Please recommend a lacquer for my new practice bench

[DesertTwang]

I figured I'd ask this question here since there are quite a few AGF members who know their way around fine woodworking. After experimenting with various chairs and dedicated guitar practice stools, I decided I needed something much simpler, solid and with no back rest.

At a local furniture shop, I found a bench made of solid wood (I forgot to ask what wood, I'm pretty sure it's pine). Since it's unfinished, I'd like to apply some lacquer to protect it from wear and tear.

I have very limited experience with wood finishing. In the past I've used polyurethane spar finish to coat wooden hiking sticks that I make from time to time. I understand that this finish is good for outdoor applications since it provides protection against UV light and drastic shifts in humidity. None of those apply to the bench, and I definitely want to avoid the yellowing that appears with the polyurethane spar finish.

Ideally, I'm looking for a product that imparts no coloring to the wood and offers good abrasion protection. After reading a few blogs, I'm left with the impression that a water-based lacquer might be what I need. Lying around I also have an unused spray can of Deft Clear Wood Finish, but it's in gloss, and the woodworker from whom I bought the bench advised against that and recommended using a satin finish.

So, in an effort as to not ruin this project, I'm looking for some pointers from those of you who have experience with this kind of stuff.

Thank you!

[JCave]

Two words - Danish oil... Imagine being able to repair a scratch etc without refinishing the entire surface.

[DesertTwang]

Thank you! Will the Danish oil be inert enough so as to not rub off onto clothes?

[Jeff Scott]

I think this bench is worthy of putting a bit more effort into it. French Polish is the way to go!

[slowesthand]

I've been wood working for many years, and would recommend a poly finish, especially on a piece that would have heavy use. The stuff is practically bullet proof, and cleaning up the piece is a breeze, usually just just a damp wipe down and dry, Try doing that with lacquer !

[JCave]

I'm fairly new to woodworking so I've also been asking such questions. Used to love Deft for a lot of work. I'll have to learn about "French polish." Danish oil is also a lot of work but then I polish the wood to 1500 or even 2000 grit. Don't know about rubbing off but I purchase scrap material from a high end fine-wood furniture, they also use oil but also sand to real fine grit. Boy does that wood have a nice feel.

Working on a guitar stash box for a good friend. I'll post up photos in a few days.

[DesertTwang]

Thanks for the replies and suggestions so far! This is not an heirloom piece of furniture, so I'm not too worried about getting it perfect, because I don't want this to turn into an involved project. Based on what I've learned so far, I think I'll give the Danish Oil a try, because the idea of applying it with a cloth appeals to me. (I'm not great with brushes and spray cans.) Shellac, from what I've gathered, is very involved and seems more suited to high-end applications like fine guitars, so I don't think I'll go that route. My reservation against poly urethane is that it tends to give an amber hue to the wood over time, which I'd like to avoid. Also, the PU coating that I've applied to my hiking sticks in the past all have maintained a slight "rubbery" feel, which is great for the hiking stick application, but not appealing for a piece of furniture that I'll be sitting on.

If I can believe this article, I think Danish Oil is the way to go for my project:

https://www.instructables.com/id/Applying-Danish-Oil/

[J Patrick]

A good water based polyurethane will hold up well without yellowing. Danish oil will enhance the wood grain but it will yellow. not the best choice for pine but it is easy to apply

[DesertTwang]

Originally Posted by J Patrick

A good water based polyurethane will hold up well without yellowing. Danish oil will enhance the wood grain but it will yellow. not the best choice for pine but it is easy to apply

Hm, that gives me pause. Maybe that is the better choice.

[Jeff Scott]

Originally Posted by DesertTwang

...I found a bench ..... I'd like to apply some lacquer to protect it from wear and tear.

Originally Posted by DesertTwang

This is not an heirloom piece of furniture, so I'm not too worried about getting it perfect

So, it's safe to say it isn't one of these benches.

https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item...ali-baba-bench

[DesertTwang]

Originally Posted by Jeff Scott

So, it's safe to say it isn't one of these benches.

https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item...ali-baba-bench

LOL, no. Mine was 50 bucks.

[Simon Fay]

Ease of application along with decent durability is your goal here. I would probably recommend a store bought oil based polyurethane (Home Depot, Lowes, etc.). You can apply with a cheap brush and have a decent film in just a 2-3 coats. I'd recommend satin so that any imperfections will be less visible. This is what I use on all my guitar building jigs/molds and it has helped them hold up well year after year. The oil based works much better than the water based, fyi.

[GaryJ]

Probably the easiest finish to use that I have found is wipe on polyurethane (Minwax). Might color the wood a bit, but it is so simple to use.