Durable End Table Finish – Try Wiping Varnish!

Article - August 28, 2007

This week’s question comes from Chris and he’s looking for a durable end table finish. He writes:

I am making a end table with a walnut top and I am looking to protect the top from water rings, accidental spills etc. Do you have a suggestion for something that will provide a little more protection or would a oil -varnish blend work? A buddy of mine mentioned that I could use wax as a final protective coat that would be easy to reapply as needed. Thoughts? Thank you for the great shows and you are really doing a great job helping to teach other woodworkers.

And here was my reply:
An oil/varnish blend is ok, but probably not the right finish for a heavily used table. Your best bet would be varnish. I would recommend 5-6 coats of a wiping varnish like Arm-R-Seal. This will leave you with a beautiful finish that protects the wood from the abuse it will most likely see. And skip the wax. Wax is pretty useless in terms of protection. And not to mention, once you apply wax, you are committed to a regular waxing regimen in order to keep the surface looking good. Eventually you will have that wax buildup issue too. So save the wax for your car. :)

While Arm R Seal is a great option, there are other finishes on the market that you might also consider for a durable end table finish. Check out my Wiping Varnish Shootout for suggestions.

If you want to learn how to apply a wiping varnish finish, check out my video A Simple Varnish Finish. The video was originally made for DVD so it’s not very long, but it demystifies finishing by going over each and every step of the wiping varnish process. Even someone new to the world of finishing can create a show-stopping finish if they follow the methods outlined. Check it out!

Discussion

Mike in St. Paul August 28, 2007 7:29 pm

Wow! Can finishing actually be that easy??? Thanks for giving a simple solution.

One question for you Marc: Do you need to thin the first coat of Seal-a-Cell at all or just apply it as is?

Reply
thewoodwhisperer August 28, 2007 7:38 pm

It sure can be that easy. :)

You can thin Seal-a-Cell, but its already in a wiping formulation. So you can (and I have) diluted the first coat. But you don’t have to.

Reply
Jchon Paradise August 29, 2007 6:59 am

Thanks for the great question and answer… like most (I think) people, finishing is the part I’ve always been most concerned with. I’m always nervous at the end of a project that I’ll have spent all that time making sure my piece is flat, square and sturdy, just to mess it all up with the finish!

Thanks again!

Reply
RJ August 29, 2007 7:19 am

Marc,
What would be the drawbacks of using a lacquer?

Thanks,
RJ

Reply
thewoodwhisperer August 29, 2007 7:54 am

Hey Ron. The primary disadvantage I see with a lacquered top is scratching. You can also have problems with moisture as well. Blushing (white haze) can occur from too much moisture as well. This can all change if a catalyzed lacquer is used. A good cat lacquer can rival some of the best polyurethanes in durability. Not perfect, but still pretty darn good.

Reply
Pete August 29, 2007 9:53 am

Marc,

I am confused. You stated that “An oil/varnish blend is ok, but probably not the right finish for a heavily used table. Your best bet would be full-strength varnish.” And the Arm-R-Seal label states that it is an Oil & Urethane Top Coat. What is the difference between this and an oil/varnish blend?

Pete

Reply
thewoodwhisperer August 29, 2007 10:00 am

Good question Pete. I should have been more clear. You are absolutely correct. Seal-a-Cell is an oil/varnish blend. But I am recommending that for the first two coats. That way the piece gets the benefit of the added “warmth” that oil brings to the wood. It tends to impart a nice amber color. The topcoat is really where all the protection comes into play. So hitting it with 3-5 coats of Arm-R-Seal (a pure varnish), gives you the protection you need on a table. But the color is a bit warmer than it would have been if the Seal-a-Cell had not been used.

That make sense?

*edit* It has since been made clear that Seal a Cell is actually NOT an oil/varnish blend in the sense that woodworkers understand. It is instead a thinned varnish and does not behave the way true oil/varnish blends behave.

