Hello To All / advice sort - Woodworking Talk

Pedro · 10-06-2009, 04:46 PM

Firstly Hello, Just found this forum. I am looking forward to learning from other peoples mistakes, instead of my own, and learning from people that Know alot more than my self. Only had a quick look around the site and there are some very nice projects ongoing and done, I think I will like it here.
My wood projects usually, are coffee tables only made three so far, for personal use. now I am working on two more, I just enjoy making things. I have no Training in woodworking, apart from school (27years ago), so dont be surprised if I ask the odd stupid question, my spelling and gramer are not the best either.
My first question, I have made a coffee table with a top made from oak with the legs and frame made from iroko, it has bean waiting a year for me to put a finish on it, becaude I am not sure what to finish it with, I know I do not want to varnish it, but am not sure what I can use instead, that is fairly durable to heat and spills, that has a sheen instead of a gloss, (hope that makes sense), and will take to both types wood, if I have not given enough information please tell me and I will add what I can Thankyou.

Wood4Fun · 10-06-2009, 08:48 PM

Quote:

that is fairly durable to heat and spills

I'd have to go back to my reference materials, which I don't have readily available at the moment... but you are pretty much talking about varnish here. Why don't you want to use a varnish? (I'm not sure where lacquer sits in the heat and spills resistance scale, which is why I mentioned not having my reference material available).

As far as sheen instead of gloss, I think you meant satin or matte instead of gloss. matte, satin, gloss, are characteristics of sheen (in other words, they are all sheen). You can get a nice satin varnish from Sherwin Williams (qt is about $13.00)... maybe about the same price as a can of Poly varnish of Minwax (I'd go with the straight varnish over the poly varnish).

GeorgeC · 10-06-2009, 09:27 PM

Iroko (a very good teak subsitute) and oak are two entirely different woods.

Do you want to just put a natural finiash on these two woods? I have used teak oil on Iroko but do not know how that would look on oak.

When you say stand up to spills and heat just how much heat are you talking about? Are you thinking about sitting down a hot bowl or soup or a hot pan?

G

Pedro · 10-07-2009, 09:49 AM

It's looking like a satin varnish then, I did consider this but was wondering if I had other options, As for the heat, it was just protection from hot cups, I am going to make some coasters from the Iroko I have left, It was just a bit of protection in case

Pedro · 10-07-2009, 09:50 AM

Thank you for your replys, thought A picture might help.

GeorgeC · 10-07-2009, 10:15 AM

Those legs do not look like the Iroko I have used. The Iroko I have used looks like teak.

G

Pedro · 10-07-2009, 11:02 AM

The legs did start off alot lighter, but they seem to be getting darker over time, which I like, I am no expert on wood types, I just pick bitts I like the look of, and then ask what it is, so have to hope I'm told correctly.

phinds · 10-07-2009, 11:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pedro

The legs did start off alot lighter, but they seem to be getting darker over time, which I like, I am no expert on wood types, I just pick bitts I like the look of, and then ask what it is, so have to hope I'm told correctly.

George, If you look at the time exposure to UV I have for iroko on my site (http://www.hobbithouseinc.com/person...pics/iroko.htm), you'll see the darkening, so that doesn't rule out Pedro's wood being iroko.

Paul