OSB FINISH

[foxhole]

You could spray on decking oil .

 

[opps]

This is what we are thinking of doing at the moment, for a primer I was looking at Zinsser B.I.N, followed by a couple coats of Bedec barn paint

(I am a decorator) - if you want the primer to act as a search coat and show you what needs to be sanded/filled, I would strongly recommended the Leyland Trade primer/undercoat. It is cheap but crap at obilerating the colour of the OSB but if it you need to sand through it and fill/sand it will not clog your abrasives.

Final finishes?

2 pack paints will be the most durable but not safe to use.

Oil based eggshell- you could scrub the stuff with a webrax pad to clean it but it will stink for days/weeks. It will discolour.

Waterbased eggshell- ok for washing down. Low odour, quick (ish) drying but becomes weak when faced with oils (skin from hands etc). Will not yellow.

Another option is get the Zinsser Bin tinted to the colour of your choice. It stinks whilst you are working with it but the smell is simply alcohol. In the summer the alcohol flashes off in an hour or so. It is a very durable finish and only fails when faced with alkali cleaning products (eg ammonia). Smith and Rodgers, based in Glasgow sell a BIN type paint, which when I last checked is about 20% cheaper than the Zinsser version. It should however be noted that neither can be exactly colour matched

It will be more expensive than the likes of emulsion/eggshell/etc.

The alcohol/shellac based paints (BIN) take about 3 days to cure, waterbased, up to 10, oil based up to a month

Let me know which finish type you opt for an I will try to give you more in depth advice. Am in the pub...

 

[Tigercubrider]

In areas that are likely soaked you could use acrylic splash backs? Or use cheap arrylic from greenhouse type places screwed in the higher risk areas. That gives the ability to put paper/pictures/logos under the plastic.
The more normal areas could be simply painted.
Someone I know had a desktop that was simply polyurethaned OSB.
OSB is fairly water resistant.