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Finishing a New Table

Steve Maxwell

ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS:

Mr Maxwell, taking both aesthetics and durability into account, gives a homowner do it yourself advice on staining a new kitchen table.

Q: I have a new, unfinished kitchen table and I want to stain it but don't know what to use. What do you recommend? Would a water-based polyurethane sealer be appropriate? Satin or gloss?

A: The finish you apply to a kitchen table is important for both looks and durability. And your first step is to finish some samples completely using the strategy that you settle on. This is the only way to see an accurate example of what you're getting into visually.

As for the approach, here's what I did on the trestle table I built for my family six years ago.

I started with one coat of a medium brown liquid stain, brushed on, then wiped off. This product colours the wood, but offers no protection.
Next, I applied three coats of Armor Coat oil-based urethane (Canadian Tire's own brand) with a satin sheen. I've tried many urethanes over the years, but this is my favourite oil-based product. Flecto and ICI brands of waterbased urethane work well, too, though I find it somewhat more challenging to get a good finish with them than with oil-based products.
As you may know, it's necessary to sand lightly between coats of finish using 240-grit sand paper. This removes the fuzziness created by the finish as it dries. Don't sand after the third and final coat.