Reply
mdhills August 30, 2007 12:18 pm

I think his question was because Arm-R-Seal doesn’t say “pure varnish” on the front of the can. Instead it says: “oil and urethane topcoat”, which seems remarkably similar to the “combination of oils and urethanes” in the product description for Seal-a-Cell. Is it just that one has more resin than the other?

(Unfortunately, the General Finishes website doesn’t have a separate product info datasheet for the Seal-a-Cell. MSDSs are similar to my uneducated eye.)

Matt

Reply
Badabing August 30, 2007 6:51 pm

Good topic! I have been absolutely intimidated by finishing so I went and bought an excellent book on the topic. It is by Bob Flexner and is called “Understanding Wood Finishing.” I highly recommend it. It is onsale for half price at Rockler.com now (unfortunately I way overpaid for it at a local bookstore). Here’s a link: http://www.rockler.com/product.....r%20Outlet. $9.95 :)

Thanks,
Joe

Reply
nick August 31, 2007 9:12 am

what about norm’s fav wipe on poly? i hate hate brushing on varnish(who doesnt!?)

Reply
Ben August 31, 2007 4:39 pm

Marc,

Do you know if local stores carry these products? I looked for them today at the big box store (orange one) and couldn’t find them. S&H is pretty expensive on big gallon buckets of varnish!

Reply
Mike October 15, 2007 12:56 pm

Ben, it appears from the General Finishes website that they’re closely aligned with unfinished furniture stores. So if you have one in your area check them out. Also, the GF website had a “where to buy” page for the locating nearest dealer.

Reply
Megan September 9, 2009 6:43 am

I have sanded and stained a maple table with gel stain (using your recommended diluted Bulls Eye Seal Coat as a washcoat), and it looks great. I have applied 3 coats of wipe-on poly and plan on doing a few more since I need this table to be extra durable (3 young children…don’t want glass marks every time they put one on there). However, I just read on your website about wipe-on Arm-R-Seal. Should I apply a few coats of that as the final coats instead of wipe-on poly to make the table more resistant to wear and tear? In other words, does it serve the same purpose as wipe-on poly but even better? Also, I have not sanded at all between my 3 coats of wipe-on poly and it’s still super smooth overall, though after the third coat I have noticed a few rough spots. Should I sand? Steel wool or wet sandpaper? (Sanding terrifies me…I’m always afraid I’m going to destroy what I’ve done.) Many, many thanks. (BTW, cool t-shirts…ordered one yesterday.)

Reply
- thewoodwhisperer September 9, 2009 9:55 am
  
  Hi Megan. The Arm-R-Seal is overall a better product in my opinion. But that’s not to say that the wipe-on-poly you used isn’t good. At this point, I would just stick with what you have. I don’t know that the difference would be noticeable enough to justify buying a new can of finish.
  
  So I would probably add another 3 coats to that table to make sure you have enough protection. And yes, definitely sand between coats. Use 320 grit or higher and lightly sand after the finish dries overnight. It will powder up and turn the whole table grayish/white. Vacuum off the dust with a brush attachment and if you want, wipe the whole thing down with mineral spirits and a clean cotton rag. Once you apply the next coat of finish, the cloudiness will go away and the beauty will return. Especially in these final coats, sanding is vital if you want to achieve a smooth finish. And don’t worry about destroying the finish. As long as you don’t sand through the top layer of poly, you’ll be fine. And when I say “sand the surface with lightly with 320”, I mean fold the sandpaper in your hand and give the surface 3-4 light sweeps. No elbow grease please! :)
  
  Enjoy the shirt and thanks for ordering one!
  
  Reply
Justin February 3, 2012 11:15 am

Please help:
I?ve used the Arm-R-Seal products a few times, and they have always worked very well in terms of creating a nice looking, durabale finish. However, I recently built a solid wood countertop and finished it with mineral oil followed by 3 coats of the Arm-R-Seal Satin. First time using the satin, and now white marks are starting to show up when drink glasses are left on it. Any idea why this would be/how to prevent this in the future/how to correct my current problem?
Thanks!

