# Which is more durable?



## kjhart0133 (Feb 4, 2009)

Hi all,

I'm putting the finishing touches on my oak 3'x6' desktop. I've applied two coats of Minwax Antique Oil Finish and now I want to apply a durable top coat to protect the finish and the wood. I have three choices available to me:

1. Minwax Polyurethane
2. Minwax Lacquer
3. Minwax Polyacrylic

According to Home Depot, the polyacrylic is the most durable, but I've never used it before. The HD paint specialist told me it goes on cloudy but dries crystal clear -- and it is water based. Should I be wary of this? 

I've some experience with applying Polyurethane, both wipe on and brush on, but I don't think it's very durable. I think it tends to scratch easily.

Lastly, I've never used lacquer before so I don't know what to expect with that.

And, by the way, I don't have a sprayer.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Kevin H.


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## rrich (Jun 24, 2009)

If you wax the desk top it will have that wonderful "touchable" feeling. But the desk will have to be waxed periodically. Wax will not stand very well to hot coffee cups nor liquid spills.

Lacquer is what kitchen cabinets are usually finished with. It doesn't really stand up to water well HOWEVER lacquer can be repaired easily.

I put water based Minwax polyurethane over MAOF on a computer desk. It came out very well. The polyurethane seems to harden with age.

I've used the Polyacrylic on the cabinets in the shop and as a protective coat over white latex on the router table cabinet. It's all holding up well.

Of all the above, I'm leaning toward the polyurethane on horizontal surfaces and Polyacrylic on vertical surfaces. I don't know why, but it just seems that the finishes work better that way, months down the road. Nothing scientific about it, it just seems that way.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

Of the three choices you listed I would say that the lacquer is the most durable. It's a toss up of durability between lacquer and an oil base polyurethane.

Lacquer is the choice finish for mass produced furniture bercause it dries so fast and hard. If there was an oil base product that had a quick cure time the industry would likely use it. The closest product to that would be a conversion varnish.

Since you added the Minwax oil, and you don't have spray capabilities, using oil base polyurethane is easier to wipe on than WB. I would thin it 25% - 30% with mineral spirits, or with VM&P Naptha (for a faster dry), and wipe it on, in thin applications with a folded lint free rag. I wouldn't use a spray can of anything. 

If, you have allowed enough cure time for the Antique oil to cure, you could wipe on the waterbase polyurethane (thinned about 10% with water), applied in thin coats and allow each coat to cure. It will take many more coats than the oil base, but will be less smelly, and stay clear. It's a bit more difficult to wipe on than the OB poly.

Water base polyurethanes are equal to the other finishes in durability, and can be wiped on, but a spray application is the best method.


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## kjhart0133 (Feb 4, 2009)

Thanks guys, I'm going with the WB Polyacrylic. It seems the easiest for my skill level. I'll post a pic of the result.

First coat goes on today.

Kevin H.


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