non-darkening protective finish for tropical hardwood side tables, thx

[tiffrer]

Hi,
I have just sanded some small side tables down to bare wood, tropical hardwood with a light and interesting grain.

What finish do you suggest I use for
a) very clear finish to preserve the natural look of the wood and
b) decent protection against tea and water spills

Clear matt interior poly varnish ended up too brown. Don't mind gloss or matt finish. Options for application are only brush or rag, no spray gun. I have on hand Wattyl Teak oil, linseed oil (unmarked tin, no idea if BLO or raw) and clear matt interior poly varnish.
Thank you.

[Hermit]

I don't think you'll do much better than clear poly for a non-darkening finish. Slightly clearer is MinWax Polycrylic or similar, but any finish will darken the timber to at least the tone of the timber when wetted with water.

And welcome to the forums, tiffrer. You'll find a wealth of information here, and a bunch of very knowledgable and helpful blokes (and ladies).

[Christos]

Welcome to the forum. I am not familiar with the products available in your location but the product I would consider is White Shellac.

I have not tried this myself so can not comment other than to point you to our forum sponsor http://www.ubeaut.com.au/dewaxed.html and the information from their website.

[tiffrer]

I don't think you'll do much better than clear poly for a non-darkening finish. Slightly clearer is MinWax Polycrylic or similar, but any finish will darken the timber to at least the tone of the timber when wetted with water.

And welcome to the forums, tiffrer. You'll find a wealth of information here, and a bunch of very knowledgable and helpful blokes (and ladies).

Thanks Hermit,
I am sourcing a stockist of the minwax in WA, from where I can import. I am also going to try a blonde shellac as I've never tried that before.
Tiffrer

[Wizened of Oz]

Thanks Hermit,
I am also going to try a blonde shellac as I've never tried that before.
Tiffrer

No, no. Blonde shellac will give no protection against tea and water spills.
U Beaut's Hard Shellac, though, is a white shellac that will give protection.

[Hermit]

Thanks Hermit,
I am sourcing a stockist of the minwax in WA, from where I can import. Tiffrer

Regarding the MinWax Polycrylic, the usual Australian distributor is here: http://www.globak.com.au/POLYURETHAN...oductview.aspx , another forum sponsor.

I would have replied earlier, but for some reason I didn't get a forum email notification of your reply.
(Didn't notice that you're in the Seychelles and not here in Australia, either.)

I can't comment on the UBeaut shellacs, never used them, but UBeaut do own these forums.

[tiffrer]

Hi all,

Many thanks for the tips. I will probably go for whichever decent water based poly I can import, or one locally available now that I know what I am looking for.

I'm very keen to try Shellac or Lacquer to preserve that 'freshly planed look' to quote Fine Woodworking. But so much depends on what the surface will be exposed to and the hardness and type of wood itself. Clearly a little bit of knowledge could be a bad thing (for the wood) in this case, so I will be googling clear finishes etc etc and be better prepared for my next finishing project. If anyone has a good link please let me know.

Many thanks!

[ubeaut]

Sorry for the delayed response, Been a bit under the hammer of late and not getting much time to see or respond to posts.

Almost all finishes will darken timber to at least obe or two shades darker than the wet colour of the wood.

• To see what the timber will look like wet a small section with water or methylated spirits.
• Most oils will darken it quite dramatically from the wet look.
• Polyurethane will darken it or yellow it at least one or two shades.
• French polish (shellac) will impart a honey colour
• Blond Shellac will yellow it slightly
• White shellac will not change the colour of the timber any more than the wet look and is about the only product that won't darken the timber.
• Some waxes will not darken the timber more than the wet look but have no real guts or substance and will mark reasonably easy.

Our U-Beaut Hard Shellac (dewaxed white) It is white shellac that has been dewaxed and had a hardner introduced to the mix. It has a high resistance to marking from alcohol water and heat and won't change the colour of the timber any more than wetting it down with water. It looks a pale honey colour in the bottle (even darker on the website (bad picture)) but it is by far the lightest finish that I know of when applied.

Hope this is of some help.

Cheers - Neil