Finishing and sealing a new stand

[ShawnSaucier]

Hey All,
So in the beginning process of a new build. Got the stand built and have been in the process of staining it. I have a poly that is hand rubbed, but it seems that this is going to take 10 or 12 coats to be effective. What have you used or would you recommend?

 

[Dana]

i have used water based poly with foam brush. i put on about 6 coats, but it really depends how many you want to put on. its worked out well for me, and waterbased dries alot faster and smells alot less. after 6 years its still good as the day i put it on.

 

[cdness]

I just used an oil based poly over minwax stain on the oak face. It lasted just fine on my last tank for at least 5 years so I figured good to go on this one as well. It is just a few coats too.

On the inside of the stand I first used KILZ primer then painted over it with an epoxy based white glossy paint. The nice thing about the nice bright white is it tends to reflect the ambient light a bit so you can see better inside the stand without additional lighting. Also the epoxy paint makes a nice strong barrier to the water that may splash, spray, or leak from the plumbing or sump.