The Best Finishes for Everyday Projects
Choosing the right finish is one of the most important decisions you make on any woodworking project. A good finish protects the wood, enhances its natural beauty, and determines how the piece will age over time. For everyday projects, I tend to favor finishes that are durable, forgiving, and easy to repair. Below are the finishes I rely on most in my own shop, along with guidance on when each one makes the most sense.
My Favorite Finish: A Homemade Two Part Mix
For the majority of my indoor furniture and shop projects, my go to finish is a homemade two part system. It is simple, versatile, and produces a warm, natural look that holds up well to daily use.
Part A is an equal mix of polyurethane, finishing oil, and turpentine. This blend penetrates well, builds protection gradually, and is easy to apply with a rag or Scotch-Brite pad. The polyurethane adds durability, while the oil and turpentine help the finish flow and soak into the wood fibers.
Part B is a blend of finishing oil, turpentine, and beeswax. This is used as a final treatment once the Part A coats have cured. The beeswax adds a soft sheen and a pleasant feel to the surface, making it especially well suited for furniture that will be handled often.
Together, these two parts create a finish that is easy to refresh over time and forgiving if the piece gets nicked or scratched. For everyday projects, that repairability matters.
Outdoor Projects: Use the Right Protection
For outdoor projects, I recommend Minwax Helmsman spar urethane. It is designed to handle moisture, temperature swings, and general exposure to the elements better than standard interior finishes.
That said, there is an important limitation to understand. If a piece will be in direct, prolonged sunlight, even the best clear finishes will eventually fail. In those cases, you really should consider painting the project. Paint provides far better ultraviolet protection than any clear finish and will dramatically extend the life of outdoor work exposed to full sun.
Food Safe Projects: Keep It Simple and Proven
For projects that require a food safe finish (such as cutting boards, serving trays, utensils, even baby toys & cribs) stick with shellac and/or food safe oils and waxes. These finishes are well understood, safe once cured, and easy to maintain.
Shellac is especially useful because it dries quickly and creates a reliable barrier. Food safe oils and waxes are ideal when you want a natural look and are comfortable with periodic reapplication.
UV Finishes: Powerful but Not for Beginners
Occasionally, I use Clean Armor UV finish. This is an impressive product with a cure time of just minutes when exposed to ultraviolet light. In a production environment or for specific applications, that speed can be a major advantage.
In my experience, this finish performs best when applied to completely flat surfaces. Surface preparation and application technique are critical to success. Any imperfections in the surface or inconsistencies in application will show immediately once the finish cures.
Because of this, I do not recommend UV finishes to beginners. They leave very little room for error and demand careful process control. Used correctly, they are excellent, but they are not forgiving.
Final Thoughts
There is no single best finish for every project. The right choice depends on how the piece will be used, where it will live, and how much maintenance you are willing to accept. For most everyday woodworking projects, a simple, well proven finish that can be easily repaired will serve you far better than something complicated or overly specialized.
As with all things in woodworking, test your finish on scrap, take your time with surface preparation, and let the finish work with the wood rather than fight it.
