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Silverback1 · 08-20-2016, 07:26 PM

We are replacing our countertops with beautiful #1 grade 3/4" birch. We want to leave it as natural-looking as possible but need to seal and harden it up. A couple of people have suggested 2 coats of varnish. Does anyone have any other suggestions? We want non-glossy and something that won't turn yellow.
Any suggested brands or techniques? Thanks in advance.

rmkrum · 08-20-2016, 08:13 PM

Look into Deft brand wood finish or use water-clear water-based polyurethane. Gives a hard finish that still has some flex to it.

I use Minwax water-based Polycrylic finish if I don't want stuff to change color. It needs multiple coats and scuffing with a nylon steel wool equivalent (Scotchbrite) pad between coats. Vacuum the entire area you are working in plus what you are finishing most carefully, and use a clean tack rag to keep dust specks out of the finish.

I find it to be quite durable when I build up 5-6 coats. It does dry very fast in low humidity so you have to be quick. Comes in a variety of sheens from gloss to flat. If I want it flat, I use layers of gloss for transparency and a final coat or two with flat. Flat has a fine filler in it that obscures grain a little. Porous woods will take more coats to get a slick finish.

With a little care, good brushes, and super tight dust control it looks great, and there are little to no fumes.

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cameront120 · 08-20-2016, 08:27 PM

Is this solid birch? If so, I'd just apply mineral oil which is food safe and available at any drug store. The wood will absorb it like a sponge for the first several applications, but it gives a very nice appearance that you don't have to worry about marring, as you keep applying it periodically until the wood is saturated. This is what I use on the wood counters of my home kitchen and it's the way to go, in my own humble opinion.

Candominium · 08-20-2016, 08:36 PM

I use General Finish on all of my furniture projects. It is a wipe on oil urethane which does require more applications due to the thin coats but leaves no brush marks. As rmkrum noted use a gloss for the first couple of coats and the remainder with satin. This will give you more clarity in the finish. Personally, I do not use a tack cloth due to the residue left on the surface. Lightly sand between all but the last coat with 0000 steel wool. Good luck.

TheCabin · 08-20-2016, 09:01 PM

X2 on General Finish

rmkrum · 08-20-2016, 09:32 PM

Don't EVER, EVER use steel wool.

It leaves small metal particles in the wood grain that will eventually cause rust stains!

Use the non-metallic ScotchBrite equivalent. Or, if you absolutely insist on metal, use bronze wool or stainless steel. No finish is totally waterproof, and steel wool is guaranteed to rust, period.

Rust stains under the finish are impossible to fix. Been there, learned it the hard way. Modern abrasives are better than the traditional stuff.

I learned this doing varnished bright work on boats with my dad.

He didn't allow steel wool of any sort on the yacht--not even Brillo pads in the galley. It's that bad.

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Tim A. · 08-20-2016, 10:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rmkrum

Don't EVER, EVER use steel wool.

Interesting. I have seen similar remarks about using steel wool on aluminum, with also a claim about eventual rust.

Steel wool on unfinished, open-pored wood is not a good idea because small bits of the steel wool can end up in the pores. Despite that, care and a strong magnet will eventually remove all steel bits.

I make bamboo fly rods and regularly use steel wool as part of the finishing process without ever having rust flecks show up, even after years of use of a rod. Careful cleanup is necessary, but not terribly difficult.

Just for the record, I have also used steel wool on aluminum exposed to weather without any subsequent traces of rust.

Tim

kscherzi · 08-20-2016, 10:33 PM

I'm unsure about the soak in vs sealing type finishes. I'm inclined, as this is a food preparation surface, to lean to the sealing type finish. Wouldn't want any latent places where bacteria can infect. Maybe someone can convince otherwise.

cameront120 · 08-20-2016, 11:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kscherzi

I'm unsure about the soak in vs sealing type finishes. I'm inclined, as this is a food preparation surface, to lean to the sealing type finish. Wouldn't want any latent places where bacteria can infect. Maybe someone can convince otherwise.

I've used wood cutting boards and food prep surfaces my whole life with no treatment or just mineral oil and am still alive. The problem with plastic sealers is they wear and flake and get into your food. Not sure I want plastic in my system. Mineral oil, on the other hand, is food safe and does a good job of sealing the work surface.

AtomicNo13 · 08-20-2016, 11:25 PM

Food grade oil is the only NSF approved wood surface treatment.
Sealers and urathanes/varnishes can flake and allow places for bacteria to grow.
An oil finish is a great looking minimal maintenance solution for countertops.
If things look dry give it a wipe with oil!

rmkrum · 08-20-2016, 11:57 PM

Absolutely agree if the countertop will be used to lay raw food on it, or cut on it, oil is the best finish.

My wife, however, would probably forcibly remove my head if I did such a thing to her precious countertops, and probably have the same reaction if I even scratched it. Ours, as a point of reference are laminate in the AS, stone at home. Same attitude both places.

We are required to use separate cutting boards at all times. Either plastic, or properly cleaned and oiled wood...

So the correct answer is, (putting my paid consultant hat on) "it depends on exactly how you are using the surface"

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LAWBC · 08-21-2016, 12:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rmkrum

Look into Deft brand wood finish or use water-clear water-based polyurethane. Gives a hard finish that still has some flex to it.

