Dining table finish that won't mark easily

[tony2096]

Hi,

I finished my blackwood dining table with wipe-on poly (5-6 coats) and it looked great at the start but it hasn't stood up to the children's homework being written on it (i.e. pressing through the paper onto the surface has left indentations) and after 6 months there are lots of doodles and words visibly etched in the surface. I don't want to have to treat it with super care (eg covering it with a cloth) so I'm thinking of redoing the finish by sanding back and trying again with something more hardwearing - any suggestions? I thought poly would be nice and hard but I tried three coats on a sample and it still marked quite easily...is that because of the blackwood? Or maybe I need to leave the poly longer than 24 hours. The poly I tried was some old gloss that I had in the shed...don't like the shiny plastic-looking finish so I'd use a semi-gloss if I had another go but I'm not going to bother if it isn't any better.

Ideas?

Tony

403760

[DomAU]

Hi Tony,

Nice table. Not sure about finish, but I was wondering how long it's been since you finished the table? Did you do anything to prevent expansion and contraction of the table top from ruining your corner mitre-joints / edging strips? Are the end pieces just glued directly to the end-grain of the top?

[tony2096]

Hi Tony,

Nice table. Not sure about finish, but I was wondering how long it's been since you finished the table? Did you do anything to prevent expansion and contraction of the table top from ruining your corner mitre-joints / edging strips? Are the end pieces just glued directly to the end-grain of the top?


The table is 18 months old now. There are no mitre joints or edging strips - the top is simply 4 pieces of blackwood butt jointed together with PVA and then I used a router to get the angled finish. I couldn't work out how to use any sort of veneering or side strips so ended up making it out of solid timber. There has been no problem with any joints opening up but then the top is pretty thick (38mm). The timber was expensive: I don't have a jointer/thicknesser so I bought it DAR (38mm thick) and the 12m of 200mm width pieces cost over $700. It also ended up being very heavy - needed 2 people to lift the top into the house. The legs were a comparative bargain as I found someone on the north coast of NSW who had some 90mm square pieces he sold me for the legs and they only cost $25 each - needed lots of sanding but they turned out really well.

I also found some nice blackwood chairs to complement the table so could discard the old Freedom black ones you see in the previous photo!

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[DomAU]

Oh, great. I must not have looked close enough at the photo, but at first glance and with the lighting it looked like it had edging around it. I was worried that this would tear itself apart. Looks great.

[Kuffy]

Blackwood is a soft timber. Give the kids some place mats to put under the paper they are drawing on. Otherwise I reckon you are looking at needing a thick bar top epoxy finish.

[ian]

Hi Tony

You could try stripping the finish back and applying a one of the floor finishes.

The two pack ones (Estapol 7008 I think) have a reputation for being glossy and scratchable.

The single pack ones (eg Feast Watson Floor Clear) are said to be more easily repairable than the two pack finishes.


However, I think your better option is to give the kids some large writing mats or a big piece of leather to go under their homework.

[yhprum]

I was going to ask this in new different thread, but found this searching. I have the same problem and want to try one of those clear resin tops you pour over the table top, but don't know what's the trade name/brand is e called. Where could I find this?
Thanks!

[Acco]

but don't know what's the trade name/brand is e called. Where could I find this?
Thanks!

http://glasscoat.com.au/

[ian]

I was going to ask this in new different thread, but found this searching. I have the same problem and want to try one of those clear resin tops you pour over the table top, but don't know what's the trade name/brand is e called. Where could I find this?
Thanks!
Only problem might be that if you don't remove all the indentations by first stripping the existing finish and possibly resurafacing the table, all you'll do is lock the graffiti under the finish.

Of course, if you have a veneered table, there is probably not enough thickness to resurface the table any way.

[ian]

Hi Tony

If you do strip the finish off your table, you should try steaming the indentations out of the top before you embark on an epic sanding journey

[woodPixel]

Everyone's advice is dead on: sand to remove old finish, wet cloth/steam/iron to remove the dents then GlassCoat for the top.

That stuff is amazing. There are plenty of videos on showing how it's done and can be done at home (where it's dust free)

Another choice would be acid catalysed nitrocellulose or similar, but this will need to be applied by a pro in a good environment....

Maybe make some mats for the sprogs to use under their work ;)

[q9]

Sand back, 7008, then rub down with #1200-#2000 to give a sheen.

[Robson Valley]

No. The ghosts of homework past will live on until the kids leave home.

My table was round, 5'8"/173cm diameter and 5cm thick.
Unfortunately, Western Red Cedar dents with a fingernail.
So I had a lot of visible homework.
Here's the best fix of all: Get your Mom to crochet a tablecloth to dress it up.
Mine is machine washable and I spread it on the table wet. Get it stretched evenly all around and let it dry.

