# Finish that will stand up to nail polish remover



## staf0048 (Nov 12, 2018)

A year ago I built my daughter an end table for her bedroom. I used a few coats of polyurethane for the finish thinking that would be the best protection. She had just turned 11 at the time and I knew she'd be leaving drinks on the table overnight.

What I didn't realize is that she'd also use the table to do her nails….

I'm thinking of refinishing the top, but looking for advice on a finish that could hold up to both water and nail polish remover.


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## RobHannon (Dec 12, 2016)

I think catalyzed lacquer is pretty solvent resistant once cured. Many epoxies I think also will hold up to solvents, but they could haze. I'd test a scrap before doing a full refinish.


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## Phil32 (Aug 31, 2018)

I'd suggest a piece of glass matching the size & shape of the end table top.


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## John Smith_inFL (Dec 15, 2017)

X2 with Phil

.

.


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## staf0048 (Nov 12, 2018)

Not sure I like the idea of a loose glass top in a 12 year olds room.

What is the best way to adhere it to the top?


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## 000 (Dec 9, 2015)

I don't think much will stand up to Acetone
Here are some tests below for pre-cat lacquer and Conversion Varnish
(Both are from Sherwin Williams)

Pre-Cat Lacquer:









Conversion Varnish:


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## jonah (May 15, 2009)

You could adhere the glass to the top with a few small circles of putty. It would easily come off, but not accidentally.

If glass is not an option, those clear epoxy finishes people use on outdoor furniture would be my choice.


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## John Smith_inFL (Dec 15, 2017)

*Option #2.*
let the kid just use it as her own - don't admonish her about a few drops
of this, that and the other . . . . don't refinish it or repair it in any way.
then, when she leaves home, put it in the closet.
then, when she has her own family, give it to her as her own personal 
heirloom to pass down to her kids with the lesson of "what not to do".

I wish I had my 12yo daughter back - - - she is 45 now with her own teenagers !!

.

.


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## bilyo (May 20, 2015)

I think the glass is a good solution. Just be sure to get tempered glass so that, if it breaks, there will be no sharp shards. A few dabs of silicone sealant will hold it down. You could also use a sheet of acrylic or polycarbonate. I'm not sure if either would resist damage from acetone. But, they would be easily replaceable.


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## staf0048 (Nov 12, 2018)

I kind of like the idea of just letting her "live with the scars". Besides, who knows how much more she's going to beat up on this table?

I'm pretty sure the blemishes bother me, more than it does her. I may just let it go and possibly refinish it (or not) when she's out if the home.


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## bondogaposis (Dec 18, 2011)

Concrete.


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## bilyo (May 20, 2015)

Something that has not been suggested is plastic laminate. Very durable. My shop work table is covered with it and most everything I spill on it scrapes right off.


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## DS (Oct 10, 2011)

Many solvents will wreak havoc on plastic laminate. There are chemically resistant versions of most laminates that are typically required in Medical and Laboratory environments.

Most common grades of plastic laminates will hold up to chemicals to a point, but will eventually fail under extreme, or extended exposure cases.

But yes, I agree with you - plastic laminates are fairly durable, especially compared to wood finishes.



> Something that has not been suggested is plastic laminate. Very durable. My shop work table is covered with it and most everything I spill on it scrapes right off.
> 
> - bilyo


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## DS (Oct 10, 2011)

I made a really nice headboard for my grown son a few years ago. A few weeks later he moved out of the house and into his own place and carelessly piled it into the back of an SUV with all his junk. The finished was scarred quite a bit from all the sharp edges against it.
He wanted me to refinish it, but I declined.

I always emphasized that the only way to have nice stuff is to take care of what we've got. I figure it is a good lesson learned.


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## ArtMann (Mar 1, 2016)

Finger nail polish remover is acetone and I don't know of any finish, including epoxy, that will resist it. I use acetone to remove epoxy from working surfaces.


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## bilyo (May 20, 2015)

It just so happens that I have some scraps of plastic laminate and some acetone and lacquer thinner. I don't know if the OP has any inclination to use plastic laminate. However, for the sake of the above discussion, I tried both on the plastic and neither had any noticeable effect. I left both in contact for about a minute replacing a drop or two as need when it evaporated.


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## Ocelot (Mar 6, 2011)

You might look into japanese urushi laquer. It's pricy and poisonous, but people have used it for things that last generations.

thanks to its resistance to water, alcohol, acids, lyes and solvents, as well as a resistance to heat of up to 280 degrees combined with elasticity and mechanical resilience, urushi is superior to most synthetic polymers.

https://www.architonic.com/en/story/susanne-fritz-urushi-japanese-lacquer-in-modern-design/7000666

This one shows a clear urushi finish. http://www.eurus.dti.ne.jp/k-yazawa/urushi.html


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