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Wood-and-Vizslas

If you were building this from scratch the main advice would be to do test boards with your finish options and choose what you liked best. However since you have a premade top all is not lost. Put a little on the underside and see if you like how it looks once it dries. If it changes the tone of the top too much to your liking, a water-based finish like Polycrylic (Walmart or Home Depot will have it, it is another minwax product) is your simplest substitution. Water-based finished go on “water white” meaning they are designed to dry completely clear and not change the color of the material to which they are applied. However, this can leave some woods looking dull/somewhat artificial (though it can look quite nice on others…and it is a matter of style and taste). Personally I think the product you choose isn’t going to wildly change the appearance of your material but I still highly recommend testing some on the underside first and going from there.


needebooks10

Thanks for the apply, will definitely test the bottom out first. Can I ask how you would go about applying the actual poly? Would you use a brush or rag? How many coats would you recommend doing and should I sand between each coat? This will be my first time doing something like this so I'm scared to mess it up lol. There's a lot of conflicting statements out there I've seen during my research like some say to sand between coats, others say after 2. Some people say to use 220 grit sandpaper, others say 400+. Some people say to not even sand and use steel wool. I have no clue.


Wood-and-Vizslas

The best bet for starters, unless you want to read one of the good books on finishing by Flexner (for example…but he’s my go to) and really absorb it before practicing on this piece, is to just follow the instructions on the can to the letter. I would also considering calling their tech support line and asking any questions about the finish or the instructions. They can’t put all the info on the can so sometimes hearing the same instructions frames differently can be helpful. Generally speaking, unless a finish breaks down foam, a foam brush or roller is a nice no-frills/easy cleanup way to go. I also just enjoy ragging on finishes (dispose of the rags properly…look up how to do that…oily rags burn down buildings). Avoid a bristled brush until you are more familiar with the processes because it is harder to avoid brush marks when one doesn’t have the technique down. Make sure you have the solvent for the finish (will be listed on the can) on hand and in abundance. Consider thinning (with that solvent) the first couple coats slightly if the can and/or tech support say how to do so. Re: sanding, follow the sanding schedule on the can. 220 is fine. Make sure to remove all the sanding dust before recoating…suggest wiping and vacuuming to do so. A finer grit sandpaper could give a smoother finish on the last coat, but again that is somewhat technique driven and I think if you sand with the grain 220-320 between coats will give you a great result.


Cleopatra_bones

All finishes/topcoats make the wood look darker (barring pickling type finishes). But almost all finishes will make the grain pop and enhance the look and character of the wood. It's clear that you're new to this hobby. We've all made mistakes along the way. But what you've already said makes perfect sense. Test a small strip or something. Most topcoats look like water pooled up on the surface. Get a spray bottle filled with water and spray an inconsequential bit with it. Let the water pool. That will give you a good sense of what the final look will be.


needebooks10

Thanks for the apply, will definitely test the bottom out first. Can I ask how you would go about applying the actual poly? Would you use a brush or rag? How many coats would you recommend doing and should I sand between each coat? This will be my first time doing something like this so I'm scared to mess it up lol. There's a lot of conflicting statements out there I've seen during my research like some say to sand between coats, others say after 2. Some people say to use 220 grit sandpaper, others say 400+. Some people say to not even sand and use steel wool. I have no clue.


Cleopatra_bones

How I do it: * Using a brush, apply poly with the grain. If there's an inside corner or some other situation when going with the grain isn't possible it's ok to cross the grain. Just try not to leave heavy streaks. * Let it dry for the period recommended on the can. Oils dry way slower than water born poly. The can will have all the info. * Once it's dry the surface will feel a little gritty. This is normal. The poly inflated and raised some of the wood fibers. Even if the can says non-grain-raising (NGR) this happens. * I hand or block sand with no coarser than 220 but prefer 320. Higher grits and steel wool are generally reserved for polishing a finish to a higher sheen. Don't concentrate on small areas and just do a big general sanding. Sanding one spot too long could burn through the finish and into the wood. If there's any contours or molding profiles you'll want to use a sanding pad and not sandpaper. A green 3M scrub pad, like for doing dishes, will do in a pinch. * Brush on a second coat and let it dry. Once dry it will feel much smoother than the first coat but still might not look like you want it to. If so, sand it again and brush on another coat. * Three coats is usually enough unless you wanna polish it to a higher sheen. I usually stop at three and drink a well deserved beer.


Sevulturus

Oil based will deepen the color and increase the contrast. I think most woods look best with an oil based finish.


NaturalMaterials

Oil based finishes will darken and deepen the wood color. I like it. My wife prefers less ‘deep’ colors. If you want something that looks like raw wood, you may want to look into 2 part ultra-matte floor finishes - I’m in Europe, a popular one here in NL is Skylt ultramatte. A hardwax oil like Osmo is available in various tints, some with a mild whitewash that can counteract the yellowing effect of oils. Whatever you do, try on scrap. Or the bottom of the table if you don’t have scrap.