Coffee table finish, resistant to hot mugs

[kenny12]

Hi Everyone,

I've recently aquired a very nice maple slab that I want to use as the top of a coffee table. Someone down the track will be accidnetly putting down a hot mug on this table so I'd like the finish to be heat resistant to that.

I'm tossing up my choices for the finish, so far the finishes available to me are:

Organoil: Hard Burnishing Oil (I've heard this is pretty heat resistant and gives a less "plasticy" look than other finishes)
Barnes: Glass-Coat (supposed to be more heat resistant than plain epoxy casting resin)
Barnes: Epoxy Casting Resin
Perfect Gloss (Epoxy Resin finish again I think)

There are a few cracks and crannies that would be good to get stablised in the slab, they are not too numerous though.

Has anyone had any experience in the past with any of these finishes?

The current plan is to sand down to 220 grit and apply a timber sealer (polyurtahne sealer) and then apply one of the above finishes.

Is the timber sealer required on a slab?

Thanks in Advance

[soundman]

If you are going to apply one of the "other products" don't go putting timber sealer in the thing just yet.

You need to step back and look at the slab on the cold light of day first, Then come up with a finishing plan that uses compatable materials in the right order.

Firstly.....is this slab, well dry and how are you sure.
Secondly.....is it structrurally stable.

Are these cracks something that just need filling or does it require mechanical stableisation.

Then you can move forward from there...there are lots of finishes that will cop a hot cup, and many that wont.

cheers

[nrb]

I have made several coffee tables and finished them with four coats of poly,hot cups are on them on many ocasions with no ill effects,I don't think I would want a hot pan or such striaght out of the oven on the table but when you think about it how hot is a cup going to be,I would think that if it was hot enough to mar the finish you may not be able to pick it up.
Poly,no problems for me.

[LGS]

Hi Kenny,

Have a thorough read of this thread.
Hot pans and steaming lids, no problem
Hot water and cups, no problem,
Cold water marks, nope,
If you scratch the table a little oil wiped in will solve your problem, unlike Poly where you have to strip the table back,

[kenny12]

Thanks for the reply so far, what's the best way to check for mechanical stability? Is it just determined how deep the crack runs? What is the best way to stabilize a crack so it can still be finished in the future

[soundman]

Often timber stability is about suspicions and signs rather than tests.

But you could start with "Grug's Tests"

"Grug, poke with stick"
"Grug, hit wilth club"
"Grug, break with hands"

Seriously.....If it has cracks, splits or rotten bits, it probably needs some sort of stabilisation.

Most bark to bark slabs will have some sort of stability issue.

cheers