kitchen countertops

[dw2500]

Hello folks. I'm new to the forum and seeking some advice. First off, I'm not a woodworker but a slightly above average do-it-yourselfer at best. I do have an appreciation for wood and all its beauty. Hence my question.

I decided to use 1x6 tongue and groove pine boards for my kitchen countertops and bar top. Before everyone jumps on me...I know that pine is a soft wood and using wood for countertops, especially in a kitchen, may not be the best choice. But, the wood is already installed, just needs finishing. I started with a 3/4" Advantech base screwed to the base cabinets, then glued, nailed and screwed (from the bottom) the pine boards. Perhaps a little overkill but anyway. If several years go by and we're just not satisfied with them then I will just remove and go with something different.

The kitchen sink area will be granite, so I'm not so worried about water. I can't imagine putting a hot pan on any surface, so barring any accidental drops I'm not concerned with that either. An occasional dropped glass or plate would leave a ding but I'm ok with that. Just adds character. However I wouldn't want it to crack whatever finish I use. My main concern is just to the left and right of the gas stove. I will have a fully functional range hood with an actual exhaust, not the recirculating type.

All that being said I'd like some pointers based on the look I'd like to achieve. I really want the tops to pop, as they will be one of the main focal points of the kitchen (base cabinets are flat black, no overhead cabinets). So I want a deep, rich look and something that will really bring out the grain of the wood. Maybe golden to amber in color but not too dark. And here's the kicker...not shiny! I'd rather have a satin or matte finish. I realize that I will need to practice on some scrap wood and familiarize myself with whatever process I decide to go with.

Any advice on product, procedure, when to sand, what grit paper etc will be greatly appreciated. Thanks

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

All that being said I'd like some pointers based on the look I'd like to achieve. I really want the tops to pop, as they will be one of the main focal points of the kitchen (base cabinets are flat black, no overhead cabinets). So I want a deep, rich look and something that will really bring out the grain of the wood. Maybe golden to amber in color but not too dark. And here's the kicker...not shiny! I'd rather have a satin or matte finish. I realize that I will need to practice on some scrap wood and familiarize myself with whatever process I decide to go with.

Sounds like the perfect application for Tung or Danish Oil. (And by Danish, I mean a Tung Oil with driers added, not a PolyU that has had a can of Tung Oil waved over the vat. )

Being oils, they penetrate into the timber and enhance the colour. Generally, oils are an easy finish to touch-up or repair - should it ever be necessary - without needing to sand the whole top back to bare timber.

PolyUrethane tend to be more durable, but given what you've posted about the timber and situation (eg. granite section, etc.) I believe an oiled finish would hold it's own quite nicely.

They can be time consuming to apply... as the process typically consists of applying a coat, waiting a short period of time (about 10 mins, varies on temp & humidity) and then wiping off the excess with a clean rag. Wait 24 hours for that coat to cure, then repeat the process.

As each coat is very thin, it'll start off looking matte but sufficient further applications will start to bring up a gloss. With patience, a critical eye and a little bit of judicious light sanding when noticing dust motes, etc., one can build up a perfect mirror finish, but this is very time consuming.

Or... you can simply stop when it you're happy with the matte/satin appearance.

At any stage, if you decide it looks too glossy you can matte it back with a high grit paper (somewhere in the 1200 - 6000grit range, so you don't really remove much except the gloss) wipe it down with a tack cloth and give it one more final coat.

I recommend letting the last coat cure for at least a couple of days before doing any sanding though. If fine grit paper starts to clog quickly, it's not cured enough and you're wasting your time and effort. This is true whether you just want to clean up a tiny dust mote stuck in the last coat or you want to cut back the gloss.

Apart from that, it's a very forgiving process... just not particularly quick.

As to how far to sand the bench-top in the first place... well... that depends on the particular piece of timber.

Personally I tend to sand with an orbital sander, until I cannot see any circular sanding marks forming whatsoever. Then using the same grit on a sanding block, give it a few strokes going along with the grain. This ensures any scratches left from sanding go with the grain and aren't so obvious when the finish enhances them.

(And any finish WILL show up missed scratches regardless of whether it be oil, shellac or PolyU. )

[elanjacobs]

glued, nailed and screwed (from the bottom) the pine boards

I'll be very interested to know how that works out when summer comes around. Timber needs some freedom to expand and contract or it will bend and take whatever it's stuck to along with it.

[justonething]

Why not give the whittle hardwax oil a go. https://whittlewaxes.com.au/product-category/application/benchtops

[david.elliott]

top.jpg

Two years ago I did bench tops for a client as per the image above.
4-5 coats of floor polyurethane with a light wet sand in between each.
Resist the temptation to just use the 25mm you have. Twist and bow will probably be an issue. Especially if you are only coating one side

I've done several now and use 19mm MR particle board and 19 mm timber. I biscuit and glue the edges together and use flooring glue with a 6mm trowel to attach to the particle board, secret nailing as I go. Flatten by hand with a plane, then a belt sander and finish with my 300mm random orbit sander. Once finished all that I turn them over and give the back a couple of good coats of oil based something.

The above job was for a friend, and 3 years on she tells me they're still looking great in spite of her taking no particular (special) care with it.

[Robson Valley]

The OP says that the wood is already installed. = Done deal.

To showcase wood grain and colors, MinWax Tung Oil Protective Finish is the choice.
Counter tops. Walking canes. Wood carvings.

I need to use a cane for my rotten sense of balance.
I own and use canes of diamond willow, rather unique and spectacular wood figure.
They were all finished with 4 coats of TOPF.
The canes are showing many little dents of wear from the past few years.
I think that's a function of the mechanical properties of the willow, somewhat similar to pine.

I wouldn't hesitate to use TOPF in the kitchen.
If the cosmetic little dents became an issue, I would try to flow on more coats.

Pine, huh? Lots of knots and figure to look at?

[q9]

My standard answer for that application would be Estapol 7008. Very tough, withstands a bit of heat. Finish is very glossy, but I did a bathroom benchtop with it and rubbed down with 1200/2000 grit wet and dry and had a nice silky satin finish.

[havabeer69]

Bunnings sell a cabbots "kitchen bench" poly that they say is actually food safe.