# Finishing Indoor Teak Table



## ScottKey (Jun 21, 2007)

I have read a number of threads that have already surfaced regarding finishing teak for indoor purposes:

http://lumberjocks.com/topics/34849
http://store.lumberjocks.com/topics/17058
http://lumberjocks.com/topics/16157

I am curious if there are any wax options that anyone would recommend? It was suggested to me by someone and I'm not sure what the pro's and con's are. It is a finish for a dining room table and will get regular usage. Would an oil finish last? I'd love a minimal maintenance finish.

I could be talked into other finishing options too, I'm just a little leery of putting any kind of chemical finish on it.

Thoughts? Suggestions?


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## ClintSearl (Dec 8, 2011)

A waterborne poly (preferably floor) finish is all that's needed for an easy attractive durable finish.


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## ScottKey (Jun 21, 2007)

Any brands you recommend Clint?


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## Fuzzy (Jun 25, 2007)

Waterborne finishes generally don't bring out the grain & color nearly as well as solvent based finishes. Several coats of thinned WATERLOX will give you all the protection you'll ever need … AND … it will enhance the color/grain.


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## ClintSearl (Dec 8, 2011)

I use Varathane or Bona Mega. I made a teak table finished with oil poly in 1974 that's gotten lots of use, and it's still going strong, but I now prefer the waterbornes which don't have the limited shelf life of the oil based products, including Waterlox in particular.


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## Fuzzy (Jun 25, 2007)

Neither WATERLOX nor waterborne finishes have much advantage in relation to shelf life, assuming they are both properly stored & cared for.

Waterborne can & will thicken & set up if exposed to oxygen as well as WATERLOX … it will just happen more slowly.

Both products can be stored for long periods of time if properly separated from oxygen and stored under reasonable conditions.

Except for N.C. Lacquer, I try to not store up large quantities of most any finish, so that what I use will be reasonably fresh at the time I use it. Cost is a bit more in small quantities, but, a ruined finish is even more costly in time & labor … cheap insurance in my opinion. That said, several years ago I found a great deal on several gallons of McClosky Varnish. Every time I open a gallon, I apply several coats to some test material to see if it is still good … so far, no problems.

When I open a large container of ANY finish, I place what is not going to be used immediately in smaller containers and make certain there is no air in them … then seal tightly. Never had one go bad yet.


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## ClintSearl (Dec 8, 2011)

Thanks, Fuzzy, for making my point. Once a can of oil poly/varnish/Waterlox is opened, it'll start to jell in the can. Use it all in a short time or throw out the remainder.


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## Fuzzy (Jun 25, 2007)

Clint … if THAT is what you are able to extract from my last post, I think I'm beginning to see ther problem here … perhaps a Remedial Reading for Comprehension Class for 5th Grade would be of some benefit to you.

I made MY point … NOT yours … BOTH finishes can and will react to Oxygen, and will begin to cure, UNLESS the Oxygen is blocked from contacting it. To ensure that condition, I insert Propane into the container … it being heavier than air, will displace the air and create a barrier, keeping the air from the surface. I use lots of Waterlox, so, I have several such prepared small cans around the shop at any given time. When the need arises for a small quantity, I normally just shake the cans to determine the amount in each. Sometimes a can will sit for a year or more in this condition, and I have yet to LOSE one to your supposed gelling.

- dabbling in sarcasm is foolish … if you're not proficient at it, you end up looking stupid … ... ...


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## ClintSearl (Dec 8, 2011)

Gee, Fuzzy, I didn't mean to get you so upset. I thought your point, which I agree with, was: if you don't go to extremes to exclude oxygen from a container of oil finish, it will inevitably begin tio polymerize and become useless. Your approach of dividing up between multiple containers and using propane is good and will surely delay the process.

But you might want to check the chemistry involved in waterborne finishes. Its my understanding that they could even cure in an anaerobic atmosphere because the molecular crosslinking takes place when the solvent, water in this case, evaporates, independent of the presence or absence of oxygen. If this ain't correct, I'll happily stand corrected.

