What type of poly for collar?

Kegging
1

I ditched the freezer top and made an entirely new red oak collar stained with red mohogany. Looks great. however i can’t decide on a finish. this was my first carpentry and staining project.

are you guys using full gloss? semi? there is an oil based poly that is specifically made for extreme temps. should i be using that since it will be exposed to the cold of the keezer?

My first guess was to go full gloss. but now im wondering if i should be doing semi-gloss or even the extreme temp one.

2

My brother is a finnish carpenter and I’ve done tons of finishing projects.
Fist off, the “sheen” is really personal preference. I like semi gloss, others like gloss and others like satin. It really depends on where it’s going, the lighting and more than anything, what you like.

As for what to use, well, you’re not dealing with “extreme” temperature. The inside of the keezer should really never go below freezing and the exterior is ambient. So long as it’s not kept outside you could use almost anything you want.

Now specifics…
Oil based poly is great. Very durable, “warms” the wood but over time it “yellows” Some like the look others not so much. It’s more noticable with lighter stains.
Water based does not “yellow” but I’ve found it to be much less durable. It really shows any sort of water spots, drips, rings etc. I would not recommend it in most applications.
What I would recommend would either be laquer or Shellac.
Laquer is fairly easy to apply, either spray or brush and really durable. Shellac it “food grade” if that’s important but you are limited on the “sheens” also, they are often tinted.
Laquer of oil based poly is your best bet…IMO
Good Luck and post a pic when it’s done

3

Thanks for the info! I’ll have to go back to the hardware store and take a look at the lacquers. Sounds like a lacquer is the way to go!

Would you say something like this woudl work? they even have a spray can! Would you still recommend multiple coats with spraying on?

http://www.minwax.com/wood-products/int ... ng-lacquer
4

Watco is my preferred brand but minwax works fine. At least 3 coats and I might lean to, for this project to brush it on. Nice thing about Laquer is you don’t have to worry about the dust after sanding it. It “melts” right back in itself.