Basement Bar

Im starting my basement bar this weekend....its the last thing i need to build in my basement

I have a 3" soild pine bar top that is 24"-28" wide. and im finishing the rest of my basement in 4" T&G pine. My first question is, what is the best finish to put on all the pine?? Im looking for a "natural rustic" look??

my second question is theat im going to put up framing above the bar and put lights in that.....how far should that hang down from the ceiling?? i see lots of pics on the internet of them, but they have no dimensions??

Thanks for any help
Greeno

I know a professional chainsaw carver and we had this discussion a while ago about how he finishes bar tops and benches, its something like this product (or maybe this exact stuff for all I know):

http://store.creative-wholesale.com...Default.aspx?SortField=Free3 DESC,ProductName

He said its a little tricky to work with, but looks great if you are going for that sheet of glass look. So, if you go this route make sure to do some homework on how to apply it before jumping into the project.

For your second question, I'd do the lighting last, once everything is built then figure out what a comfortable drop on the lighting is when you are sitting at the bar crossed with what looks visually appealing when standing in the room. There is no measurement that can tell you what is right for that sort of thing.

I did a linseed oil finish on the wood for my bathroom. It gives pine a nice warm glow and darkens some as it ages. Wasn't hard to do and it's pretty durable if you do a few coats.