Don't worry; be happy


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## hObOmOnk (Feb 6, 2007)

BION, shellac.

Blessings.


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## ScottKey (Jun 21, 2007)

The fellow at my local Rockler recommended Liberon Finishing Oil.

http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=17632

It is a tung oil base with some "resins and dryers." It was right underneath the Waterlox and comparing the two, they seem similar.

If no one has any horror stories, I think this is a good choice.


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## Fuzzy (Jun 25, 2007)

Clint … here's the info. directly from the BONA MEGA product brochure which you seem to favor …

Shelf life: 1 year from date of production in unopened original container
Storage/transport: The temperature must not fall below +5°C or
exceed +25°C during storage and transport.

*SHELF LIFE* ... *ONE YEAR FROM DATE OF MANUFACTURE* … and, just how long did it sit in storage or on the shelf before you even purchased it ???

*TEMPERATURE* ... *41 to 77 degrees F.* … NOTE … they said it can never fall outside of those limits …we've already been in the upper 80's around the SE, so, I guess I would need to trash your wonderful BONA MEGA and try another can, hoping it just flew off the shelves at my local retailer, so I didn't get stuck with a can close to a year old. They also demand that "Prior to application the surface *must* be pre-treated with a waterborne primer from Bona." Further … "Optimal application conditions are between 18-25 deg.C and 40-60% relative air humidity. High temperatures and low humidity shorten, low temperatures and high humidity lengthen drying time. Minimum temperature for use is 13 deg C." Got that ?? Minimum temperature at time of application is 55.4 deg F. ... *AND*, the stuff goes bad if *EVER* exposed to 77 deg. F.

And,* YOU* think that releasing a bit of propane from a torch into a container of finish is *"EXTREME"* ???

To throw out fairly $$$$ finish and run around trying to find fresh product is perfectly *NORMAL* to you … but reaching up and opening a propane torch valve, directing the flow into a container is somehow *"EXCESSIVE"* ???


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## ClintSearl (Dec 8, 2011)

Fuzzy, I used aome Bona Mega a couple weeks ago from a jug that's been in my shop for about a year. Don't know how long it was in the distributor's inventory before that. Anyway, I put it over an earlier coat of wipe-on oil poly with no problem, and it looks great. I don't know why the label says a one year shelf life, but it doesn't contradict my understanding of the chemistry. If it hardens in the jug before I use it up, I'll let you know.


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## Fuzzy (Jun 25, 2007)

Don't bother yourself with the notification … I'll take the manufacturer's word for it that using the product against their recommendations is a no-no. But, hey … go ahead … what could those pesky product developers, chemists, & engineers know about such things ???

Of course, NOW you're opening a whole new can of worms relative to ethics. Would you use finishing materials against the specific advice and warnings made by the manufacturer on a customer's project just to save a few pennies and/or to make a point ??? Makes me glad I build my own stuff … I'd hate to think I possibly paid good money for a custom piece, only to get scammed by some shyster who's trying to make an extra buck at my expense.


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## annielee13 (Jan 15, 2013)

If you truly want the least amount of maintenance possible, and your teak is indoors, I would not put a finish on it at all! What causes weathering for teak is the outdoor elements (rain, snow, sunlight, shade, and so forth). When the teak is indoors the weathering process is extremely delayed, if it even weathers. For the least amount of work, what I do is annual wipe downs with soap and water. Every 3-5 years, or whenever I am feeling productive I use an actual teak cleaner on the table to completely restore it to make it look new again.

One thing I would highly suggest for a table that is in regular use is teak shield. I made the mistake of not protecting my table from food stains, oil stains, wine stains, and so forth and had to work hard to get the stains out. I then found the product "teak shield" and it has made my life easier. It is basically a topical, water based product that protects it from these everyday stain possibilities. http://www.westminsterteak.com/PID30103/Golden-Teak-Furniture-Care-Products

Oils and such that say they will protect teak are really focused on the color, and not protecting it from stains and such (or that's what I have learned from my experiences at least!)


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