I use Minwax water-based Polycrylic finish if I don't want stuff to change color. It needs multiple coats and scuffing with a nylon steel wool equivalent (Scotchbrite) pad between coats. Vacuum the entire area you are working in plus what you are finishing most carefully, and use a clean tack rag to keep dust specks out of the finish.

I find it to be quite durable when I build up 5-6 coats. It does dry very fast in low humidity so you have to be quick. Comes in a variety of sheens from gloss to flat. If I want it flat, I use layers of gloss for transparency and a final coat or two with flat. Flat has a fine filler in it that obscures grain a little. Porous woods will take more coats to get a slick finish.

With a little care, good brushes, and super tight dust control it looks great, and there are little to no fumes.

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I have done wood finishing for 20 plus years and agree this formula will work the best . You need a durable high build product and this would do it . Do not waste your time with with thinner wipe on products they will not stand up to water etc . The only other product would be a 2 part conversion varnish sprayed on multiple coats .http://www.mohawk-finishing.com/cata...asp?ictNbr=577

rmkrum · 08-21-2016, 01:24 AM

Thanks. It's what I have found to work best, the hard way.

I've been doing woodworking for 'a bit' longer than I'm willing to admit.

My family is Norwegian, and we've been messing about on wooden boats and doing other woodworking for centuries. Dad was an expert. He would be proud of what I've accomplished.

He used traditional tools like badger bristle brushes and hand scrapers to refinish bright work on some of the nicest wooden boats I've ever seen. Would that I could do even half as good a job as he could.

That said, UV-cured varnish can get almost as good a finish as he could in far less time.

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TheCabin · 08-21-2016, 06:37 AM

The OP did not say that they wanted to use the surface as a cutting board, if they do, then the NSF is the way to go. I prefer a more durable treatment to a countertop and then use a separate cutting board when needed.

OTRA15 · 08-21-2016, 07:00 AM

Excellent advice so far. Hitting the high points only:

-- no steel wool

-- treat the underside of the counter also, if it is solid birch, especially if using an oil or varnish which will harden and become a barrier to moisture. Leaving the underside raw will promote warping of the entire counter, as the two sides will not absorb moisture equally.

-- if counter is solid material, you have to allow for expansion when you attach it to the cabinet below. Clips, larger through-holes for screws etc.

-- oil-based materials will continue to off-gas over time, so be careful what you use. It may last for a while and kick you later in hot weather.

-- personally I would use mineral oil for this application, but you will have to wipe up water and food spills carefully later, and will have to re-coat sooner. The oil will darken the wood more than a water-based poly.

-- try some samples before you commit and let them sit around and in the sun. See what they smell like a few days later if you have time.

Good luck.

Peter

JCWDCW · 08-21-2016, 12:05 PM

I read somewhere that they did a bacteria test on plastic and wood cutting boards. Turns out the wood has anti-bacterial properties and was lower in counts than the washable plastic cutting boards. I have stopped worrying bout my cutting boards...I just make sure they get washed and scrubbed of leftover food particles.
JCW

rmkrum · 08-21-2016, 12:11 PM

Yup. Read a study about it. Raw wood apparently disrupts bacteria so thoroughly that the researchers could not find bacterial DNA remaining on the surface.

Says a lot about food safety on wood surfaces.

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Larry C · 08-21-2016, 12:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LAWBC

I have done wood finishing for 20 plus years and agree this formula will work the best . You need a durable high build product and this would do it . Do not waste your time with with thinner wipe on products they will not stand up to water etc . The only other product would be a 2 part conversion varnish sprayed on multiple coats .http://www.mohawk-finishing.com/cata...asp?ictNbr=577

I've gotta get in my 2 cents worth for PolyCrylic! I've used it for years, as a main finish for custom furniture. Apply 2 or three coats, let it dry well, maybe a day, then sand to 220 grit, apply 2 or 3 more coats, let it dry, then sand to 320 grits. Build your finish to about 6 or so coats.
As a last treatment, after it has cured for a couple days, use 0000 steel wool, the rub it with regular newspaper to the sheen that you want....

The only finish I've used that is any tougher is catalyzed lacquer.....I built a rosewood dining table for our home 15 years ago with this finish, we use it every day, and it still look's like it was just finished...

Good luck,
Larry

CindyH · 08-21-2016, 12:18 PM

HI,
Used this on my straight grain, old growth fir cabinets and ash island top. It's ridiculously easy to apply, low or no VOCs, the Topoil is food safe for the tops. It's fabulous. http://www.osmona.com/interior/Top_oil.shtml . This one works well on wood cabinets and shelves: http://www.osmona.com/interior/Original_polyx.shtml. So far, so great!

featherbedder · 08-21-2016, 01:20 PM

I have used salad bowl finish non toxic to food. I made kitchen table out of pine with cutting board top top only finished with mineral oil only care is do not let water set will leave black stain, wipe any spills. I set hot pans on small hot pad no damage, try this with any other finish. I have scratched, sanded out simple to refinish just wipe with oil any other finish not so easy ti fix. My counter tops are granite, cut on, only prob. used 1/8 radius on edges instead of bevel have some nicks on edges, I started with wood finishes 66 yrs. ago used about every thing, still only mineral oil on food surfaces.