Stand Top Restoration...Gloss or Satin?
 

Further to the Singer 31-15, today I sanded the table top and gave it a coat of Minwax "Golden Oak".
I had been planning to proceed with a few coats of gloss poly varnish but got to thinking that Satin might be a better choice. Might make for a better work surface.
The photo really washed out the stain color - or maybe I need another coat but I don't want to make it too dark.

Open to suggestion...:)

I would put another coat on it. It will really look sharp when you are finished with it. I just wish that I could do that stuff again like I used to.

Sorry, I'm a shellac and steel wool kind of person.... But it is looking great!

That is what I was thinking!

Oh this topic has been the kindling of many a flame war even among friends :-)
I've used shellac on various surfaces but I've never been happy with it as a table top finish.
I find it lacks durability and resistance to scratching etc..

OK, NO flame here but do you realize that the 130+ year old treadles we have today are/were done with Shellac and that the paint used on the machines was basically a mix of pigment and shellac?

Tough enough for me. (BTW - I use spray paint on machines as well as shellac/pigment, and I use modern stains and poly sealers also)

Lew, I'm with you. I like shellac, but if I use shellac on a table I always finish the top with polyurethane. To your original question, I like satin on counter tops as it gives a "softened" touch. I think that would be great on your industrial top. Gloss is too "harsh" for me to work on for extended time.

Yes - as were most other commercial cabinets such as radios.
I'm sure my experience with shellac hinges on it being contemporary pre-mixed (Zinser) shellac not old school mix your own flakes and alcohol. The latter may well be way more durable than what I've used , but I'm not inclined to get into the alchemy of rolling my own :-)

LOLOLOLOLol

I use Salad Bowl finish. It is very durable, have it on several countertops. I hand rub on 4-6 coats. I also use minwax antique oil. Ill use poly if durability is the main concern.