Varnish? Lacquer? Resin? Buffalo snot? Looking for a smooth finish on a wooden handrail.

[BlueRidgeMark]

I have had enough splinters from the handrail on the stairs to my basement. I'm looking for a finish that will give me some sealing of the surface to put a stop to the splinters. I want something that will put on a thick coat and leave a hard finish.

I considered the very glossy resin finishes, but they are self-leveling, which means they will probably mostly run off before they are cured. Or would enough remain so that I could build up a few coats?

Any ideas?

 

[Whitenuckler]

I have had enough splinters from the handrail on the stairs to my basement. I'm looking for a finish that will give me some sealing of the surface to put a stop to the splinters. I want something that will put on a thick coat and leave a hard finish.

I considered the very glossy resin finishes, but they are self-leveling, which means they will probably mostly run off before they are cured. Or would enough remain so that I could build up a few coats?

Any ideas?

Does it just have a natural clear coating now? No paint?
What type of handrail? Some are store bought, and screwed on with brackets.
Other's might be something the carpenter built using standard lumber. That type does not come apart.
If you have the brackets and screws, then it would be best to take it off to work on it.

 

[hearthon]

I used arm r seal and love it. It tell you exactly how to use it on the back of the can. You sand it twice with different grits of sandpaper and then you apply i believe 3 coats. Its a poly seal and its very water proof and durable. They have glossier ones but im not a fan of shiny wood but hey I would love to see your before and after pics.

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

Does it just have a natural clear coating now? No paint?

It's got ancient varnish on it now. Much of that has gone bye-bye. It's been there since 1973.

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

I used arm r seal and love it. It tell you exactly how to use it on the back of the can. You sand it twice with different grits of sandpaper and then you apply i believe 3 coats. Its a poly seal and its very water proof and durable. They have glossier ones but im not a fan of shiny wood but hey I would love to see your before and after pics.

How thick is it once you are done? This isn't an appearance project. It's just a basic stairwell into an unfinished basement, a haven of spiders and other critters, so appearance isn't really important. I just want to be able to go down the stairs without getting splinters!

 

[hearthon]

Its thin I think epoxy is pretty thick but im not sure if you can apply that on something rounded.


I think if you took it down and sanded everything and apply any type of a sealer it'll stop the splinter.

If not u can always buy another hand rail lol.

 

[Whitenuckler]

How thick is it once you are done? This isn't an appearance project. It's just a basic stairwell into an unfinished basement, a haven of spiders and other critters, so appearance isn't really important. I just want to be able to go down the stairs without getting splinters!

Does it just have a natural clear coating now? No paint?
What type of handrail? Some are store bought, and screwed on with brackets.
Other's might be something the carpenter built using standard lumber. That type does not come apart.
If you have the brackets and screws, then it would be best to take it off to work on it.
I added some questions/comments. You answered some.....
I would sand and use:

Varathane Diamond Wood Finish in Satin Clear​

and apply many thin coats.

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

It's store bought. Nothing fancy. It had some kind of varnish at one time, but most of that is gone.

 

[gthomas785]

I would use a good old high gloss polyurethane. 2 or 3 coats with a light sanding between.

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

That's probably what I'll do. I'm in the middle of a complete down-to-the-studs bathroom remodel (including replacing rotted floor) right now, so I'll likely tackle that next weekend.

The things you find when you rip off the wall coverings! Hiding behind the old tub and tile was some wiring. Bare ends. That used to be an outside wall, then more house was added on. Looks like there might have been an outside outlet there, and to remove it, somebody just smashed the plastic box apart (the nails are still there with some of the gray plastic on them), cut the outlet off, and left it that way. The wire was still hot! Just hanging there in the wall cavity!

 

[johneh]

I would suggest Spar Varnish
First coat thinned. After dry, lite sand, wipe off any dust
Second coat sand again, wipe off any dust, let dry
The third coat should come out looking like glass
It can be cleaned with soap and water, never ever an water stains

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Spar varnish would be good if you want it finished bright. The linseed oil will move with changes in humidity.

If it doesn’t need to be finished bright, I’d go for an oil paint. It’s harder to find, but if you look at specialty paints like Rustoleum Farm and Implement, you’ll find it.

Buffalo snot is good, but they just don’t make it like they used to!

 

[begreen]

I put a few coats of McCloskey's spar varnish on a couple door thresholds many years ago. It has stood up remarkably well.