I have refinished a Maple dining table, and would like input for what is the best clear finish to put on this. I dont want to stain, as I love the color it is. I would like something that will obviously resist scratches, since this will be only for eating at. Thanks!
My dining room table is finished with "Behlen's Rock Hard Table Top Varnish" and it has held up very well. I made the table about 8 years ago. This web page talks about this finish:
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. I have no idea how reliable this web site is -- I just found it by googling on "Rock Hard Table Top Varnish," but what it says fits with my experience. I did rub out my finish. Rock Hard Table Top Varnish is available from the usual suspects (Woodcraft, Highland Hardware, etc.).
If you do not want an amber finish (almost all traditional varnishes will be amber colored) then you might want to look into some of the new water-based finishes as well as lacquer, but those are outside my realm of experience so I can't offer any advice in that area.
Polyurethane is about the toughest. After the last coat resist the temptation to put the table into use--wait a month or two for the poly to fully harden then apply a wax.
I wouldn't use polyurethane. It's a bit yellowish, but mainly because there's one finish that's even harder. Acid-cure formaldehyde resins are used for flooring and also for bars and tables. It's a two pack paint you mix before use (not an epoxy or isocyanate though).
Easy to work with, although they do smell disgusting during application. They harden and lose the smell completely within a few hours.
Rustin's "Bar Top" would be a UK brand. Look for "Plastic Coating" too.
As I understand it, wax is used as protection from mechanical wear. The wax coating(s) provide a slipery surface, so that plates, silverware, or other hard objects will slide over the surface of the table, instead of digging into the finish. Wax does not protect the finish against light, liquid, or heat.
Curt Blood
Polyurethane is about the toughest. After the last coat resist the
Paste wax. You put it on, let it dry a bit, and then buff it, and it looks really nice (very high gloss) Might be a little redundant with poly, but I've never tried the two together.
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