it DAVID!
DAVE
David Babcock wrote:
> I've got to say this time I feel you missed it Dave. Throughout the post it
> was pretty apparent that this person might just be new to all this, so (and
> I am not being critical, I think) you bombarded FerdinA with a myriad of
> alternatives, formulas, approaches, buffing pads, and sanding grits. I sure
> am glad he didn't ask anything complicated.
> Might I suggest a better answer?
> Yes........polyurethane will be fine for your table top, whether gloss or
> satin finish is up to you. Buy a few of those inexpensive foam brushes,
> they can be had in most hardware stores and they put down a smooth layer of
> finish. Long strokes along the entire length is best. Let the surface dry
> thoroughly, probably overnight to be safe, and then sand it lightly with a
> fine grit sandpaper (300 to 400) Then wipe it clean, with a dampened cloth,
> (mineral spirits is good) and reapply the poly. The more coats you apply the
> deeper the finish will get, but it sometimes makes a cloudy finish if you do
> too many coats.
>
> Dave
>
> "Bay Area Dave" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>
>>I recently did an oak desk in Minwhacks poly, as I exhausted all
>>alternatives for a safe, hard finish. I looked into pre-cat lacs, CV
>>varnish, water based urethanes, and ended up not wanting to deal with
>>xylene, lacquer thinner, soft finishes, or something that was a downside
>>to each of those products. The only downside while finishing is the
>>slow drying time and the settling of the sticky mist on anything nearby.
>> If you can deal with than while spraying, or are really good with a
>>brush, poly's your ticket. I rubbed it out a bit with a white synthetic
>> pad. between coats I sanded a bit with 320. Turned out fine. Folks
>>I asked also told me that lacquer wouldn't hold up as well as poly, so
>>even with the toxicity/flammability issue aside, poly still won out for
>
> me.
>
>>I did do the cabinet in water based poly and loved it for it's fast
>>drying and it looks fine. It goes well with the poly'd top.
>>
>>dave
>>
>>FardinA wrote:
>>
>>
>>>Hello there,
>>>I do not have any experience in wood finishing. I do need your advice
>>>on what type of finish/coat I should use on my table top. I need to
>>>have a hard/clear and easy to apply coating. I have surfed different
>>>websites, and I have got this idea that polyurethane is a good
>>>candidate. What do you think?
>>>I am living in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada so I really appreciate if
>>>someone who knows Edmonton retail stores please tell me where I can
>>>buy a good quality polyurethane finish/brush. I have bought MINWAX
>>>polyurthane, however, I am not so sure if this brand name would be
>>>good for a novice person like me. I do not want to screw up my table
>>>just because of bad quality product. Your help is gretly appreciated.
>>>
>>>cheers
>>>Fardin
>>
>
>
I recently did an oak desk in Minwhacks poly, as I exhausted all
alternatives for a safe, hard finish. I looked into pre-cat lacs, CV
varnish, water based urethanes, and ended up not wanting to deal with
xylene, lacquer thinner, soft finishes, or something that was a downside
to each of those products. The only downside while finishing is the
slow drying time and the settling of the sticky mist on anything nearby.
If you can deal with than while spraying, or are really good with a
brush, poly's your ticket. I rubbed it out a bit with a white synthetic
pad. between coats I sanded a bit with 320. Turned out fine. Folks
I asked also told me that lacquer wouldn't hold up as well as poly, so
even with the toxicity/flammability issue aside, poly still won out for me.
I did do the cabinet in water based poly and loved it for it's fast
drying and it looks fine. It goes well with the poly'd top.
dave
FardinA wrote:
> Hello there,
> I do not have any experience in wood finishing. I do need your advice
> on what type of finish/coat I should use on my table top. I need to
> have a hard/clear and easy to apply coating. I have surfed different
> websites, and I have got this idea that polyurethane is a good
> candidate. What do you think?
