Kitchen island bench top finish

[gilbo]

I am just about to put a 650 X 1200 yellow stingybark top on my new isaln bench and would like to know what to finish the top with. Does it need to be food friendly? I have read about using nut oil/orange oil combo. Should I just use a couple of coats of polyurethane? I would like to keep as much of the natural timber colour as possible. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[BUNTA]

if you wont be cutting on it directly i would put glass coat on it as any spills can be wiped up & its as clear as the name imply's . :2tsup:

[Bleedin Thumb]

I coated mine with about 4 coats of poly (cabots Gel) after 2 years it yellows slightly, nice warm tone and does get the odd scratch that doesn't worry me. Its totally waterproof and requires no upkeep except a wipe with a sponge. With oil I'd be worried that it would get differential (for want of a better word) staining.

[silentC]

I think there are two paths you can go down with it: the hard finish or the oil based. Hard finish is waterproof and will probably last longer but it is a lot of work to repair. Oil on the other hand wont protect it from water and spills to same extent but you can easily repair it.

I did a bathroom counter with Estapol 7008, which is a two part gloss finish that is very hard wearing. Not sure if it's available in satin/matt finish. I know Mitre 10 Pambula stocks it.

The other thing I've heard of being used is floor finish. Organoil recommends their hard burnishing floor oil for benchtops. I don't know if Mitre 10 has it but they have some Organoil products down there. They also have some other floor finishes by Integrain and others from memory.

BTW welcome back Bleedin Thumb :)

[Bleedin Thumb]

Thanks Silent, just a quick visit I'm trying to keep the head down and tail up for a while to get my business cranked up again, also undertaking wwforum therapy but finding the cold turkey a bitch - hence the quick fix.
See everyone soon.
Good luck with the benchtop Gilbo.

[Tex B]

I also used about 4 coats of poly on mine five years ago. Still going strong, but don't use it as a chopping board.

Tex

[jerryc]

Be cautious about two part finishes on wood. A two pack does not expand and contract and wood does. Used it on a laminated jarrah kitchen bench and a small unrepaired scratch allowed water to seep in. It's very hard to remove the finish. Have since used used estapol ( five coats) and more than satisfied with performance to date.

[silentC]

a small unrepaired scratch allowed water to seep in
You would have the same problem with any hard finish if you manage to scratch right through it. The whole point of the process is to seal the timber in an envelope so that it doesn't take on moisture. This means coating the timber all the way around, including underneath and the edges of any cut outs. Otherwise, and it makes no difference what hard finish you use, moisture will get in and you will have problems.

On my tin of Estapol 7008 it says:


Wattyl Estapol 7008 is an exceptionally hard and durable clear coating ideally suited for interior surfaces where extreme resistance is required. It is a high gloss clear coating which is supplied in a two pack form. The extreme hardness and durability of Wattyl Estapol 7008 protects and beautifies interior timber floors, panelling, architraves, bench tops, doors and built-in furniture. It is highly resistant to abrasion and to chemical action.

If you ask them to recommend something for a kitchen or bathroom bench top, this is the stuff they suggest.

[jerryc]

Grateful to Silentc reminding people that water can seep through a small scratch. I do a great deal of sailing and am aware of danger of a break in sealant. My main point was to be cautious about differential in contraction and expansion of wood and rigidity of two pack. Like all things in this world no one person has all the answers
jerryc

[silentC]

Your secondary point, that your bench top finish failed because of a scratch, equally applies to any hard finish, so using Estapol does not save you from this. It has nothing to do with your argument that a two part finish like 7008 may not be suitable for solid timber, despite the fact that the manufacturer claims this is exactly it's intended use.

That's all I'm saying; your bench top failed not because you used a two part finish and your bench top expanded or contracted, but because you had a scratch that allowed water to penetrate underneath the finish.

[silentC]

Have a look at the Estapol data sheet: http://www.wattyl.com.au/NR/rdonlyres/F4FF4BA8-9F08-4AD7-844C-4D94475EE2BA/0/D519EstapolGlossSatinMatt.PDF

The reason I went for 7008 over normal Estapol is because on page 1 of the data sheet they say "Not suitable for bench tops ...".

[gilbo]

Silent C

I notice on the Wattyl link you have above taht it is suggested to use water based poly for true 'water clear' finish. Do you know if the performance/durability is as good on the water based product?

