Need some advice on finishing pine please

Hi all,

I'm currently finishing off a fish tank stand and top that I have made from plain old structural pine. Before I choose what sort of finish to use, I thought I would ask for some advice.

The top (the base and top are separate pieces) is going to be subject to a fair amount of direct moisture via condensation, so sealing this part well is a must. The base is not going to necessarily subjected to direct moisture (hopefully :D), so it doesn't really need to be sealed. My concern is that If I seal the top and varnish, it may end up a slightly different shade to the base.

Could I avoid this by using some kind of oil finish rather than varnish?? I would like to retain the natural colour of the pine as much as possible, so I was thinking perhaps some oil, but would oil alone seal against direct moisture/conensation?

Thanks in advance

I think you'd be better off using poly. A good one we've mentioned in these forums before is Min Wax Wipe-on poly, available at Bunnings. It gives a more oil looking finish than varnish but has the resistance to moisture you need.

check out
http://www.minwax.com/products/protective/

Thanks green man :D

They have just removed this item from all the bunnies near me, with no plans to restock in the future :mad:

So, Can anyone suggest an alternative to miniwax wipe on poly???

Maybe I should just bite the bullet and use danish oil..... :rolleyes:

Try treating a bit of scrap with a product called Thompsons water seal....it darkens on application and lightens a lot once dried.

2 Coats in that enviroment would be heaps i reckon + you can apply any oil based product over the top.