protecting wood and still natural looking?

15 years ago

hey guys! first off let me say that i am a definite beginner. i'm trying little by little to get more into it (when funds allow it anyway).

i've been trying to read up on different types of stains and varnishes and all that type of stuff. and they're all just squishing together in my head.

the reason I'm trying to figure this out is that i have some side tables and wall shelves that I've bought that are bare unfinished wood. i liked the look of the wood because it was so natural, it kind of reminded me of bamboo and they're going in a Asian inspired room. but I've realized that its probably going to be a good idea to protect them somehow (coasters don't always sneak under those beverages, huh)...problem is that i like the natural look of the wood and im worried that some stain or polyurethane will take that away.

can anybody shed some light on my little problemo? :)

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Comments (3)

sombreuil_mongrel
15 years ago
There are two considerations.
1) almost every finish alters the natural color of the wood.
2) almost every finish alters the surface of the wood.
The finishes that alter the surface least also protect the wood the least; the result being that other factors (dirt, staining) will be able to change the appearance for the worse.
Finishes in order of protection, least to most:
wax; non-drying oil (mineral oil); penetrating, drying oils (watco); de-waxed shellac; penetrating/surface-forming oils (wipe-on varnishes); High-build, penetrating oils (waterlox); Alkyd varnish; Alkyd polyurethane varnish; Conversion varnishes; Floor finishes fortified with aluminum oxide.
Finishes that alter the color of wood, ascending impact:
clear wax; acrylic polyurethane; ultra-blond shellac; everything else deepens or ambers the color of the wood. Change varies depending on natural color of the wood.
Casey
User
15 years ago
Two finishes that will make the least change in color/tone are clear(blond) shellac and water based polyurethane.

The best way to determine what change either of those finishes will cause is to dampen the wood in question with a bit of water. That is basically what the color will be after the finish is applied.

As Casey stated, shellac has less protectiveness than poly. Alcohol of almost any kind will melt even dried shellac. That means a cotton ball used to clean a scrape and set on the desk will melt the shellac(if used).

Poly protects against almost any household product except heat.

The type of poly makes a difference in the final look. Gloss poly makes the wood look different than satin.

One more difference----a shellac finish can be fairly easily spot repaired----poly finishes cannot. A scratch/burn/spot in a poly finish requires sanding out the problem, sanding the entire surface and recoating the entire area---table top/desktop---for instance.
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sombreuil_mongrel
15 years ago
Here are shellac samples on various woods. The left column is ultra-blond shellac. The right column is garnet shellac. The woods are (top - bottom) 100-year-old southern yellow pine, new maple, white oak, mahogany.

Even the very lightest shellac adds color to the wood. Acrylic poly would do less so.
Casey