I hate woodworking! Kitchen table for my camper.

[hawgrider]

Sand the edges with 150 grit but do not go anywhere near the veneer with 150. It is very thin and you will go right through it. Then sand the whole thing (including veneer) with 220. Do not go finer than that as it will close up the pours in the wood.

If you insist on staining it, you will need to put a coat of sanding sealer on it first. Birch gets really blotchy if you try to stain it without a sanding sealer. Personally, I would either just go with straight varnish or if you want to bring out the grain a bit, you could do a coat of boiled linseed oil first.

Then, use a wipe on varnish. Trust me on this. The old school paint-on varnish sucks to work with and trying to do a flat surface without leaving brush marks is tough. This is my secret weapon for finishing:

https://www.wwhardware.com/general-f...fault_products

You put it on with just a clean rag - no brush at all. An old tee-shirt works best. Wipe on two heavy coats letting them get completely dry. After the second coat dries completely, sand the whole thing with 320 grit, then do two more lighter coats. Don't let it scare you. It will look like absolute shit until you do the 4th coat; then it will look amazing.

You can be done after the 4th coat, but if you really want it to look like you can put your hand right through it, sand it again with 400 and do one or two more light coats.

This stuff works great because putting it on with a rag instead of a brush, you do not get drips or run marks. The downside is you do have to do at least 4 coats. With traditional brush-on varnish, you can usually get by with 2 coats (plus fixing all the damn mistakes and touching them up).

Holy moly yeah this is why I hate woodworking lol!

Yeah your right this veneer is micro thin and won't hold up to much sanding.

Ok no stain eh! I could live with that. It looks like the product you linked me has a amber tone to it which darkens with time so that might just be the ticket. I like the t shirt rag application but holy shit thats a lot of coats. Well shit I'll see if I can find some of that ARM-R-SEAL gloss.

Wish me luck..... or break a leg!

[hawgrider]

Found the ARM-R-SEAL TOPCOAT gloss on Amazon 39.95
General Finishes Arm-R-Seal Oil Based Topcoat, 1 Quart, Gloss https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0035YLSZE...ing=UTF8&psc=1

Looks easy to use. I would like to skip the stain sealer step if possible hopefully this top coat darken the veneer a little.

Inor do you think a quart will do both sides of my cheapo table?

The table dimensions are 36 7/8" x 28 1/2"

[Inor]

Holy moly yeah this is why I hate woodworking lol!

Yeah your right this veneer is micro thin and won't hold up to much sanding.

Ok no stain eh! I could live with that. It looks like the product you linked me has a amber tone to it which darkens with time so that might just be the ticket. I like the t shirt rag application but holy shit thats a lot of coats. Well shit I'll see if I can find some of that ARM-R-SEAL gloss.

Wish me luck..... or break a leg!

It turns an orange color over time which I think looks like old furniture. The high-gloss looks the best in my arrogant opinion. I use it for everything - jigs and furniture in my shop, all of the woodwork and cabinetry in our house is done with it as well as fine furniture. The can says it takes something like 12 hours to dry. Usually it is only about 3-4 hours until it is ready for the next step.

[Inor]

Found the ARM-R-SEAL TOPCOAT gloss on Amazon 39.95
General Finishes Arm-R-Seal Oil Based Topcoat, 1 Quart, Gloss https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0035YLSZE...ing=UTF8&psc=1

Looks easy to use. I would like to skip the stain sealer step if possible hopefully this top coat darken the veneer a little.

Inor do you think a quart will do both sides of my cheapo table?

The table dimensions are 36 7/8" x 28 1/2"

Yes, a quart will be more than enough. I am pretty sure you will like the look. The raw edges of the plywood will also look really cool with it.

[hawgrider]

Yes, a quart will be more than enough. I am pretty sure you will like the look. The raw edges of the plywood will also look really cool with it.

Excellent! Yup definitely going with the gloss not the semi gloss or satin.
I'll order up the quart and then wait for the weather to hit the 70 degree low humidity range.

Appreciate the advice fella's!

[Sasquatch]

I've used a lot of Thompsons water seal. It really doesnt have that high gloss to it.

True. Wasn't even thinking of that.

[Box of frogs]

Great topic guys.
I use a old white sock or tee shirt to apply stains then hand rub the excess before applying the second coat. Hand rub both coats to ensure a even tone to the color
My high school shop teacher would tell us that Minwax Special Walnut should be the only stain ever used, end of discussion.
Coach Graves was a cool guy back in the 70’s

For poly I use a brush, not a cheap one but a good quality brush. You know the kind that make you say”shit -that’s a a lot of money for a brush” Work slow and as Inor says sand or steel wool between coats. For the very first coat I reduce the sealer 3 parts poly to 1 part mineral spirits. The reduction helps the wood to absorb the first coat. It really pulls it into the grain and helps to keep the next several coats smooth as glass.
Good luck and post some pics of the finished product
BoF

[Slippy]

If I was you, I'd add this to the table top pictures and poly over it. It should last forever!

Attachment 18209

Excellent! Yup definitely going with the gloss not the semi gloss or satin.
I'll order up the quart and then wait for the weather to hit the 70 degree low humidity range.

Appreciate the advice fella's!

[hawgrider]

If I was you, I'd add this to the table top pictures and poly over it. It should last forever!

Attachment 18209

Red dogs rule!

[Slippy]

red dogs rule!

amen!

Attachment 18210