Peter:
We are having some discussion about architect son’s suggestion to redo out kitchen counter tops in oak. If we do that, what would be the best finish? We have a good-sized family and put counters to a lot of work, along with the usual moisture and cleaners.
Joe Sullivan
Replies
Hi Joe,
I always find the question of " the best" interesting. What type of oak?
I've done a number of counters for clients over the years. Personally I prefer to use a varnish over a urethane. Of course arguments could be made for each.
One of the varnishes I've used with great results is McCloskey's Gym Seal. It is a medium oil varnish with the main ingredient being "a modified tung oil resin and the secondary an oil modified urethane"
The varnish states that it is " tough yet elastic and resists abrasion and household chemicals" From personal experience I agree with that statement. It has an inherent golden color as opposed as the amber associated with the spar varnishes.
It sands well and is easy to re coat. ( I should get royalties from McCloskey for this)
Because it is not as main stream in discussions as Behlens Rockhard, another good one, or other well known types, many shy away from it.
Another coating to consider is a conversion varnish. It has to be sprayed and gives a surface impervious to almost anything in the kitchen. However if it does get damaged, it is much harder to repair than a good old varnish.
If you saw the refinishing video, Gym Seal is the varnish used on the oak table. You can see how well it sanded out.
Anyways just an opinion.
Hope alls well.
Peter
Peter:
Thanks. Agree that "best" is an impossible question, but then, I have to buy SOMETHING, and so have to try to rank the possibilities. In this case the counter would be generic white oak -- don't know the actual species beyond that. In fact, it would be salvaged flooring material with a milled bullnose.
The repair issue on the conversion varnish would be a drawback, as we give counters fiarly heavy use and intend to live here until they box us up. So, we want maximum service life commensurate with good looks.
Is the varnish easy to recoat after it is cured -- as for repairs?
Joe
Joe,
Repairs are simple. Just clean the surface and dry, scuff sand, tack, and re coat.
That's the beauty off varnishes, whether Behlens, McCloskey etc.
Peter
Good. Thanks for the advice.
J
Peter:
Can't find the original posts (or maybe we talked by email). However, I finally finished the white oak kitchen counter project after a several month delay. The results are excellent. Everyone on the house wants to touch them.
The schedule was:
Five coats of SealCoat very slightly colored with dark brown transtint, wet sanded back after each coat;
2 coats of Behlen's Rock Hard, wet sanded;
Final coat of Rock Hard allowed to cure for several months as I had to do other things;
Rub out with 500 and 1000 grit Abralon, followed by two coats of Black Bison applied with 0000 steel wool.
It is truely a lovely finish, and seems to be standing up well to daily use in the kitchen.
Many thanks for your advice on everything from wetsanding, to chjoice of varnish, and the use of Abralon pads.
Cheers!
Joe Sullivan
BTW, I was in CT this weekend, while you presumably were in FL.
J
Hi Joe,
You took the time to wet sand your shellac? I presume you used mineral spirits with a dash of paraffin oil? That was a bit of work to be sure.
I love to see peoples reactions to a well executed finish like that. They use their hands as their eyes. One of the little jokes I like to play on a client when they come in the shop is to turn my back just as their hands are about to rub the surface of their piece and tell them "whatever you do don't touch it" The reactions range from a jump back to a good laugh.
I was in Florida the past week. I got to see my friend launch on Endeavor. As we were sitting there waiting for the launch at 7:55 we watched the full moon rise out of the ocean. Have you ever seen night turn into day? At the moment of ignition that's just what happens.
I was lucky enough to be on a list of people that were bussed into the Cape the night before at midnight and brought to within a half mile (or less) of the shuttle for photo ops until 1 AM. That was awe inspiring.
To see that thing light off and know a buddy is on board............ well that one is hard to describe. To see him doing a space walk is even more fun.
Can you post pictures of the counters?
Where were you in CT? One of these days we need to shake hands.
Take care.
Peter
I have some ongoing business in Kingston, and one of the best direct flights from Dallas is to Hartford. SO I fly through there,and then stop and see my married daughter in Litchfield.May be able to get some pix of the counters.I used soapy water to wet sand the shellac. Sprayed it on lightly. As I didn't fill the grain of the oak to start, the leveling of the shellac eventually did it for me.Shuttle launch sounds wonderful. I ran a company in Florida for some time, and once went down to the other side of the lagoon to watch a launch. Waited all morning, and then it was canceled.J
Edited 11/20/2008 11:17 am ET by Joe Sullivan
Joe,
I was in Litchfield a couple of weeks ago. The historical society sponsored a furniture symposium with lectures from scholars including Patricia Kane the head of the Garvan furniture collection at Yale's Art Museum.
It was a very interesting day and as you know spending time in Litchfield in the fall is always a treat.
Peter
Wish I had known. I'd have asked my daughter to try to stop over. She is new to CT; just finding her way around. Litchfield is a lovely town, isn't it? A little heavy with the weekend home crowd, though.Joe
BTW, now after some time installed and under varying lights, I can see that my rubbing-out was not as even as I would prefer. As it is permanently installed now, I figure that I'll just use more 0000 with the Black Bison. Do you agree?J
Joe,
It's funny how different light shows off any flaw isn't it?
