Finish for a Kauri dining table

[WoodyNZ]

Looking for some suggestions for finishing a Kauri dining table.

I am nearing completion of a large dining table. Made from recycled Kauri, but run through the thicknesser and sanded for a smooth finish. I have filled a bunch of nail holes with a glue/sawdust mixture. And there are a couple of large knots that I will make a feature of with some epoxy.

Now the question is - what product do I use for a finish? I don't want to stain it dark (that would be a sin with Kauri) but I do want to avoid the yellowish look that you can sometimes get with Kauri. It needs some good protection as there will be young kids bashing around the table for years to come, but I don't want a glossy look, so no polyurethane. I'm after a very natural finish.

Any suggestions?

[LGS]

G'day

If you want an oil finish, which will give you heat and water resistance and looks special, try Organoil Hard Burnishing oil. I know I go on about it, but I'm yet to see a better looking finish.
Have a look here (http://www.woodworkforums.com/f9/cabots-danish-oil-formula-change-166948) and see what you think. I don't work for Organoil, just love the finish that HBO gives.

Regards,

Rob

[Xanthorrhoeas]

My favourite finish for table tops is Ubeaut's hard shellac. You put it on with a rubber or some people spray it. It is described as being a white shellac, but the bottle is actually a light brown colour. I have used it on very pale timber - like Crows Ash - and found it provides minimal additional colour - but there certainly is some colouration as though the timber was wet. Hard shellac cross-links after about 3 weeks and is then resistant to moisture and heat.

However, I have also used a water-solvent satin polyurethane made with the Estapol brand name. On pale timber like Hoop Pine it provides almost no colour. It is not at all glossy and clean-up is easy, so that is something that you may wish to consider. The photo shows that finish on a recycled Oregon Pine and Blackwood table I made. As you can see, there is minimal colouration and the table still looks like that over a year later.