> I am living in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada so I really appreciate if
> someone who knows Edmonton retail stores please tell me where I can
> buy a good quality polyurethane finish/brush. I have bought MINWAX
> polyurthane, however, I am not so sure if this brand name would be
> good for a novice person like me. I do not want to screw up my table
> just because of bad quality product. Your help is gretly appreciated.
>
> cheers
> Fardin
I used Minwax oil-based gloss polyurethane on my first big finishing
project- a cherry dining table- and it turned out beautifully.
Unstained, it really brought out the depth and curl of the grain.
If you go with polyurethane, I recommend you use only gloss--avoid the
semi-gloss and satin. Those last two are actually misnomers--they
should be called "slightly opaque" and "moderately opaque." These
finishes contain microscopic bits of material which diffuse the light
going through the finish to produce a satin "effect" rather than a
true satin surface finish. I used satin poly on the legs and apron of
that same table, and the difference is striking--the grain looks
washed-out and flat with no clarity or depth. It's okay for something
on the bottom half of the table, 'cause folks aren't going to spend a
lot of time staring at the legs. I suppose the effect wouldn't be
quite so pronounced with a big-grained wood like oak or ash, but I'm
just guessing.
If you like the semi-gloss or satin look, you can rub out your gloss
finish with super fine steel wool or mineral wool to get a true satin,
rather than opaque, finish.
Polyurethane is also the toughest (most durable) finish readily
available to the newbie woodworker. It's not difficult to brush
properly, just takes attention to detail and a good bit of elbow
grease (what good finish doesn't?).
I highly recommend Bob Flexner's book "Understanding Wood Finishing."
It debunks all the common finishing myths and gives detailed
instructions to get any kind of finish you want, reliably and
repeatably. I followed his instructions to the letter and, even as a
newbie, got fabulous results.
Cam
Now that I've raved about it, I guess I should list some cons of
oil-based polyurethane:
If you put too thick a finish on a big-grained wood like oak, it can
make it look cheap and plasticky as it follows the deep contour of the
pores.
It will yellow significantly. Not a problem for medium to dark woods
or stains (it really warmed up my cherry), but if your wood is very
light like natural maple, it might not give you the color you want.
It's oil-based, so you have to use mineral spirits or other solvents
for thinning and cleanup. I recommend an organic vapor respirator,
'cause sucking too much of those fumes can't be healthy.
It cures very slowly, so it picks up lots of dust. You have to take
pains to keep the dust down.
Cam
[email protected] (FardinA) wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> Hello there,
> I do not have any experience in wood finishing. I do need your advice
> on what type of finish/coat I should use on my table top. I need to
> have a hard/clear and easy to apply coating. I have surfed different
> websites, and I have got this idea that polyurethane is a good
> candidate. What do you think?
> I am living in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada so I really appreciate if
> someone who knows Edmonton retail stores please tell me where I can
> buy a good quality polyurethane finish/brush. I have bought MINWAX
> polyurthane, however, I am not so sure if this brand name would be
> good for a novice person like me. I do not want to screw up my table
> just because of bad quality product. Your help is gretly appreciated.
>
> cheers
> Fardin
David,
Only 5 on that one. Not even CLOSE to the bag limit. Oh well, still a
couple of weeks left until the season closes.
-Chris
In the world of woodworking at home verses woodworking in a real
woodworking shop / factory, we all have to live with a lack of money
or feasibility to put on our projects a professional spray booth type
finish.
So we do the next best thing and apply products which we hope will do
nearly the same thing... here's what I do and this took a long time to
discover...
First of all, we have to decide on the use the piece in question will
get so we will then know what type of finish to apply. With your
tabletop you're going to get ' hard use '. Water based polyurathane
does the trick. This is the same stuff they put on bowling lanes.
Its also never going to come off with paint remover. It doesn't smell
and it drys in a few minutes...so you can apply 7 coats in a half a
day...and you wont get dust imbedded in it as with finishes which take
over night to dry.