You may need to be a bit more aggressive with your final rubbing if you're not satisfied. As long as the abralon flattened the varnish for the most part you may have a few "valleys" left behind. If the 0000 steel wool didn't didn't finish dulling the gloss in the valley bottom you're probably getting a shiny and dull look across the surface.
Try a grey scotch pad and do a small area. If that doesn't do the trick move to a maroon one. It will definately even out the surface. You could then bring the sheen up again by finishing it off with the wax and 0000 wool again.
If you go right to the maroon pad you won't have to remove the wax as it will do so quickly. It may get a little clogged but not much.
Keep me posted. Pictures?
Peter
Riger. Will do.J
Peter:HELP!!!I now have my first opportunity to repair the counter finish. My wife left a slow cooker unprotected on it for the day on Saturday. An area about 3" by 5" has numerous bubbles that have flaked off. It is in the middle of the counter in a noticeable place.How would you approach a repair? Remember it had 5 coats of shellac and three of Rock Hard -- all of the shellac and two of the Rock Hard sanded back. Do I need to sand the area all the way back and spend a couple of weeks replicating the schedule?Joe
Joe,
OUCH!! You call this an opportunity? I admire your level head. You wouldn't want to hear my response.
This is a tough one. It's tough because unlike a lacquer or shellac that builds into one layer, you have three distinct and separate layers of varnish. Spot repairing them can be problematic.
Try this;
Remove the bubbles as best you can without damaging the surrounding area too much. You may be able to cut them carefully with an Exacto knife or lightly scrape them with a razor blade. You get the idea, just remove the "soft tissue".
Lightly scuff sand around the damaged area with a light abrasive. A 500 grit Abralon pad, maybe some 600 grit sandpaper etc. You get the idea, just give the surrounding area some tooth. A maroon scotch pad may do the trick.
To start building the finish back; lay a few successive applications of shellac onto the wood. Here's where artist brushes are invaluable. I would reach for a 14 flat or a 38 filbert in sable or taklon bristle. A filbert brush has a rounded tip as opposed to square cut and are a mainstay in my kit. The size of the brush is determined by the crater it is filling.
When laying in the shellac use a "dry brush" technique. The flatter you can lay it on the less sanding that is required to refine it. You can lay a few applications in fairly rapid succession, say three in about 10 minutes. Don't overdo it. You'll notice the lip of the crater will start to build up if you do.
Let the shellac sit overnight and then refine it. The Abralon pads are my first choice for this. I would reach for a 500 grit that was a little used and not as aggressive as a new one. Lightly and carefully level the shellac and the rim of the crater. You want to get this flat. I would use a magnifying glass to look at the surface when I'm done. This will show me if there are any ridges that escaped my attention. It may sound anal but after you ay the varnish on if there are ridges left behind you can be sure they will stand up and wave at you.
When you are ready to rebuild the varnish; thin it out a little so when you dip a stirring stick into it (about three inches) and lift it out, it takes between 8 to 10 seconds to go from a stream to drops. This will be about an 8 - 10 second viscosity. I would err a little on the thin side as a thick coat will take far longer to set up and dry well. BTW, tongue depressors make the best stirring sticks.
Again I would use an artist brush for this. A small round for the smaller areas and a small filbert for the larger ones. The goal is to build up the void to the surrounding area. Just lay a little varnish in and let it flow out. Try to avoid having it pile up too much on the surrounding rim of the crater. You can lay a second coat on when it is dry but not fully so, say in about 6 - 8 hours. Then let it sit and dry well.
It is well worth the time to have a small sample board to lay a small amount of the varnish onto as you are doing your repair. You can use this to gauge just how dry your varnish is without disturbing the repair. The thumb nail test will help gauge hardness. If you can make an impression with your nail into the varnish, it is still too soft to proceed. Doing this on a sample will keep your repair from indentation if still "green"
When dry, lightly sand and level the repair. That same 500 Abralon should do the trick. Inspect what is needed and repeat applications as required. It may take a few so be patient.
Once you have gotten it up to level let it sit to dry well and cure. In theory you now may be able to re- rub the entire surface and get it to blend. IMO that won't be the reality so if it were mine, I would use a new Abralon pad in 1000 grit, give the entire surface a rubbing out and then re- varnish the whole thing.
I know this is a fairly long winded answer and it is just a basic road map. Use common sense as you go along.
Keep me posted.
Peter
Oh well. Guess we'd better get started. I presume the last application of varnish will need a week or two to cure before rub-out?When you say re-varnish the whole thing, do you mean the whole counter? Then I guess that would have to cure before being rubbed out?Wow. These are installed in the kitchen right now. What a delightful development.OH forgot to mention -- it was rubbed out with wax so I guess that has to come off, too. Mineral spirits?Joe
Edited 12/16/2008 10:39 am ET by Joe Sullivan
Joe,
A quick swipe with M.S. and dry will get rid of the wax.
As far as doing the whole thing over, let's wait and see how the repairs proceed.
Peter
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