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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!gatech!ut-sally!utastro!fbr
From: fbr@utastro.UUCP (Frank Ray)
Newsgroups: net.rec.wood
Subject: Re: Finish advice needed
Message-ID: <301@utastro.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 22-Jan-86 13:00:36 EST
Article-I.D.: utastro.301
Posted: Wed Jan 22 13:00:36 1986
Date-Received: Thu, 23-Jan-86 09:53:56 EST
References: <505@milano.UUCP>
Organization: U. Texas, Astronomy, Austin, TX
Lines: 31
Keywords: finish oak cabinet
Summary: wood finishes

In article <505@milano.UUCP>, sandel@milano.UUCP writes:
> I am remodelling my house and have just installed my kitchen cabinets.
> I had them custom-made from "rift-cut" red oak plywood.
> ...
> I want a clear finish that, if
> possible, preserves the "pinkish" tint of the oak.  Since they are
> in the kitchen, the finish also needs to be water resistant and should
> not scratch or mar easily.  So far, the best I've been able to come up with
> is to put a "sanding sealer" on them and then 2 or 3 coats of clear
> polyurethane.
> 
> Does anyone have any comments about this type of finish or recommendations
> as to others?  Thanx!
> 
> -- 
>                     Charles Sandel @ MCC Software Technology
>   sandel@mcc.arpa   sally!im4u!milano!sandel  utastro!charles   sally!charles

Hi, Charles.  You have to be sure that the sanding sealer you use
is compatible with the polyurethane.  You can thin the first coat of
polyurethane quite a bit, until it's watery; it will penetrate the oak
and raise the grain.  Then after it dries, you can sand the fuzz off
with about 200 grit paper.  The next coats acn go on not as thinned.
Finally, if you want to kill the gloss on the last coat, after it's dried
thoroughly, you can use 0000 steel wool to buff it lightly.  Then
you'll have a water-resistant, tough, non-glossy finish.  After about 3
careful coats, taking off the fuzz between each, you'll probably be
getting to a sound finish.  I did a mesquite piece this way, something
which is exposed to the weather a lot, and it worked well.

fbr