Huon Pine Coffee Table

Hi, I’m looking for advice on restoring a Birdseye slab of Huon pine that sits on Huon pine legs and forms a coffee table. It is a beautiful piece of timber but was originally varnished that over time had given it a horrific orange hue. Looked terrible. I then stripped it with norglass orange peel and then sanded it correctly. Looked great. Wasn’t sure what varnish or coating to put on it. I know that some people reckon shellac is the go but I was put off by the suggestion it might send it orange again. I then used cabots water based satin varnish, which then left it flat - the Birdseye wasn’t highlighted or prominent. I was really disappointed, so I sprayed a corner with a bit of cabots water based gloss. Made it shiny but still listless. Now I’m going to restrip the top and redo. What do you recommend? If you use oil based varnish it will amber over time and I don’t want it to be orange in a few years. A good thing it is in a room that does not cop the sun all the time.

I didn’t use wax as I have young kids and they’re going to tip water and knock coffee all over it most likely. So it needs a hardy surface.

Thanks Sandy

Hi Sandy .
The thing with Huon is it oxidizes to a orange Brown colour as time passes. less sunlight may help but it'll still do it under any finish . What you had to sand through after stripping is the oxidized part of course. Oil finishes will make it worse . Orange and Button shellac wont help with the colour either. They both have a strong Amber colour to them . What you need has got to stay clear and be durable and have the shine your after .

This is not the most durable but I'd seal it with a sanding sealer and finish with a blonde shellac. Thin the sanding sealer and give two coats with a light cut back in between and a harder cut back after the second coat . Then french polish with the blonde . The ubeaut Hard shellac is good . You want to keep the FP part as thin as possible as well . Then wax at the end .
The FP and wax will give you any shine you like if you know how to use it . The sanding sealer , SS , speeds up the bodying of the finish . Houn doesn't take much to get a shine because of its no open grain , being a pine . So cut the SS back hard .
My current Blackwood coffee table is finished this way . Stands up to anything we give it . Finishing with FP means a light re polish to freshen it up once in a while if you want to get back the showroom shine . Its an easy thing to do .

A very durable way is to use two pack . I do stuff with Wattyl 7008 . Its goes as yellow as all get out though . Yellowing can be lessened by keeping that part thin . If done thin enough its hardly noticeable . Two coats of thinned two pack , cut back and then very thinly french polished works . I did a kitchen set of solid bench tops this way and an extension table or two . The FP kept so thin and waxed that water damage didn't show up . Thick FP gives the damage plenty to show . Thin doesn't . The problem with that way is the two pack is awful poisonous stuff to work with . A horrible thing to cut back . Its so tough it almost wins over the sand paper. It does work though . I lived with the kitchen top for about 10 years . It lasted and stood up to everything . When I moved house I gave it a re shine for the auction . Looked great. House sold and new owners ripped it all out .


Rob

Thanks Rob. Can you give me some brand names for the sanding sealer and the wax. I’ll get the ubeaut blonde shellac

Ill put the three down Sandy .

Wattyl Craftsman Sanding Sealer

HARD SHELLAC - New improved formula finish.

U-Beaut Polishes - TRADITIONAL WAX Polish

I haven't used the Ubeaut wax but it'll be good .
I make my own wax which lasts me years at a time . I bought a wood working machine from QLD and had it trucked down to Vic . The seller turned out to be a big time Bee Keeper with plenty of Beeswax . So I paid extra for the wax and had a lot shipped as well . About a fully loaded wheel barrow full packed into the machine . Should keep me waxing into my Eightys .

Just remember to thin the SS down with mineral turps . 2/3 SS to 1/3 turps should be good .

When I wax such things a good way is to use 0000 steel wool , a mix of oil and turps and wax .

You splash a bit of the O&T over the top and dab a number of small dobs of wax on spread out . You then evenly wipe the top with a pad of the 0000 wool straight and even covering the top with straight lines 10 times . Its cutting and waxing at the same time . Rub it straight with a dry clean cloth and buff it dry . It gives a good dull wax shine every time . Smooth as a only a wax finish can do .

Rob

Thanks Rob.

You’ve been a great help. Much appreciated.

Cheers Sandy