Polyurethane is what I was trying to think of. My husband uses it often. He built our kitchen table and used polyurethane on the top. 3-4 coats and wet sanded in between. It's so slick I can easily move fabric across the top even though the wood has grooves in it.
Originally Posted by
Z
Polyurethane, a water based finish that is used for gym floors, would give you the slippery finish that you want. You could apply it directly to the MDF if you wanted the MDF color. You could use diluted Elmer's school glue to fasten fabric to the sanded table top. If the fabric isn't where you want it, the school glue allows you to move it. Press the fabric THOROUGHLY before you start. Wrap the pressed fabric around a swim noodle, a cardboard roll from carpet, or a board so that you can unroll it after applying glue to a width of the table top. Smooth out the fabric before applying more glue. A brayer or rolling pin works well. Folding the fabric over the edges would give a finished look. After the glue dries thoroughly apply the polyurethane in several THIN layers according to direllctions on the can. My work table, cutting table, or table for everything I need to do was covered with fabric and polyurethane 17 years ago and is still going strong. There are a few scratches.