The art is in applying it. Brushing on more than 2 coats leaves brush
markes... so I made a pad... a clean old T shirt wadded up and stapled
to produce a soft pad on a 2 x 4 inch block of wood. I get the pad
soaked in the poly using the top of a paint can as a tray and applying
with straight strokes with the grain. You gotta move quickly as water
based poly tacts up VERY fast. The first 3 coates get 600 grit sand
paper but after that sanding isnt needed anymore. The grand object is
to get at least 5 coates on in very thin layers.
High gloss poly shows every blemish in the wood and in your finish job
and satin poly shows less blemishes.
I still get high praises after I refinished 5 school library tables
with the high gloss poly... I did the job about 6 years ago. It still
looks like new furniture.
Anyway, I live in the States and use poly made by a local company...
I've had equal success with big name products.
I would say that applying finishes at home with the expectation of a
showroom result is not to be expected without gaining the experience
from learning such as the years go by. Even an ugly piece of
furniture is an object of art with a face lift applied from experinced
hands... but good luck to you and you can always let the poly dry,
sand it off and start again.
On 9 Dec 2003 15:37:15 -0800, [email protected] (FardinA)
wrote:
>Hello there,
>I do not have any experience in wood finishing. I do need your advice
>on what type of finish/coat I should use on my table top. I need to
>have a hard/clear and easy to apply coating. I have surfed different
>websites, and I have got this idea that polyurethane is a good
>candidate. What do you think?
>I am living in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada so I really appreciate if
>someone who knows Edmonton retail stores please tell me where I can
>buy a good quality polyurethane finish/brush. I have bought MINWAX
>polyurthane, however, I am not so sure if this brand name would be
>good for a novice person like me. I do not want to screw up my table
>just because of bad quality product. Your help is gretly appreciated.
>
>cheers
>Fardin
I tried to do the gentlemanly thing, but got this as a response:
The following addresses had delivery problems:
<[email protected]>
Permanent Failure: Other address status
and here is the response I tried to send:
I sit here and watch these posts, and wonder why everyone has it out for
you. And I can't figure it out, so I've stopped trying to. Of course I see
your name a lot, but that is your privilege to respond to as many posts as
you choose. I wasn't trying to make you wrong, believe me, but at times I
see people with simple problems get buried with information, as you did.
Let me apologize for not taking the discreet approach, and will take my
lesson learned and put it away for another day. See you can teach old dogs
new tricks.
Have a good holiday season and we'll see you around.
Dave
Oh by the way, I liked your desk. Of course there were things I would have
tried differently, but that's what makes the world go round.
"Bay Area Dave" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:U%[email protected]...
> the gentlemanly thing for you to have done would have been to reply to
> the OP with your own thoughts on the matter, without trying to make ME
> wrong.
>
> I think YOU missed it DAVID!
>
> DAVE
>
> David Babcock wrote:
>
> > I've got to say this time I feel you missed it Dave. Throughout the post
it
> > was pretty apparent that this person might just be new to all this, so
(and
> > I am not being critical, I think) you bombarded FerdinA with a myriad of
> > alternatives, formulas, approaches, buffing pads, and sanding grits. I
sure
> > am glad he didn't ask anything complicated.
> > Might I suggest a better answer?
> > Yes........polyurethane will be fine for your table top, whether gloss
or
> > satin finish is up to you. Buy a few of those inexpensive foam brushes,
> > they can be had in most hardware stores and they put down a smooth layer
of
> > finish. Long strokes along the entire length is best. Let the surface
dry
> > thoroughly, probably overnight to be safe, and then sand it lightly with
a
> > fine grit sandpaper (300 to 400) Then wipe it clean, with a dampened
cloth,
> > (mineral spirits is good) and reapply the poly. The more coats you apply
the
> > deeper the finish will get, but it sometimes makes a cloudy finish if
you do
> > too many coats.
> >
> > Dave
> >
> > "Bay Area Dave" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > news:[email protected]...
