Looking to resurface an old work table. What finish/coating to use?

[clay]

I got a kind of heavy-duty table free from my brother's neighbor, and I'm currently using it as my computer desk. Perfect size for me, plenty big enough to hold my gear, etc. It is a wood table, and the finish on the tabletop is somewhat spotty/worn. I'd like to refinish it to further protect the surface so that this table serves me well into the future.

My default approach would be to pick up a quart of polyurethane, sand the tabletop well, and put on 2-3 coats and call it good enough. But, I'm wondering if there would be an alternate option that would perhaps be a more durable solution for the long term. Let's say I'm trying to avoid damage from scratches from items being dragged across the desk and damage from cups that may result from condensation sitting on the desktop.

I'm not real crazy about the idea of putting a temporary protective surface between me and the wood (like glass or a desk blotter), but I am open to your ideas.

Since this was a free desk/table, I'd like to limit the budget to below $50. The tabletop is roughly 3' x 5' by almost 1" thick.

[cbelt3]

That's a nice slab of lumber. Go with a poly for flooring (the regular 'finish' poly isn't as hard).

And use a dang coaster for your glasses and mugs ! Didn't your mother teach you right ? Sheesh !!! :biggrin:

[clay]

cbelt3 wrote:
That's a nice slab of lumber. Go with a poly for flooring (the regular 'finish' poly isn't as hard).

Yup, I had looked at Ikea and other "cheap" sources for a simple, heavy duty work table like this, and was lucky when this one turned up for free.

Good thought re: flooring poly. I just refinished a floor this summer for some family members, and I think I may even have some left over...that would be even cheaper than my $50 limit!

cbelt3 wrote:
And use a dang coaster for your glasses and mugs ! Didn't your mother teach you right ? Sheesh !!! :biggrin:

Yeah, yeah :-) I actually do use old burned CDs as my coasters, which work fine until I forget a glass half-filled with ice water in mid summer overnight and wake up to the condensation all over the tabletop :-(

[mspace]

My go-to for this kind of thing is a rub-on poly. Since you apply it with a cloth, there are no risks of drips and you have way more control of the results.

I'll do the initial sanding, use a tack cloth to really wipe up the dust, then one layer of rub-on, which will raise the grain a bit. Fine steel wool the surface, tack cloth it again, and then the next layer of poly. Repeat until happy with the thickness.

For this, I'd do about 4-5 coats to get a really nice finish and thickness.

[clay]

thanks, space. Any recommendations for a specific type/brand of rub-on poly? I've never done that process before, so I'm not as familiar with the product.

[edgarbc1]

for a nicer finish, you might want to see if your friends/
acquantences has a sprayer which can apply a very consistent coat
of poly on the table top.

my own experience, is that I hand poly'ied some oak doors and
the finish is not as nice as sprayed on poly oak doors and oak steps
done by a contractor previously.

maybe rent a sprayer from a local rental shop as an alternative...
not as cheap as $50 total but check it out..

[Dennis S]

What about gym floor coating or marine coating?

[mrbigstuff]

I just did exactly this and used Arm-R-Seal wipe-on (I brushed it on with a foam brush) urethane coating.

Came out quite nice and shiny (gloss for me) but I did about 8 coats.

http://www.generalfinishes.com/retail-pr...ne-topcoat

[rgG]

If you do decide to put something over the desk, for protection, you might consider a large piece of rolled cork. It could act like one big coaster, and keep things from slipping around on the desk. You might have to weight the cork down till it relaxes, to get it to lay flat.

[mspace]

Usually use Minwax. Never had any problems and I think it's the simplest for a small-ish single project like this.