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 .

[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/rdonlyre...sSatinMatt.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/Product...e&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.