jarrah bed with casting resin needs finish

[joe@aardvarksol]

Hi,
i need help selecting a finish for my jarrah bed.
the timber is recycled from the melbourne docks.
I need to fill two gum pockets with casting resin to give the bed head a clean smooth face, but what is the best option to finish the bed with?
I like the finish of danish oil, and have used that before on baltic pine, but am not sure that will adhere to the resin, and will it stain the pillows? i am trying some weatherfast poly clear satin at the moment, but i think that the finish is too glossy. i applied it with a brush, should i wipe off the excess after 10mins, similar to danish oil?
I want something that will stick to the casting resin, and make the jarrah look great, without too much of a shine, and will not leach onto the pillows.
Any information would be much appreciated

Cheers

Joe

[Master Splinter]

Even though I'm an oil fan, I'd stick to the poly for a bed otherwise there is the risk of getting oily bedsheets after you re-oil in a year or two. (I'm assuming you can't afford to have the bed out of action for a few days while you let the oil dry well)

If the poly finish is too glossy, hit it with fine steel wool/scotchbrite to bring the gloss down. The Minwax rub on poly is available (Bunnies) in a satin finish which might be more to your liking.

I'm not sure how well anything will stick to the casting resin but it doesn't really need a finish; basically it's plastic, all you need to do is match gloss levels - do a few test pieces to see how it all works.

I've used tinted epoxy in the past to fill up sap runs in jarrah and after sanding it flat and using oil it looks just like I would expect a sap run to look. If you are after a glass-clear finish on the resin, your choice of finishing coats may be dictated by what works for that effect.

[joe@aardvarksol]

Great,

Thanks for that.

I made the trip to bunnies yesterday, and now have the rub on poly, so i will give that a go today.

Cheers

Joe.

[Master Splinter]

If possible, post a few pics of test pieces - I've never used casting resin and would be interested to see how it turns out with a finish. (the idea of filling in a void with a redback spider cast in resin has a certain perverse appeal...or maybe just a set of big possum-like eyes deep in the timber...)

[jwan23]

G'day Joe,

I'm also looking into constructing a hardwood bed and bed head and would greatly appreciate some advice.

In particular, would you mind sending me any plans you may have so I can get some ideas about basic design?

Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

James