# Finishing Brazilian cherry countertop



## Darel (Nov 20, 2009)

Hello,
I'm making a countertop out of Brazilian cherry and need help deciding what finish to use. I'm down to two options, I think. I really don't want a chippable/scratchable surface coating finish like polyurethane, so I was going to mix poly and thinner so the poly penetrates the wood. I also thought about adding maybe 10% tung oil. I'd really like for this grain to pop.

My second option was one of the Waterlox products but I really haven't read much about them. 

Any thoughts?
Thanks!


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## Old Skhool (Oct 31, 2009)

Darel said:


> Hello,
> I'm making a countertop out of Brazilian cherry and need help deciding what finish to use. I'm down to two options, I think. I really don't want a chippable/scratchable surface coating finish like polyurethane, so I was going to mix poly and thinner so the poly penetrates the wood. I also thought about adding maybe 10% tung oil. I'd really like for this grain to pop.
> 
> My second option was one of the Waterlox products but I really haven't read much about them.
> ...


I've always like the look and the feel of a rubbed on finish. It's kinda fun coming up with your own recipe too. Each coat seems to get better and better. It also seems to become one with the wood, hardening the surface while giving that lusterous feel. People just seem to be drawn to it, and like touching it. Depending upon the use of you countertop, it may or may not give you the protection you need, especially with spills. Easier to repair though. Good luck with your decision.


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## CharlesNeil (Jun 26, 2007)

waterlox, or Arm r seal from general finishes will fill the bill, apply about 4 coats wiping back between, and a very light scuff with some 800 or finer between coats, will give you a super slick and beautiful finish , i have some walnut floors that i have both finishes on ( 2 seperate rooms), and it has held up great , as well as a set of stairs, i also used it on my bathroom cabinets as well....no issue...tough as any poly, but has all the properties and repairability of an oil...i usually do not scuff between the 3rd and 4th coat , because the finish goes on thin, i want to fill the sanding scratches , so the 4th coat is applied directly over the 3rd, IF i need to scuff it , i use a 1200 or 1500 so the sand scratches are minimal and 1 coat will fill them , evry time you walk away from the application, it should be smooth, if you use a satin or semi gloss, make sure you mix it well, as it contains a flattner , and if not the flattner can settle to the bottom of the can and cause streaking as you get to the bottom of the can due to the concentration of the flattner , allow a good 12 hours between coats and 24 between the 3rd and 4th , if you , after all is said and done, it feels less than super smooth, use a brown paper bag or piece of craft paper to give it a good rubout...both of these oils have the proper resins and driers needed to produce a super quality finish...my top two choices

charles
www.charlesneilwoodworking.com


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## Darel (Nov 20, 2009)

Thanks a lot, guys! I ordered some Waterlox, we'll see how it goes.


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## Greenhead Sharpening (Nov 24, 2009)

Darel, let us know how it goes, I have to do a walnut top in January and was looking at the same product


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## Darel (Nov 20, 2009)

I'll post pictures since this is the first time I'm trying anything on this scale. Thanks!


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## Darel (Nov 20, 2009)

This is the smaller section of countertop in my kitchen - the "practice" section. I could not be happier with the way this turned out. I'm sure most of you who really know what you're doing are going to pick out a dozen flaws but I think it looks great. The Waterlox is phenomenal - I obviously can't speak to its' durability or anything, but it goes on really easily, dries fast, and looks amazing. You can't see it in the pictures but the curlier sections of wood look like they are miles deep.

Also FYI, I wanted to embellish with a slightly darker wood but nothing too over the top, so I decided to put in the dots across the front edge. I wanted a darker wood but didn't want to go buy anything for such a small amount, so I used a plug cutter to cut plugs from a poplar tree that was felled by lightning this time last year. The plugs were cut out of the scorch mark from the lightning. I thought they came out pretty well.

In any case, if you're on the fence about using the Waterlox, do it!


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## Old Skhool (Oct 31, 2009)

Your countertop really shows the natural beauty of the wood and turned out great! Waterlox is a good product that uses tung oil and resins. The resins giving it better water resistance than tung oil by itself. It thins with mineral spirits if you want to increase penetration for the first coat on hardwoods like maple..., though it may affect the drying time. Sometimes I'll wet sand the first coat on woods like walnut creating a slurrry which will tend to fill the pores somewhat, but doesn't obscure the grain at all. Charles laid out a great finishing schedule, hard to go wrong with that.

Nice job on the wood preparation, and getting the surface flat. Not easy to do. I also noticed that you scribed the top for a nice fit against the walls. no scribe molding here!

Don't shy away from a little experimentation for uses with different woods, uses, or for different results, like increased water protection, or more of a matte finish. After a while you develop a feel for the finishes quickly, but painstakenly getting the result you want. You can use Waterlox as your base if you want. Wood preparation is key in the results, requiring finer grits in the final sanding than for surface coatings.


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## beerdog (Mar 13, 2009)

Looks great. How did you build it?


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## smeggy (Dec 7, 2009)

that does look good, wonder how easy it is to apply to small turned objects. looks like another trip to the wood shop is in order. My finishing generally sucks and is the part I find most difficult to get right. I usually default to Watco semi-gloss laquer for my stuff and maybe micromesh polishing.


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## Darel (Nov 20, 2009)

It's just 3/4 MDF with the flooring glued/nailed on top and lots of sanding. The outer trim strip is just flooring ripped down. Might not be the best construction, but I still have the old countertop and it was free, except the finishing.


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