[Snowy]

Have just finished a 2200 x 900 redgum Island benchtop.
Used 2 coats floor seal then 3 coats wipe on poly. Seems to repel water pretty good and has stood up to the wear so far. Will be easy to top up wipe on poly if need be once in a while

regards snowy

[silentC]

Do you know if the performance/durability is as good on the water based product?

Haven't had any experience with it, so I can only go by what Wattyl says about it in the data sheet. I seem to recall the datasheet for the water based stuff saying it wasn't suitable for high-wear areas. Haven't got Acrobat on this machine so I can't view it, but if you go here you'll be able to see it for yourself:

http://www.wattyl.com.au/DIY/Products/ProductSearch/Product_List.htm?SearchType=Name&Name=estapol

I'd suggest you also get yourself down to Mitre 10 and have a look at some of the other brands as well. They've got a better range there now than when I was looking 3 years ago.

[cyco]

a panel shop i was working for was doing a lot of bar and kitchen tops for cabinet shops around the area, he used the automotive two part clears he uses on the cars and they came up very well, if you get a scratch in it treat it like a car and cut and polish the scratches out.

[JB]

Why is lacquer (pre-catalysed spray on for instance) never mentioned when kitchen bench tops are discussed? It's said to be not being as hard wearing as estapol, yet in reality it's very hard and fully waterproof.

It's certainly easy to apply and with a light sand can even be resprayed after several years.

[silentC]

Do you have any experience of lacquer being used on benchtops?

Would be interested to know because I've got one to do some time soon and I'm favouring an oil finish at the moment.

[durwood]

I don't see any great advantage in using lacquer to do a bench top.

It doesn't go as hard as the two pack polyurethanes.

It requires lots more coats ( 3 coats lacquer = 1 coat poly)

It will probably need extra work (Buffing polishing) to get a gloss equal to poly.

As you would have to spray the lacquer it may be a problem for some to do. ( poly can be brushed and will come out great if enough care is taken.)

But I think there is one solution which has been mentioned which is better again.

And thats cyco's - automotive 2 pack acrylic urethane clear.

Its as hard as the poly and can be repaired easier.

It is meant to be exposed to sunlight without yellowing and its crystal clear not yellow toned as a product.

best of all you can get a super scratch resistant version which is used on the top of the line vehicles (BMW, Mercedes,etc) which is designed to prevent the problem of the 20c scratch down the side of the car. Costs lots more but its another choise if you need it.

[Roger Clifton]

Hi, new to this forum but finding it informative. I have used 6 coats of Wattyl Estapol Easyfloor Clear Gloss on a highly used table that is cleaned every day with household cleaners. It has been two years now and it is as good as when first done except that it is on macrocarpa which is a soft wood. Consequently the kids writing on paper have made indents. Not sure if it is due to the soft wood or the Estapol finish used.

[silentC]

That product is not available by that name in Australia, according to the Wattyl website, and it only turns up on NZ sites in a Google search. However I think it is the same product that is sold here as Water Based Gloss Floor Finish.

[Roger Clifton]

OK. It does say made in NZ. Thought Wattyl was Australian made. Choose the Easyfloor thinking it would be hard wearing which it appears to be. Was very easy to apply. Am interested in using the Estapol 7008 you mentioned earlier this time on an American Oak flitch. I will be doing some cast resin in some areas and wondered if you know whether the Estapol will bond ok to the cast resin areas?Cheers

[silentC]

I think they sometimes 'rebrand' products for different markets because the name might be too much like an existing product, or for some other reason.

I have used Norglass casting resin but unfortunately not under 7008. Normal Estapol gloss sticks to it fine. I guess the best thing would be to try a test piece and see how it goes. I would be surprised if it doesn't stick but it's probably best to try it on something that doesn't matter, unless someone else here has experience with it.

[gilbo]

Silent C

I have now finished the bench and I used a product called Intergrain Floorseal (Satin). It is water based and should protect the colour integrity of the wood and is recommended for use in high wear areas like benchtops. It was very easy to use, but I guess the proof will be in the long term wear.

[silentC]

Thanks for the update gilbo. I saw that Intergrain product down at Mitre10 when I was looking for something else once. Must say I like the idea of water-based finishes but as you say it remains to be seen if they are up to the job in the long run. Maybe I'll check back with you in 12 months, by which time I might be ready to make mine.

I asked up at Bristol Paints in Highway Trade there past the tennis courts about lacquers and so on. They are now stocking some automotive lacquers, so I was going to look into those as an alternative, but I think you need spray gear to do a good job of it.