Polish, varnish etc. for oak coffee table top

[mavericky]

I'm going to buy a length of oak veneered contiboard to make a new top for my coffee table so that it will match my new sideboards etc.

Wot is the best product I can use (polishes, varnishes etc.) to get a decent finnish and give reasonable protection to the top bearing in mind its purpose ..... (drinks and TV dinners etc.)

 

[xerxes]

Any of the readily available polyurethane or acrylic varnishes should be suitable and easy to apply. Use several coats, denibbing between coats after leaving for the recommended time to dry. Coat the underside too, even if you can't see it, with the same number of coats.

I like the Liberon acrylic varnishes, which are easy to apply, low odour and give good results; I usually choose satin finishes.

You may need to consider staining your top first before you varnish, if you're trying to match your other furniture. Try some scraps first to check the results. You may not be able to get a very close match; factory-made furniture is likely to have been sprayed with a two-pack finish which isn't really suitable for home use.