Waterproof finish for rosewood veneer countertop

[Robatoy]

I have a client who had a nice countertop made by a local cabinet shop. It is only 30" wide by 22" deep and is mostly covered by a square vessel bowl/sink. He built it out of 2 layers of particle board and veneered it with a nice thick slab of rosewood. He finished it with, who-knows-what and there were rings from glassware on the finish, but not into the veneer itself. The guy who made it is dead, so no info from him. So far, I Festooled down to the veneer, all is well, looks nice, etc.

Now...spar varnish? (She thinks that would be too shiny) I will want to spray it, so my (up to) 2.0 tip will handle thick stuff. Shellac is out. Poly? That would give me a satin/semi-gloss option, but long exposure to a wet glass? Water based?

My first choice would be Autocryl, but waaaaay too much money and hassle. What else does the wRECk Collective have in its bag of tricks?

Any and all help will be appreciated.

r

[RicodJour]

Rub down the spar varnish with some 600 wet/dry or pumice to knock down the shine.

R

[Larry Blanchard]

That was going to be my suggestion, but I'd use Behlens table top varnish instead of spar. Spar is too soft.

[RicodJour]

I've never used the Behlens, but I'd heard it was more difficult to recoat/repair as the stuff was difficult to sand out smooth. Spar varnish is definitely softer, but it is easy to repair. In any event, those "vessel on counter" sink things are an abomination.

R

[Robatoy]

Thatsafursure. I make a lot of them for people, but I have yet to see one I like.

This is one I drew up for a customer to show her how awkward her proposed layout would look. She LOVED it!!... Oh well. They're hard to clean too..you need to wipe both sides of the bowl and get in between it and the countertop...naaaa, just a fad, me thinks..(hoping)

[Swingman]

the cabinet and water ends up on the floor and down the front of the base cabint. Many, if not most, are designed with flat bottoms and flat bottoms do NOT drain completely, no matter how level.

[Robatoy]

Not to mention those sharp inside corners on some of those 'modernized' stainless farmer lookalikes. Oh, and now those sink-and-a- half without the partition. "Let's fill the WHOLE mofo up with hot water when we want to wash a single cup.

[Mark Whittingham]

I like farm sinks, but I would modify them a bit. I'd have them stick out over the faceframe by about 1/2" and make the sink have a 1/4" half round protrusion on the bottom so water doesn't run down the front and then back onto the face of the cabinets. Not sure that is the best way to describe it. When I see overlay doors and the counter doesn't protrude past them it bugs me. An old GF had some like that and whenever you'd spill something it's get all over the front of the doors and drawers. I blame the Corian installer.

JP

[dadiOH]

Doesn't have to be...rub it out or add flattener. Any gloss you want. Spar is soft, no particular advantage here IMO. Spar or regular, you need many coats; normal for me was 6-8 brushed coats. _____________

Poly is OK with water, doesn't like soap.

Same answer AFAIK. Not as pretty as oil base especially with rosewood or other dark woods. ________________

Polyester resin? I wouldn't but it is a possibility.

I love wood but would never want it as a sink top.

[Mike O.]

Here's a link to some good stuff. I've seen it used on commercial jobs but at $120 a gallon we don't see it on residential.

I would use an oil based polyurethane. I have four coats on my basement bar top. The top is a recycled maple bowling alley. You can set a wet glass on it all day and not leave a mark. Just ask my grand kids.;-)

Mike O.

[Robatoy]

I thought of FrogJuice, but I think Oil based poly will do the job.

This little top is more an accent than functional. The walls are green glass, Lots of chrome, an emerald green toilet, a black slate floor... get the picture?

[Lew Hodgett]

I thought of FrogJuice, but I think Oil based poly will do the job.

------------------------------- There is always Epithanes; however, from your description, may be overkill.

Lew

[Robatoy]

There are no UV issues. . . . . Jets win? WTF?

[Lew Hodgett]

It's just good stuff.

Lew

[Larry Jaques]

On Sun, 17 Jan 2010 10:07:25 -0800, the infamous Larry Blanchard scrawled the following:

I used Behlen's Rockhard for my freebie (inherited via Rogue Valley Recyclers) cheaparse oak veneer and termite barf dining set. I refinished the table and chairs (Waterlox Satin + foam, batting and cool new upholstery fabric, all fun except the sanding.)

It's the -one- time in my life I wante a truly glossy surface and it's extremely glossy. I guess pumice or gray Scotchbrite would knock the gloss off, though.

I definitely prefer the Behlen's to spar varnish. Spar stays tacky, and I truly hate that. Both have a horrible feel. You can't feel the wood underneath like you can Waterlox, Watco, or straight oils. Feh!

[Larry Jaques]

On Sun, 17 Jan 2010 10:22:35 -0800 (PST), the infamous RicodJour scrawled the following:

Spar it. It'll fit right in.

[Larry Jaques]

On Sun, 17 Jan 2010 11:28:24 -0800 (PST), the infamous Robatoy scrawled the following:

Smart folks leave a 3-quart bowl, often half filled with soapy water, in the vast mofo sink for that purpose.

[Jim Hall]

Rings? Shellac?

I took a tour of Wallace and H> I have a client who had a nice countertop made by a local cabinet shop.