Advice on finish for a Backgammon Board

[Blackswanwood]

I have been asked to make a Backgammon Board and am not sure what would be the best finish for the playing surface.

At the moment it's between Rustin's Plastic Coating Gloss (which is a two part cold cured lacquer) or Chestnut Melamine Lacquer. The aim is to get a high gloss durable finish. I normally stick to wax over oil or French polish so am on a learning curve.

Any shared experience of the products mentioned or other finishes for games boards will be much appreciated.

Cheers

Robert

 

[Lons]

Would the wax oil not be durable enough Robert? I used Osmo raw on a butcher block table I made for my daughter in law, it's had heavy use over a number of years with no additional coats and it's still in excellent condition. They don't actually cut on it directly but gets used and abused.

 

[Blackswanwood]

Would the wax oil not be durable enough Robert? I used Osmo raw on a butcher block table I made for my daughter in law, it's had heavy use over a number of years with no additional coats and it's still in excellent condition. They don't actually cut on it directly but gets used and abused.

I oil and then apply a resin wax Bob which is pretty durable but I’m not sure how it will fare with backgammon counters (or are they called stones?) being slid around over time. I hadn’t thought about Osmo raw - not sure what level of gloss it will give or how it is with ebony which is one of the veneers I plan to use but have ordered a sample to do a test. Thanks.

 

[Mike G]

Rustins Plastic Coating is dead easy on such a small area. It's incredibly durable, and would probably be my first choice of the finishes I am familiar with. It's harder to apply nicely on a large area as you have to keep a wet edge. I think you cut it back to get a high gloss finish, if that's what you want. One of the bonuses is that it doesn't yellow.

 

[Lons]

Hi Robert
The reason I used raw on that table is because it was maple and I wanted as natural a finish as possible. From memory it had 6 thin coats and buffed up to a glossy satin if that makes sense. Perfect for that project but may not be a high enough gloss for yours.

 

[AndyP]

What would the hive think about using a floor varnish for a games board?
Bound to be hard wearing, available in gloss, and does not need mixing with a hardener.

Quick Dry Floor Varnish | Rustins

Floor Varnish. Non-toxic, quick drying, low odour, completely clear and non-yellowing. Resistant to water, alcohol, white spirit and similar...

www.rustins.ltd

I’ve used a floor varnish on children's pine bedroom furniture in the past which has stood up well to a far amount of abuse, not sure which brand.

 

[akirk]

My instinct would be that you don't want it too glossy as that becomes a distraction when playing - I have a chess table made for my 21st and it has a satin finish - when we put a glass top on it to protect it the added reflections do give a bit of distraction - so def. satin if you can.