Combine these Products to Preserve your Projects

This post contains affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase through it, I will be rewarded a small share.

Deciding to add a handful of steps and cure maps into our bar top was the extra mile we needed to make it unique. We wanted a bar that nobody else had, and that’s what we set off to do. Te next step is to preserve the maps for as long as possible. After staining the color like in our last blog, we proceeded with 2 layers of clear Poly Acrylic, a protective gloss for any paper project.

Just like the stain, we worked two different layers into the wood. Pressing thoroughly, and evenly, adding the second when dry. By the time that one dried, the top of the bar felt like the shiny countertop we were going for. You could only feel a slight lump on the edge of each map.

So just to be sure it stayed protected we decided to layer polyurethane over it as the final two clear coats.

Polyurethane is stronger than acrylic but weaker than epoxy. For our first project, epoxy didn’t seem worth it. There was a lot of suggestion online for how to pour the polyurethane; which involved fancy tools or professional space. So we took matters into our own hand a put a big tarp under the tops and poured the liquid directly over. We had to let it spill past the edge to cover all sides and seal the edges of the map in.

After spreading it evenly, a few small bubbles began to pop up. If you have a soldering tool like we do, you can melt these bubbles with heat after it dries. It was easier for us just to pop them while they were liquid, careful with the even layer to sit overnight and dry. When returning, we were astonished at how well the liquid had done to create that glassy top. So we excitedly planned for two more layers.