Finish for book shelves.

My son just finished building some permanent book shelves. They are
white board. (I believe this is merely pine but nicer than your usual
pine.) His construction is immaculate but plain. My girlfriend thinks I
ought to stain or vanish it to protect against dust. I would hate to do
either. The texture is great.

Many book stores I visit have tacky pine shelves. They seem to do alright.

1.) Can I get away with this?

2.) If not, what should I use for the finish?

3.) If yes, what do I dust it with?

Thank you.

On Fri, 01 Sep 2006 17:23:49 -0700, Ted Jones
wrote:

My son just finished building some permanent book shelves. They are
white board. (I believe this is merely pine but nicer than your usual
pine.) His construction is immaculate but plain. My girlfriend thinks I
ought to stain or vanish it to protect against dust. I would hate to do
either. The texture is great.

Many book stores I visit have tacky pine shelves. They seem to do alright.

1.) Can I get away with this?

2.) If not, what should I use for the finish?

3.) If yes, what do I dust it with?

Thank you.

1.) Yes you can, if you want every smudge and fingerprint mark to
attract dust, dirt and then embed themselves into the wood.

2.) See #1 above, OR use either a solvent based varnish _ORIGINAL
VARATHANE_ or similar, shellac or a lacquer finish. There are too many
trade names of the last two to list.
All of these finishes are clear, allowing the natural color and grain
of the wood to show. They also have the benefit of drying to a hard
dense film that builds up onto the wood, preventing any possibility of
saps or resins from migrating out of the wood and onto your books.
Most of these products can be applied by a novice, with good to great
results.**
The downside to these finishes is their use of various solvents that
range from slightly annoying to fairly toxic, depending on the length
of your exposure.
Water- based (latex, acrylic and the like are to be avoided like
CLOROX) clear finishes can sometimes soften under weight/pressure and
heat, effectively welding your books onto the shelves.

**Go to your local, long-time paint store for more information, since
product availability will vary from state to state.

3.) After #2 above, a micro-fiber towel will do just fine.

Dave

Paint guy (in a previous life).

"Ted Jones" wrote in message
...

My son just finished building some permanent book shelves. They are
white board. (I believe this is merely pine but nicer than your usual
pine.) His construction is immaculate but plain. My girlfriend thinks I
ought to stain or vanish it to protect against dust. I would hate to do
either. The texture is great.

Many book stores I visit have tacky pine shelves. They seem to do alright.

1.) Can I get away with this?

2.) If not, what should I use for the finish?

No. You must seal raw wood surfaces so they
repel dust rather than accumulating it. Best is:
1 -- Careful sanding to make the wood as smooth
as possible (underneath as well as on top and on
the front edge.)
2 -- Specialist timber stores offer a variety of
finishing materials, often showing samples to
display whether a material changes the colour
of the wood. Be sure to get the store's advice
about ease of application by an inexperienced
person. Clear finishes may conceal brush marks
better than stained finishes.

When you think the finish is dry enough to start
shelving books, wait another two days just to be
sure and dust the shelves before shelving books.

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)

My son just finished building some permanent book shelves. They are
white board. (I believe this is merely pine but nicer than your usual
pine.) His construction is immaculate but plain. My girlfriend thinks
I ought to stain or vanish it to protect against dust. I would hate
to do either. The texture is great.

I used beeswax and olive oil polish on one set of shelves. Worked well
and still looks good a few years on.

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