Birch Butcher Block + Arm-R-Seal Satin?
Hey all,
I've been reading so much into this I might be overthinking it. I plan on using a birch butcher block as a desk and there are plenty of recommendations available on this sub. However, I've overloaded myself with too many options and I'd like to keep it as simple as possible.
I already have Arm-R-Seal Satin. From what I've read that's a poly finish, correct? Is that all I need in order to protect/seal the block? Or do I need a pre-conditioner?
My plan was to sand with 220 grit, apply pre-conditioner (if needed), then apply multiple coats of the Arm-R-Seal Satin.
Is that enough? Thanks for your help!
Posted Oct 4, 2020, 4:56 PM UTC
715
The preconditioned is for applying stain more evenly, so no need here.
220 is what I bring all my finished pieces to. The poly will give you the finished smoothness.
Arm-r-seal satin is my go to. It’s an oil based polyethylene. I normally do 3 coats. One day apart, sanding with 400 grit in between.
Sanding poly isn’t like sanding wood. You want to just bring down any bumps. Wipe sideways with the grain but don’t put much if any downward pressure on it. First coat comes out the most bumpy and uneven because the wood will drink this one. Don’t be fooled and over sand!
I use a microfiber cloth to clean up before applying each coat.
Don’t put anything on the desk for at least 2 weeks after finishing it. Even though it’s dry to the touch it takes at least 4 weeks to fully cure. I’ve found stuff to be suitable for light use after 2 weeks.
Hmm, okay.
So I first sand using 220 grit. Apply Arm-R-Seal. Wait 24 hours. Sand using 400 grit. Apply second coat of Arm-R-Seal. Wipe down with clean microfiber. Wait 24 hours and repeat?
Sorry for repeating, just want to make sure I do this right the first time! Also, thanks for your help!
Yeah. Also 400 grit is pretty fine, 320 between coats should work.
Arm r seal is a very oily and thin product so it is easy to wipe on a very even coat. It will bring out the grain as well as linseed oil.
The sanding between coats should just scuff the surface a bit and make it look sort of hazy all over. If you're getting little boogers rather than a fine powder, you're sanding too early, but that is unlikely with this product.
You can wipe the sanding dust off with a clean microfiber but a shop towel and a mist of ammonia works too. Ammonia tends to dry with no residue so it's pretty safe if you have it.
After it's dry if you want it to be really even in sheen, put some paste wax on it with a scotch brite pad, let it dry and buff it off. That's optional but if the finish looks uneven that will help.
So Arm-R-Seal is a wipe-on poly? Didn't realize that. Maybe I'll give that a go for a future project, since I suck at applying regular poly!
Yes, but clean before each coat. Otherwise the dust gets mixed in with the poly and leaves bumps. So
240 sand, clean, poly, wait 24 hours, 400 sand, clean, poly, wait 24 hours, 400 sand, clean, poly, wait 24 hours, inspect.
I sometimes don’t sand my last coat because it’s smooth enough. If you do sand it and find it blemished the surface a bit, another thin coat can be done.
Also, I’d do at least one coat in the bottom to seal it from the atmosphere.
The way I apply poly is with a fine brush. Don’t think about it like painting. I normally load the brush and try and get it even in thickness, sometimes brushing against the grain, then do very light strokes the full length of the table in the direction of the grain. Very light, like the brushes weight is all the pressure, and sometimes I even hold it up a bit from that. This is to make it lay nice and flat. You’ll want to bring your head down the surface and use the reflection from a light to see how even it is. If you notice dull spots you can spot add some more, it do that full length stroke again. Don’t overwork poly. It’ll quickly start to dry to a place where working it further ruins it.
You’ll notice dry spots appear within 15 minutes or so of the first coat. That’s fine just leave them be. The wood drinks the first coat and wood drinks unevenly. This seals them and the next coat won’t get drunk and will even it out.
I recommend practicing on the bottom first :) it’s not difficult but there’s a bit of a feel to it.
Hey there, back again some questions. Let's say I'm practicing on the bottom, do I do multiple coats as well? How long do I wait before flipping it over and doing the other side?
To get proper practice it’s best to do multiple coats.
Since it’s the bottom and you won’t mind a few blemishes, then it depends on what you’re flipping it over onto. Home Depot does sell packs of painters triangles and that’d be best. I wouldn’t flip it onto anything flat, but a couple short lengths of 2x4 that doesn’t stick out anywhere would work too. I’d give it at least a day or two to dry first. If you use 2x4s it’ll likely leave indents in that area, not sure how bad. The painters triangles will leave indents but they’ll be small.
Something to watch out for is drips, btw. When you’re finishing the bottom it’ll want to run down the sides. A paper towel can wipe that up. I’d do the sides when doing the top. You can wipe a towel along the underside bottom to clean up any drips.