Reply
- thewoodwhisperer February 3, 2012 3:38 pm
  
  Well one thing that jumps out at me is the use of mineral oil. MIneral oil is a non-curing oil and I’m surprised you got the Arm-R-Seal to cure at all. I can’t say for sure what is causing the problem, but having mineral oil under Arm-R-Seal definitely isn’t a good thing. So that would be the first thing I’d recommend looking into.
  
  Reply
Justin February 6, 2012 8:14 am

That could definitely be it. So best option would probably be to sand down the whole thing and refinish? Bummer.

Reply
- thewoodwhisperer February 6, 2012 8:36 am
  
  Bummer indeed. If you don’t like what you see, then that might be the only option. Poly sucks that way. :)
  
  Reply
Michael Hennessy April 4, 2014 8:55 pm

This is a very helpful thread. I am currently working on a walnut coffee table and was planning on using Polyurethane over danish oil. My question is, is Seal-a Cell basically the same thing as Danish oil, and Arm-r-Seal the same as Poly (minwax)? Thanks, and I love your website and you tube channel. They are my go to resources on all things wood.

Reply
- Marc Spagnuolo April 7, 2014 10:56 am
  
  Seal a Cell is a thinned varnish, which is different than the oil/varnish blend found in Danish Oil. The key difference is durability and dry time. Seal a Cell will dry rather quickly, usually within 5-6 hours. Danish oil should be allowed to cure overnight before applying the next coat. And ultimately you don’t want to apply too much Danish Oil as subsequent coats will have trouble curing over an already sealed surface.
  
  Reply
Mike Hennessy April 12, 2014 8:35 pm

Thank you for the speedy reply. However now I am a bit confused. In you answer from August 2007 you said:
“Good question Pete. I should have been more clear. You are absolutely correct. Seal- a-Cell is an oil/varnish blend.”
And in answering my question you stated that:
“Seal a Cell is a thinned varnish, which is different than the oil/varnish blend found in Danish Oil”

I don’t mean to be disrespectful or rude in any way, I am just confused by these conflicting statements.

I have searched the General Finishes website for clarification and was left still befuddled. As it is I went ahead with the Danish oil and am going to Polyurethane over it. For next time I would really like to try something different The General finishes seem like a good way to go, as long as I can figure out where they all fit in the ranks of finishing types. Thank you again for your help. It’s so helpful to get direct answers for a true professional.

Reply
- Marc Spagnuolo April 13, 2014 6:45 am
  
  Well I learned a lot since 2007. The company’s confusing labeling left many believing it was an oil varnish blend. But I eventually learned it was actually just varnish.
  
  Reply
Jim November 13, 2014 6:01 pm

I am finishing an oak bar top and had planned to stain, then use either polyurethane or helmsman spar varnish (haven’t decided satin or semiglosss yet). Is the Arm R Seal superior to either of these finishes? The bar will be atop a half wall that backs up to my stove, so one edge of the top will be at the top of the backsplash of the countertop. I will be exposed to heat and steam from cooking. Suggestions?

Reply
David Clark August 19, 2015 3:52 pm

Hoping you can help me, Marc. I’ve been looking for answers on your site, but I haven’t seen anything (yet) that matches my specific situation, so I thought it might be best to write.

I build a live edge bench out of a thick walnut slab that I’m very pleased with. I oiled it with tung oil, let that dry up for a few days, then applied a coat of General Finishes Arm-R-Seal oil & urethane topcoat (Satin). I used a foam brush, which left bubbles which I then tried to smooth out with a really nice brush recommended for finishing. As the finish started to cure, I noticed a chalky white film was emerging. Left it for 48 hrs in dry conditions, which never helped.

Read some of your discussions (mainly this one
http://www.thewoodwhisperer.co.....t-streaks/)
and while the 25% diluted finish did go on much better with the folded tshirt, it is already starting to show the white film again.

I’m obviously a total newbie with all this, and I’m really frustrated. Please, any help you can offer would be greatly appreciated.

