Recommendations for non-toxic finish for dining table?

9 years ago

I recently acquired a rosewood dining table second-hand. The top had been stained an unfortunate, dark and blotchy colour by the previous owner. I plan to strip it and refinish. I have read that rosewood is an oily wood and may prevent some sealants, particularly oil-based sealants, from curing properly. I understand that I can solve this problem by rubbing the stripped table with some denatured alcohol to remove the oils and then sealing immediately with (dewaxed) shellac as a basecoat.

I am wondering what to use for the subsequent coats. I prefer a more natural look to preserve the beauty of the wood but we have young children, so the table has many years of spills and abuse in store for it. I'm therefore leaning towards a water-based poly in a matte finish. I would really like to find the most eco-friendly and non-toxic option I can without sacrificing too much protection. I did some research on polywhey but saw mixed reviews. Also looked at the Safecoat products but I can't find many reviews on them. Anyone have some advice for a product with minimal toxic chemicals and off-gasing that will serve my purpose?

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Comments (5)

User
9 years ago
Use Waterlox.

Do some reading in the link below and decide which type you want. Almost any finish used on wood is non toxic when dry/cured.

Oil based finishes do have an odor(sometimes strong), but do not outgas after curing.

Here is a link that might be useful: Waterlox
JAAune
9 years ago
Le Tonkinoise might be of interest to you. It's an old recipe that doesn't have all the VOC additives that newer finishes do.

Here's a link to the page describing it:

http://www.tarsmell.com/primer.html

One downside is that it's a softer finish that has some "grip" when you run your hands across it. That makes it good for floors since it's not as slippery as many varnishes but it won't give that glass-smooth table surface that many like.

The product is high gloss but can be made duller with the addition of another product called Gelomat which is sold by the same company. Also, nothing says one has to apply 6 coats. You can start with one and keep adding more coats until the desired look is achieved.

I've experimented with Le Tonkinois before and like many of its qualities but haven't used it much due to the long cure time. I usually can't spend 2-3 days finishing a piece of furniture.
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sombreuil_mongrel
9 years ago
Thanks for the info on Le Tonkinoise; I bookmarked it and will consider a trial. I am always on the lookout for non-poly oil varnishes, and this stuff absolutely sounds like it is worth a try. I must read more to find out what the rubbing-out characteristics are; I'm a fan of satining-out varnish table tops with pumice & oil.
IDK if their formula is ideal for a tabletop.
I think rosewood and waterlox would be a dream combination, but only because I have used waterlox before, and not the French product.
Casey
bobismyuncle
9 years ago
The linked articles might be of some interest. Personally, I'd go with a wipe of acetone, immediate sealer coat of dewaxed shellac and either an oil-based poly or Waterlox original. (All in a well-ventilated area). I use a lot of w/b finishes. They're close in durability, but I don't think they're quite the equal yet.

Here is a link that might be useful: Food Safe Finishes
JAAune
9 years ago
I'm guessing the Le Tonkinois won't rub out as well as most other finishes. It's fairly soft which really helps with the outdoor durability but softer finishes usually don't polish very well.

It's more likely to be dented or scratched but supposedly is very easy to repair with fresh finish. I say "supposedly" because I've not tried doing repair work on a sample yet. My tests were on wooden eyeglass frames so I know it's capable of handling sweat, sun and skin oils.

Recommendations for non-toxic finish for dining table?

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