Finishing a veneered vanity - Help Please!!

[CADScott]

Hi all,

I am after a bit of advise regarding the finish required on a vanity. I am planning to build a wall hung vanity from veneered moisture resistant MDF or particle board, and am wondering what others think I should use as the final finish.

My idea is to use a wipe on satin poly mix and put lots of coats on the top especially, probably 6 - 8. We don't really use any harsh chemicals in the bathroom, but I am worried that the water may get under the poly or the silicon may attack it.

Any feedback would be much appreciated!

[journeyman Mick]

The wipe on poly will be fine, but the veneered board is a no-no for a horizontal surface, especially a vanity top. The veneer is only about .5mm thick.

Mick

[jerryc]

I agree with Mick that a wipe on finish would work well and also a veneered MDF top would be a disaster waiting to happen. Have a look at the recent thread on foolproof finishes where Wongo and I discussed wipe on finishes. There I give the recipes for different finishes you can make for yourself. The advantages of these are that you can vary to amounts and constituents to come up with the finish you want. Any wipe on finish also has the advantage of avoiding dust nibs.
I am an unashamed shellac enthusiast and include a vanity I recently finished in solid blue gum. The finish is shellac with Feast Watson red mixed directly into the shellac. It has no wax finish but is straight off the rubber.
The other thing to note is I avoided a wooden top. The other photos are of kitchen cabinet doors which have lasted several years. One is breaking down but considering it is just above the cook top and extractor fan shows shellac is a surprisingly tough finish. It has since been repaired by a wipe with a shellac rubber. I know I have posted these pics before but they are an illustration of the beauty and toughness of shellac.

Jerry

Everyone is entitled to my opinion