# Necessary to apply finish to my wooden desk? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 20, 2008, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/necessary-to-apply-finish-to-my-wooden-desk/438431 "2008-02-20T21:33:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![VarlosZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d78d45/32.png) [@VarlosZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VarlosZ)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2008, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/necessary-to-apply-finish-to-my-wooden-desk/438431/1 "2008-02-20T21:33:21Z")
So I just finished staining my computer desk at my new apartment, and I was wondering if it’s really necessary to apply a finish; I’ve never done this, so I really don’t know. It would be a moderate pain in the ass to do it, and it would be a couple of days before I could use it. Also, I figure there’s a pretty good chance of my screwing it up somehow and making the desk significantly uglier. So what are the consequences of not bothering with the finish? Is it really a terribly stupid idea? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Gus\_Gusterson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/85f322/32.png) [@Gus\_Gusterson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gus_Gusterson)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2008, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/necessary-to-apply-finish-to-my-wooden-desk/438431/2 "2008-02-20T21:47:13Z")
Varnish or polyurethane will protect the stain you put on. If you leave it with just the stain finish you’ll probably find that the stain will start to show wear in short order. Polyurethane is easy to apply. The wipe-on variety is even easier, though it takes several coats to build up the finish so it’s thick enough to protect the wood. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2008, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/necessary-to-apply-finish-to-my-wooden-desk/438431/3 "2008-02-20T21:57:00Z")
Your stain is probably also a sealer, so you don’t _have_ to slather your desk with polyurethane. However, wood that’s not finished will tend to pick up stains, water rings etc. etc. If you don’t want to go the whole poly-route, consider using some Tung oil, Linseed oil, or other hardening oil. They’re pretty easy to apply neatly with a rag or sponge, give a decent finish, and dry in a day. In my hands, one coat will make wood look decent, and improve stain resistance. ---
**Author:** ![Sal\_Ammoniac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Sal\_Ammoniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sal_Ammoniac)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2008, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/necessary-to-apply-finish-to-my-wooden-desk/438431/4 "2008-02-20T22:13:42Z")
The short answer is that it’s your desk, and you don’t have to do anything to it that you don’t want to! I would second the suggestion that a wipe-on finish is probably easiest, and a couple of coats will give you a degree of protection. I wouldn’t use linseed oil; one coat will vanish without a trace, and you’ll end up needing to put on four or five coats at least, with weeks of waiting between coats to make sure it dries and doesn’t end up gummy. Probably a semi-gloss polyurethane is your best bet. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2008, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/necessary-to-apply-finish-to-my-wooden-desk/438431/5 "2008-02-20T22:54:33Z")
What about beeswax or furniture polish? ---
**Author:** ![FordPrefect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e99b99/32.png) [@FordPrefect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FordPrefect)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2008, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/necessary-to-apply-finish-to-my-wooden-desk/438431/6 "2008-02-21T02:22:14Z")
[QUOTE=Sal Ammoniac] The short answer is that it’s your desk, and you don’t have to do anything to it that you don’t want to! I would second the suggestion that a wipe-on finish is probably easiest, and a couple of coats will give you a degree of protection. I wouldn’t use linseed oil; one coat will vanish without a trace, and you’ll end up needing to put on four or five coats at least, with weeks of waiting between coats to make sure it dries and doesn’t end up gummy. Probably a semi-gloss polyurethane is your best bet. [/QUOTE] What **Sal** said. Another advantage polyurethane is that it will build a flat surface that will fill any divots, or grain “grooves”. Which is important if you intend to write on it, plus poly protects against alcohol spills, if that is necessary. Beeswax, or any other wax won’t build up a strong finish, but rather one that will need constant reapplication. ---
**Author:** ![Carson\_O\_Genic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cdc98d/32.png) [@Carson\_O\_Genic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carson_O_Genic)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2008, 8:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/necessary-to-apply-finish-to-my-wooden-desk/438431/7 "2008-02-21T08:59:40Z")
Don’t use beeswax.It is a soft wax and depending on climate can feel sticky.A hard furniture wax (i.e. Minwax) would work but require regular application. ---
**Author:** ![VarlosZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d78d45/32.png) [@VarlosZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VarlosZ)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2008, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/necessary-to-apply-finish-to-my-wooden-desk/438431/8 "2008-02-21T12:43:50Z")
Ok, thanks guys. I guess I’ll be finishing the thing w/ polyurethane. Wish me luck. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2008, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/necessary-to-apply-finish-to-my-wooden-desk/438431/9 "2008-02-21T14:50:35Z")
Tung oil everything but the top. Use Poly on the top. I really think you should consider applying poly only to the top and rubbing tung oil over all the other parts. Tung oil application is a breeze and just doesn’t glob up. I think this is your best option for durability, an effective solution and a great appearance. Going poly over the whole thing = risk of making the details look awful.