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After more than a two-year wait my wonderful wife finally has her two shaker tables in the house, finished, and ready for use. The final step in the process was to apply finish. I am always wary of this step because I really do not want to ruin all my work with a bad finishing job. I have good reason for concern because I have in the past done exactly that.
When our daughter was pregnant with our first grandchild she asked me to build her a nursing stool. I was elated to do the job and built quite a nice stool–given my limited experience and equipment at the time. When the stool was completed I applied satin polyurethane as a protective finish. I too quickly applied too much, too thick. In the end I had runs and a poor finish that disappointed me greatly. Thankfully my daughter found it useful anyway.
Consequently, when the time came to finish the tables, I found myself paralyzed by these memories. In other words; I procrastinated.
Providentially, one of the woodworking magazines to which I subscribe did an article on the various water-based finishes available on the market. I found this interesting because I dislike using finishes that need to be thinned and cleaned up with noxious chemicals. The article gave me confidence that water-based finishes had become as good as their traditional oil-based counterparts. Armed with this new information I bought a quart of water-based polyurethane and the recommended synthetic-bristle brush.
The application instructions say that thinning is not recommended, so use water-based poly full, or nearly full, strength. The first coat dried in about two hours and was ready for sanding. I let it rest a while more. Returning to inspect the tables I found that, true to the nature of water applied to wood, the grain had raised. Using a sanding block I sanded the finished surfaces of the tables. An abrasive of 220 grit or higher should be used for this.
After sanding I applied a second coat of poly and let that dry. I thought, and the instructions suggested, that a third coat might be necessary, but you should evaluate this after applying the second coat. My tables were just the way I want them with only two coats applied, and I think the tops will be well protected against the level of use I expect them to get.
Let me tell you; if you haven’t used water-based poly, you are really missing out. I applied all the finish in the house and the odor was virtually unnoticeable. The finish looks great and very natural. It made the Cherry glow wonderfully and highlighted the grain very well. In addition, the satin finish was even and clear.
I’m now a big fan of water-based polyurethane and I think you’ll like it too.