sawdustgirl

I had all intentions of finishing a cradle I am building out of Africn Mahogany and Sapelli with shellac. But after reading the forum, it doesn't sound like a good finish in humid conditions.(I am in S FL) I also read about going with the oils but I don't think it would be a hard enough finish. The cradle will ultimatly become a toy box at toddler age and no doubt get knocked around. What do you think, Spar Varnish?

frankp

I'd personally finish with varnish and then use "bite guards" for any surface I was really worried about.

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mmwood_1

I think I would go with the oil finish. The reason is because, given your intended use, the oil finish can be easily rejuvenated, scratches sanded out and re-oiled easily. The wood you're using is pretty hard already. Even if you used a hard finish, toy boxes take a lot of abuse, and no doubt the finish would be damaged. But it would be much more work to restore the finish than if you use oil.

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Jim Tank

The more I use Varathane's Exterior water based polyurethane, the more I like it. It's ok for kids to chew on and is clear, not amber, so true colors stay true, and it sprays fine with a simple air gun, ( I use gravity feed). Sands easily between coats and cures hard in a couple days. Anyway, if it's too late for this job, try it on something later as a test. It makes professional finishes easy to achieve with inexpensive equiptment and easy methods.

cabinetman

I agree with Jim's suggestion to use water based polyurethane. It's almost ninny proof to use. As for using an oil finish, it would be an easier maintenance finish, but it could take a long while to cure, and oils don't provide much protection if any.