> >
> >>I recently did an oak desk in Minwhacks poly, as I exhausted all
> >>alternatives for a safe, hard finish. I looked into pre-cat lacs, CV
> >>varnish, water based urethanes, and ended up not wanting to deal with
> >>xylene, lacquer thinner, soft finishes, or something that was a downside
> >>to each of those products. The only downside while finishing is the
> >>slow drying time and the settling of the sticky mist on anything nearby.
> >> If you can deal with than while spraying, or are really good with a
> >>brush, poly's your ticket. I rubbed it out a bit with a white synthetic
> >> pad. between coats I sanded a bit with 320. Turned out fine. Folks
> >>I asked also told me that lacquer wouldn't hold up as well as poly, so
> >>even with the toxicity/flammability issue aside, poly still won out for
> >
> > me.
> >
> >>I did do the cabinet in water based poly and loved it for it's fast
> >>drying and it looks fine. It goes well with the poly'd top.
> >>
> >>dave
> >>
> >>FardinA wrote:
> >>
> >>
> >>>Hello there,
> >>>I do not have any experience in wood finishing. I do need your advice
> >>>on what type of finish/coat I should use on my table top. I need to
> >>>have a hard/clear and easy to apply coating. I have surfed different
> >>>websites, and I have got this idea that polyurethane is a good
> >>>candidate. What do you think?
> >>>I am living in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada so I really appreciate if
> >>>someone who knows Edmonton retail stores please tell me where I can
> >>>buy a good quality polyurethane finish/brush. I have bought MINWAX
> >>>polyurthane, however, I am not so sure if this brand name would be
> >>>good for a novice person like me. I do not want to screw up my table
> >>>just because of bad quality product. Your help is gretly appreciated.
> >>>
> >>>cheers
> >>>Fardin
> >>
> >
> >
>
Howdy Fardin
Varnish (poly is a high test form of varnish) can be problematic in it's
application and, for various reasons, not one of my favorite. However if one
takes one time with the stuff it is a good finish and one most newbie's
start off with.
First rule on deciding what finish to use is to decide how much protection
the piece needs. The second rule it to decide what "look" you want. Third
rule is to pick one that meets both parameters. Though that sometimes means
compromises. If maximum protection is desired, there is no particular look
in mind, and one isn't going to rub out the finish, Poly will fit the bill.
Being a beginner I'd have to assume spraying is not an option which leaves
out lacquer so, on one side of the protection scale and since you want a
hard/clear finish, you have shellac and, on the other, varnish. Max
protection is varnish (poly) though both oil based varnish and shellac are
both going to impart, to varying degrees, an amber tone to you work. Water
based varnish, though it won't look it in the can, will be perfectly clear.
Water based also dries faster allowing two coats a day vs. one for an oil
based finish. You can tell which is which by looking at the clean up
instructions on the can. Oil based products will call for paint
thinner/mineral oil and water based, of course, soap and water.
So, yes, poly will be a good finish for your table top.
As to where to get it where you are. Sorry, can't help there. Two notes on
brushes though. If it is an oil based you want a natural bristle brush or
one of those cheap sponge rubber applicators. If it is a water based finish
you will want a synthetic bristle brush.
Good luck.
--
Mike G.
[email protected]
Heirloom Woods
www.heirloom-woods.net
"FardinA" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hello there,
> I do not have any experience in wood finishing. I do need your advice
> on what type of finish/coat I should use on my table top. I need to
> have a hard/clear and easy to apply coating. I have surfed different
> websites, and I have got this idea that polyurethane is a good
> candidate. What do you think?
> I am living in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada so I really appreciate if
> someone who knows Edmonton retail stores please tell me where I can
> buy a good quality polyurethane finish/brush. I have bought MINWAX
> polyurthane, however, I am not so sure if this brand name would be
> good for a novice person like me. I do not want to screw up my table
> just because of bad quality product. Your help is gretly appreciated.
>
> cheers
> Fardin