Thread: Finishes for Red Cedar

Aussie cedar comes up well with a shellac finish, either built up with many coats , or as a sanding sealer under oil. Avoid using any of the polyurethane finishes, (possibly excepting wipe-on poly - haven't tried it) as they look like plastic wrap.

Originally Posted by Wirraway

Cedar of course is relatively soft and for use as a coffee table a finish that will not be affected by heat and one that is easy to apply and touch up makes a lot of sense.

Why not pm Neil ( Ubeaut) and see what he suggests, he not only ownes the forum but he also produces including some of the best for finishing,

Rgds

Thanks guys for the suggestions. Shellac is a logical solution but time is precious when you have to do the project at school and a shellac finish can be time consuming.

I will try the pm to ubeaut.

Cedar's not the best timber for a coffee table but if you're sold on it then Ubeaut's hard shellac would give the finish that brings the best out of the timber while providing reasonalbe protection.

But apply a few coats of normal shellac first.

I like the softer finishes too.

Cedar looks good with an oil finish and it is easy to apply and repair. The cedar will get a few dings with use which suits the slab style. My worry would be rings from hot or cold glasses. They look terrible. You don't want t have to use coasters on the table.

I used an epoxy on a dining table. The finish shatters when a heavy glass bumps the table. The timber flexes but the finish doesn't. The heavy finish would look better on a pub bar in my opinion.

I have used Feast and Watsons Floorseal. It works pretty well. It still looks like estapol though.

My preference is to use several coats of Danish oil/1/3 Floorseal mix. The look is like an oil finish but it is more durable.

Neil will have better suggestions I'm sure.

Cedar looks good with any finish! If I were making a coffee table/bar I would be looking for functionality. While polyurethane may not be the trendiest finish around, but it sure beats shellac where there are hot and/or alcoholic drinks around. And no-one said you have to use the "gloss" version. Danish Oil is another option which hardens the timber somewhat.

Shellac (really french polish) gives a beautiful finish when applied well, but I reckon is unsuitable for a coffee table or any surface that will have heat and/or moisture on it. And it offers almost no extra protection from physical markings as it is quite soft. But . . . I haven't used the more recent commercially made shellac finishes which might be harder.

On Aussie red cedar and a range of other timbers I have used polyurethane matt finish with great success (IMHO). For various uses I have also used 50:50 matt & satin to give greater depth to the finish. You will need at least two coats and mostly three with a light sand and wipe off with a very fine (240 or finer) sandpaper.

A finish that I reckon looks good is to use the matt polyurethane three coats then allow to dry & harden at least a week (two in winter or cooler climates) then use fine steel wool and scandinavian oil - rubbing in along the grain in long even strokes. This gives a smooth sheen not quite satin and greater depth of grain reflection. When the surface gets used or scratches I just redo with the oil and steel wool - and this removes minor marks or scratches too.

If you do have a french polish finish that is marked with telltale white rings from water or heat I suggest using what my dad always used: 'salad dressing' - a soft cotton cloth dipped in a mixture of 50:50 olive oil and white vinegar.

You can also pick up french polish marks with a light mix of metho & shellac rubbed in with a cotton waste ball.

The practicality is that modern finishes are harder and more utilitarian, but for appearance that is still a personal choice - oiled looks good, shellac (French Polish) is fine too.

I just reckon my matt polyurethane with a rub of scandinavian oil is an effective compromise.