Thread: Options for a ply table top?

Originally Posted by Gingerbread Man

What are my options for treating a plywood table top? Mostly indoor use, but might be used outdoors on occasion, but hopefully not left to the elements. It'll be a raw ply that I'll be applying this too, probably not marine, and being a table top I'm assuming durability and ideally being able to quickly wipe stains off of the top are important.

Stains - choice of colours? It's really up to you, the best idea would be to look at different stains and see which one you like (or which one your girlfriend likes)

Oil? Not my first choice for a table that is mostly indoors. Also with the top being plywood it might take a few coats to get a decent finish

Lacquer? I've done plenty of kitchens with it and had really good results, but that was with a spraygun. No reason you couldn't brush it on though

Varnish, matt/ satin? I used wattle varnish on my table (pine) which is still looking good after 8 years of use. Either matt or satin finish is fine, I personally wouldn't use anything with high gloss as I find it show up marks and imperfections more.

Is any product designed for wooden floors and therefore hard wearing suitable here? Never used them myself

The girlfriend is ultimately making the finish choice, I'm just trying to find out my options so I have a clue rather than no clue!

Cheers

Simo

One of the flow on epoxy bar surfaces would seem to tick most if not all the boxes. Its the stuff that they use to 'embed' old bank notes, photos and such in bar tops or for decorative plaques.

You can get it for a reasonable price from the people who sell 'Bote Cote' epoxy, can't remember their name & the are at the Wood Show this weekend - they won't gouge you for it being a 'hobby' product. Some places will also try to sell you common fiberglass resin aka polyester resin which is much softer and decays at high temperatures, like an Aussie summer (I have a number of broken bows because of this). Pretty simple to use, mix Part A with the correct amount of Part B, then pour onto the surface, carefully smear it around then leave it to self level & set. Done.

Or you could just use straight Bote Cote epoxy - after all its intended to glue boats together and is frequently used as a top coat over the timberwork.

Bote cote marine epoxy is certainly durable enough - the main problem with it is that its not very self-levelling, so if you use it for furniture then you will need to sand it smooth - the sanded surface goes milky. One of the few things you can do then to make it clear and glossy is to apply varnish over the top.

If you want a hard glossy durable surface check out wattyl 7008.

I'll check these out guys, thanks.