Reply
Sean McDermott August 30, 2015 7:46 pm

Marc, love the blog and the helpful tips.. I’m a weekend warrior in the shop and have started working on a Koa coffee table.. All my hard work is done (wife allowing me to buy the piece of wood!! And of course all the sanding work) and now I’m looking into the best way to finish. What would you suggest as a good finish?? Coffee tables need durability (spills, a friend calling for coffee and not using a coaster) but at the same time not loosing it’s beautiful Koa color and grain complex.. Looking forward to hearing from you and keep up the good work of helping us weekend warriors.
Sean

Reply
- Marc Spagnuolo August 31, 2015 2:16 pm
  
  Hey Sean. Probably lots of finishes that would work but one of the easiest to apply (with good durability) is a wiping varnish.
  
  Reply
Joyce January 4, 2016 4:44 pm

Can I apply a wipe on varnish over clear gloss (oil based) polyurethane after I sand it with super fine grit? Refinishing a cedar chest that is soaking up the poly even after 3 coats over the knots. I want a very durable finish. Thank you

Reply
Clarepi January 15, 2016 6:10 pm

Need to refinish a piano bench with a few dents it is walnut can I sand it down with what no Brillo and than stain it.

Reply
Sandra Martin June 16, 2016 5:41 pm

Do I really need to wait 7 days after applying Arm-R-Seal on my table top before light use, and 30 days before it’s fully cured for normal use (as it states on their web site)? I can’t imagine having to wait that long, not to mention finding a safe place to store for a month! I need the table to withstand heavy use & not have to worry about water rings. I was told that this is the best product for it… Feeling very discouraged, as I can’t go a month without a table!

Reply
- Marc Spagnuolo June 16, 2016 8:30 pm
  
  Well, it’s sort of the nature of the beast. Oil based finishes take time to cure and don’t reach full durability for weeks. Now to be honest, I have never let that stop me from bringing the project into the house to start using it. But it’s a real good idea to be cautious in those weeks. Use the table, but don’t abuse the table and you should be ok.
  
  Reply
DavidT February 5, 2018 4:04 pm

Marc, I posted on the forum but should have read one of your responses here first (covered about mid way through). I am wanting a more durable finish on a John Boos walnut butcher block counter that will NOT be used for cutting or food prep. It was originally finished with mineral oil. I sanded it down and cleaned with mineral spirits. Boos markets a product called Ez-Do that can be used over their mineral oil when desired. It is a wipe on gel. The original manufacturer was McFadden and goes by the brand name “Bartley” when not sold as a Boos product. I prefer the General Finishes topcoats. I now realize I won’t be able to use the ARS, but can I use the Seal-a-Cell followed by the GF gel topcoat or the Bartley/Boos brand gel? I wanted to use the Seal-a-Cell to help the color of the walnut pop. I sanded it pretty good and it has lost most of the dark color from came out from the mineral oil. But my test of ARS is not looking good as it is still tacky after a day. Would I need to sand more? Give up and just use the Bartley’s as it is approved over mineral oil? Any advice is appreciated.

Reply
Joseph Bastian January 19, 2024 12:51 am

I’m wondering if this thread is finally dead and also if your opinion has changed since this original question was from 17 years ago… a child was born and is now driving since the first post ;-)

Hardening Wax oil products and ceramics hit the market and some are featured in your recent (relevant to 17 yrs) YouTube videos….. what’s todays take on finishing living room end tables with what’s available today at the market for the small shop without a sprayer set up? I’m personally still fond of varnish, it still works. Just curious :)

Reply
- Marc Spagnuolo January 20, 2024 9:37 am
  
  Interesting question. While my personal choices in finishes have changed and I do use a lot more hardwax oils in my work, my opinion on durability hasn’t changed. So honestly, a wiping varnish is still one of the best “easy to apply” finishes we can use. The amount of money and time people are spending trying to make inferior finishes (Hardwax oils) not be inferior (adding ceramic coatings) is absolutely mind-boggling to me.
  
  Reply

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Durable End Table Finish – Try Wiping Varnish!

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