# finish on a bathroom vanity



## VIFmike (Jul 21, 2012)

I am building a bathroom vanity/table for a client using reclaimed Ash. I need to stain it and finish with a matte clear. I am worried about water/moisture/steam.

What process should I use to finish this so it holds up to years of service?

I am kind of new to finishing. I am using Titebond III to glue the slats of the top together and also for the side skirts etc. The legs will screw on for easy shipping. 

Should I stain first then water seal then clear? I use minwax stain and spray matte clear but I also have some brush on clear. 

Thanks


----------



## jack warner (Oct 15, 2010)

i prefure a spar varnish. would not work for shipping unless its allowed to cure


----------



## VIFmike (Jul 21, 2012)

how long does it take to cure? brands? 

I might have to do some looking at Home Depot here in a bit. See what I can find.


----------



## jack warner (Oct 15, 2010)

i use man-o-war and spray witch is key to a perfect finish imo. if your going to go hd they cary helmsman witch is about the best they will have. you may consider a wb poly. ive recently tested several and i like zar's wb poly, and polycrylic by minwax. they both work over oil bace stains, but i found that the polycrylic worked better sealing the oil stain with bullseye dewaxed shellac. zar has real good body and takes less coats to get depth. on a warm day you can get 3-4 coats on.,


----------



## VIFmike (Jul 21, 2012)

So I am guessing I need to lay on a few good coats with sanding in between. Its over 100 degrees every day here in Texas this time of year so drying bewteen coats should not be a problem.


----------



## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

VIFmike said:


> So I am guessing I need to lay on a few good coats with sanding in between. Its over 100 degrees every day here in Texas this time of year so drying bewteen coats should not be a problem.


With waterbase polyurethane you don't "lay on" a few good coats. You apply (spraying is best) thin coats, and lightly sand between each one.









 







.


----------



## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

Minwax stain would probably work good for a bath. I wouldn't recomend it in a more sunny location. It doesn't retain color as well as other oil stains. For a finish I prefer Wood Classics interior polyurethane varnish from Sherwin Williams. It takes about 12 hours to dry per coat but usually only needs only two coats.


----------



## jack warner (Oct 15, 2010)

with wb poly i will build up a few coats b4 sand so that i dont burn through. i dont think wb has the mech bond issue oil poly does.


----------



## VIFmike (Jul 21, 2012)

alrighty then. I got the top bonded together today and I am about to start making the underside of the top. The legs are done and the bottom shelf pieces are cut. 

So as soon as I have the top smooth and clean I should start the finish on it because it will need more coats than the legs etc. 

Thanks for all the help.


----------



## bob sacamano (Jan 24, 2012)

cabinetman said:


> With waterbase polyurethane you don't "lay on" a few good coats. You apply (spraying is best) thin coats, and lightly sand between each one.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
well said. i was thinking the same exact thing


----------



## bob sacamano (Jan 24, 2012)

i just did a vanity made from alder. cheaper thank oak or ash. i used bona kemi polyurethane. pics available to anyone to your email but pics wont upload here. nothing taken with my new nikon will upload here


----------



## slevapaul (Aug 25, 2012)

I always prefer the oil based finishing. It gives the best finishing to the furniture eventually through all the corners. Lacquer is also considered as the best option for finishing the furniture.


----------



## marcssteve (Oct 15, 2012)

VIFmike said:


> I am building a bathroom vanity/table for a client using reclaimed Ash. I need to stain it and finish with a matte clear. I am worried about water/moisture/steam.
> 
> What process should I use to finish this so it holds up to years of service?
> 
> ...


According to me its a very useful post for each and every builder, architect and also interior designer. So thanks for share this valuable and informative post.


----------



## bob sacamano (Jan 24, 2012)

slevapaul said:


> I always prefer the oil based finishing. It gives the best finishing to the furniture eventually through all the corners. Lacquer is also considered as the best option for finishing the furniture.


im not sure what laquer is good for. it scratches easily and wont help with water or moisture. its terrible for most furniture


----------



## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

bob sacamano said:


> im not sure what laquer is good for. it scratches easily and wont help with water or moisture. its terrible for most furniture


Please elaborate on why you think that lacquer is "terrible."

It is what I have always used for indoor furniture. I am very pleased with it. It is very forgiving in application. (I always spray) Seems to stand up well to most abuse.

George


----------



## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

GeorgeC said:


> Please elaborate on why you think that lacquer is "terrible."
> 
> It is what I have always used for indoor furniture. I am very pleased with it. It is very forgiving in application. (I always spray) Seems to stand up well to most abuse.
> 
> George


 Well George that was a too broad a term to say lacquer is terrible. There are many different kinds and some do better than others. For furniture not exposed to water most all lacquer works fine with the exception of light colored wood. Nitrocellous lacquer yellows with age and looks bad on light woods in time. A cellous nitrate lacquer would work better for light wood because it doesn't yellow. Used on table tops nitro often shows a lot of water rings from setting wet glasses on it because it's not suited for exposure to water at all. A better substitute would be a cab acrylic lacquer or catalyzed lacquer. These are formulated to be more resistant. I suspended using nitro lacquer some years ago on cabinets because my customers complained about the finish lifting at sink cabinets where they let water run down the front.


----------

