Hello,
I am building a maple and birch ply router table/cabinet and have a question on what finish to apply. My workbench that i built and finished, has a very distinct yellowing to its appearance. I would like to find something that wont yellow so much. Ideally i would like to keep its normal color. The benches at the woodworking stores seem to have a finish that accomplishes this. Is there anything i can use that will preserve the nice natural color and also be appropriate for the purpose of the bench.
Thanks,
dp
Replies
dp,
maple will age and yellow somewhat over time, and there is little you can do to prevent it. What you can do is apply a finish that won't amber over time.
Nitrocellulose lacquer is known to yellow, perhaps more significantly than other clear finishes. Shellac will amber some, but not as much. Water-based clear finishes (e.g., water-based varnish) will not yellow or amber, but they aren't as glossy as oil-based finishes.
thanks P.
Virtually all oil based and lacquer based finishes have an amber cast when applied. And, they further yellow over time.
Waterborne clear finishes will go on almost water white and stay that way for years.
Keep in mind though, that it is the amber cast that highlights the grain and figure in wood. Waterborne finishes can look rather cold and bland.
As always, test your finish plans on some scrap from your project.
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