to finish or not to finish,that is the ?
cutawooda
| Posted in General Discussion on
Building myself a kitchen island on wheels. Red oak. Decided I might as well build two. I will keep one and try to sell the other. So, I figure if I am going to sell one I might as well dovetail the drawers and raise panels and such. Now my dilemma is finishing. What do you normally do? Yes I know that you usually do it on commision and you know the finish up front. Should I leave it unfinished? Wont it have a better chance of selling if it is COMPLETE! Should I pick a nuetral stain,…clear coat? what about the hardware. How do you profesionals handle this? I MUST sell this…The price of oak,..OUCH!
thanks
Replies
Since you are building this "on spec," you don't know the tastes or preferences of your potential buyer. Red oak is a good choice as it is a popular wood and finished well, looks clean and contemporary, important for a kitchen envirnment. Keep it natural looking for widest customer appeal.
I would avoid any stain, letting the finish stay "natural."
All surfaces will need to be sealed against moisture, but I would not go for a heavy-looking film. Use CAB-acrylic lacquer over its compatible sanding sealer. It is water-white as applied and is non-yellowing over the long-term and very water-resistant. The Sherwyn Williams Sherwood Cab acrylic over their 24% solids vinyl lacquer sanding sealer is excellent in a kitchen environment (or anywhere else for that matter). Other brands are also good, but I have only used this.
I would use a gloss lacquer for its easy cleaning nature. Apply in a thin manner to preserve the open pore "look" of the wood. One coat of sealer, 3 coats of lacquer on the first day. Wait 2 days, level gently with 400 grit lubricated with mineral spirits then 2 or 3 coats additional lacquer. Wait 2 days, level with 400/mineral spirits then 4-0 steel wool/mineral spirits. Finish either with a thinned final coat of gloss or semi gloss, either unrubbed.
Rich
Edited 1/26/2005 1:35 am ET by Rich14
Edited 1/26/2005 1:38 am ET by Rich14
Just my opinion.. I would apply dewaxed shellac when finished just to protect the wood untill it is sold. Maybe sell it 'as is' for some price. Offer other prices for finish of choice.
Choice?? Gee... this is not as dark as I wanted? Other.. How come so dark?..
On and On, but then again we are all human...
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