Best finish for vanity top

[Arron]

Hi. I'm making a vanity with a wenge veneer top over marine ply. It wont last forever, but then its not intended to. Can anyone recommend the best finish - something fairly waterproof.

thanks
Arron

[Big Shed]

Hi. I'm making a vanity with a wenge veneer top over marine ply. It wont last forever, but then its not intended to. Can anyone recommend the best finish - something fairly waterproof.

thanks
Arron

Probably the best finish would be Wattyl 7008, a 2 pack urethane. I would make sure to coat all round including the edges and back.
Next best would be moisture cured urethane, this is a single pack and more flexible than the 2 pack.

Fred

[silentC]

I used Estapol 7008 on a bathroom vanity. Don't live in the house any more but it seemed to be OK after a couple of years when we sold it.

[Arron]

thanks guys. The objection I have to the Wattyl 7008 is that it is only available in High Gloss. I'm thinking maybe it would be better in some type of satin finish.

thanks
Arron

[Big Shed]

What I would do there is rub with #00 steel wool, by coincidence there is article about this in Australian Woodsmith #50, which I picked up today!

I have just finished a display cabinet from recycled Mountain Ash, finished with sanding sealer and 3 coats of gloss pu, then steel wool rubbed with Danish Oil, gives a beatiful lustre.

You can't really succesfully use most satin finishes under wet conditions as they contain silica flatting agents and they tend to be hygroscopic, ie they attract water. Eventually they fail under bathroom conditions like a vanity top.

Give it a try on some scrap with some gloss pu you have around.

[Arron]

I have just finished a display cabinet from recycled Mountain Ash, finished with sanding sealer and 3 coats of gloss pu, then steel wool rubbed with Danish Oil, gives a beatiful lustre.

Hi Shed, I am assuming that you mean rubbing the gloss finish with steel wool and danish oil will give it a satin effect. Is that right ?

Also, what role does the sanding sealer play ? What does pu mean (plyurethane ?), and is there any brand of pu you would recommend.

thanks for the help
Arron

[Big Shed]

Hi Shed, I am assuming that you mean rubbing the gloss finish with steel wool and danish oil will give it a satin effect. Is that right ?

Also, what role does the sanding sealer play ? What does pu mean (plyurethane ?), and is there any brand of pu you would recommend.

thanks for the help
Arron

OK, should have been a bit clearer perhaps. I used sanding sealer to seal the grain on the Mountain Ash prior to applying the single pack polyurethane (pu). I would not use this under the Wattyl 7008 for your application.
Rubbing the 7008 with #00 steel wool and Danish Oil will give a pleasing satin finish. If it is too matt, go over it again with #0000 and Danish Oil and it will polish up to a glossier satin finish.
Don't be scared, always remember if you stuff up you can always apply another coat of 7008 and you are back to square one!