Eventually had to downsize so I sold the table with 6 x 152cm tall chairs, kept Mom's cloth.

[orraloon]

I tend to agree that as long as small kids are around its best to just live with the homework marks. By all means get some place mats for them to work on.
Any finish that is hard enough is going to look plastic like. When that children damage is no longer an issue is the time to refinish the table. Who knows, by then you may want to keep it as it is for the memories.
Regards
John

[bryn23]

The best option is to get rid of the kids, sell them on eBay and use funds for new shed and machinery.

Then redo top in any finish you like:)

Or keep the kids and accept that any piece of furniture will get damages regardless of finish:(

Kids are kids, treasure the marks, as if they are doing homework it shows that good parenting is in place:2tsup:

[woodPixel]

You could flog the entire surface very thoroughly with a length of heavy chain :)

Make it an antique.....speeding up the kids job :)

Seriously, a quick sand and steam out the dents.

[Bob38S]

Not trying to be a smart aleck here, but, had the same problem on a desk built for student son in the days of black and white.

They only solution I finally came up with was, another refinish, polish and covered with safety glass. Yes, the glass was expensive, but the finish has remained like a new store bought one. No scratches, dings or biro impressions, once in a while wipe over with a damp cloth and back to square one. 30+ years on and counting.

[Shedhand]

Hey mate, there are others here more expert than me but here's my penny's worth. If you use polyurethane, 24 hrs is nowhere near long enough to cure it. 7 days minimum per coat with a light sand between coats with 240grit and wipe down with a tack cloth to get the surface dustfree for the next coat. Use new poly not old stuff that's been sitting around growing a thick skin on top. Mind you, polyurethane on Blackwood is sacrilege. 😲

[Robson Valley]

Poly is a soft, flexible plastic coating, microns thick. It can't offer diddly squat for mechanical protection.
To keep the table looking like it's never been used, I'd suggest 1/8" Plexiglas = methacrylate sheet.
Off at Uni, I missed my kids. The dinged up table kept them with me.

[Ubernoob]

I don't think it would help with dents but you can get self repairing clear coat for cars, is there anything similar for timber?

[LGS]

Hey mate, there are others here more expert than me but here's my penny's worth. If you use polyurethane, 24 hrs is nowhere near long enough to cure it. 7 days minimum per coat with a light sand between coats with 240grit and wipe down with a tack cloth to get the surface dustfree for the next coat. Use new poly not old stuff that's been sitting around growing a thick skin on top. Mind you, polyurethane on Blackwood is sacrilege. 

I agree with the Shedmeister,

Blackwood under plastic is a sin. Seems to me that the easiest method of saving your table from more damage is to do what most have suggested by way of stripping the table and refinishing (after steaming). But I would refinish the table using a robust oil finish such as Organoil Hard burnishing Oil. Then I'd go and buy a couple of robust plastic desk protection pads to use over the top for the kids to use.

Alternatively, rather than plasticize the table, buy a plastic table for the kids to use. And there's always keeping the table like it is now and savoring the memories of this time in your later age. This should not be underestimated.

Regards,

Rob

[soundman]

we keep comming back to the issue that the timber is soft and that is what is being indented ....... unless you run a very very thick hard coating you will not solve your problem.

By far the best comp[omise is to refinish the top then get a sheet of glass cut to size and put that over the table top till the kids leave home.

cheers

[Ubernoob]

Or teach them to put something under the paper, writing on something soft is horrible anyway.

[Scally]

Lovely Blackwood table Tony. I wouldn't put a cover on it either.

When I made my dining table I used a two part Intergrain finish. It is like a thin layer of glass. Shiny and hard. I didn't want to put any cover over the timber.

After nearly twenty years it still looks good apart from a ding from a heavy casserole dish and a candle burn spot.

I can't complain about how tough it is.

But I really don't like the thick glossy finish.

Now I finish dining tables with Kunos Oil. I go for a satin/low sheen finish. I can still feel the timber.
General marks wash off no problem and a wipe over with more oil maybe once a year keeps it looking great.

Your pens and pencils will still make indentations but the stains will wipe off.

A temporary cover might work but it is a shame the kids wouldn't get to work on the nice timber.

Blackwood is reasonably hard so you aren't going to end up with it looking like and old workbench.

My preference would be to clean off the marks as well as you can and give it a coat of Kunos oil or similar. Re do this when you think it needs it. keep enjoying the the look and feel of the beautiful Blackwood.

When the kids leave home you might sand out the grafitti and re-oil or just re-oil and enjoy the history.