I am looking to finish a few pieces of wood for a closet system as well as a
few other projects. The thing is that these projects dont require a perfect
mirror-sheen as on a cherry coffee table, etc. I am looking about how to
make a smooth and water-tight finish like you would find on the commercially
available stuff. For example there are plenty of cheap products at IKEA that
have a really beatiful clear-coat over a birch wood. Their finish seems
extremely smooth and extremely durable. (Its not melamime or other "fake"
wood grain coating. In some cases it is wood veneer, but the finish is still
really beatiful and the grain shines.)
Is this possible with brushes, sandpaper and/or rubbing on any hobbyist
product or do the big manufacturers have access to tools/finish blends that
are not accessible to everyone else? I am basically trying to figure out how
much time/effort it takes to create a simple sealed and smooth clear finish?
--
Thanks,
David
David,
I'd like to humbly suggest that you avoid Deft. Many years
ago I made the mistake of finishing an unfinished stereo
cabinet with the stuff. It doesn't hold up well, even with
minimal handling. When I think of finishing products that
SUCK, two brands come to mind: Minwax and Deft. I don't
like Minwax because of the obnoxious smell and the loooong
drying time needed, compared with other stains such as Zar
or DriFast by Bonakemi.
I think you find that "factory finishes" utilize some nasty
catalysts and solvents such as xylene that you would be wise
to avoid. The safest way to get a reasonably decent finish
in a home shop is to get an HVLP and explore water borne
coatings.
Pick up a copy of Bob Flexner's book on finishing.
David
David wrote:
> Well, I guess my point is that I am trying to get into wood finishing, but I
> want to have the same comfortability with finished items that I make that I
> have with stuff I purchase. I haven't really bought any furniture where the
> finish degraded unless I personally put a dent in it. My coffee table from
> Target has a smooth finish over a wenge stain and I have abused it regularly
> and the finish has never broken down. I feel that if I drop some food on it
> and then pick it up and eat it, I am not getting contaminated.
>
> So far there seems to be so much conflicting information for do-it-yourself
> type finishing, but I still can't find the answer on how to create a
> comparable finish in a reasonable amount of time? I want to know if that is
> possible or if those factories have special exepensive tools/blends that
> produce a superior finish than can't be found with brush or rub on?
>
> The other night I test sanded a piece of pine 2x4 with 220 grit and then put
> 3 coats of Deft Brushing Lacquer. I was actually amazed at how the brush
> strokes dissapeared within seconds. After the final coat I used 0000 steel
> wool and created a beautiful clear coat that showed a lot of shine even for
> stud-grade pine wood. The surface was smooth and felt waterproof, I was very
> excited. However I did notice that the same flexibility that allowed the
> steel wool to smooth the surface also made it susceptible to regular
> scratching. I gouged it purposely with my fingernail and could see a clear
> mark that was made. I could not remove the mark without re-rubbing with the
> steel wool. I tried the same thing with a few pieces of furniture I have
> bought and did not have the same problem. After this experience, I did some
> more reading and find that Lacquer is more susceptible to scratches than
> other finishes. Another problem is that it seems the smell takes a long time
> to go away. So I look at my coffee table or my bar chairs and wonder how
> they got such a smooth and durable finish that I feel I could lick off of
> without ingesting chemicals!
>
> Anyways, I haven't yet tried the polyurethane products or the water-based
> acrylic finishes, so I will be doing a lot more testing on scraps before I
> decide what to do, but ultimately I am just looking for a finish that would
> be non-toxic, holds up against liquids and feels "clean" to the touch.
>
Just an update.
After testing a lot of the different finishes I have found that the
Polycrylic by Minwax appears to be great stuff.
- I took a small block of pine and sanded with 220 to smooth and tacked
- Brushed on a coat of clear high-gloss polycrylic
- Sand with 220 and tack
- Another coat
- Sand with 220 and tack
- Another coat
- Sand with 400 and tack (this time used wetsand sandpaper because i
couldn't find non-wet 400 sandpaper, but it appeared to work fine)
- Final coat
So this was 4 coats overall (3 were recommended) and the product recommended
2 hours between coats. The final was glassy smooth and very durable (passes
my thumbnail dent test). There was nearly no odor during application nor
after and the final finish seems to bead up water quite nicely. I can
imagine it might breakdown with heavy water use if right next to a faucet or
something like that, but it appeared very water-proof.
Anyways, for my purpose, this seemed amazingly easy to apply. The brushable
lacquer from Deft also produced beautiful results with even easier
application (no sanding between coats), however the lacquer smell was
horrible and lasted even days after the coat was applied. (I found that
applying some surface polishing cream and buffing mitigated the smell a lot
tho). The lacquer also seemed a little too flexible since the thumbnail dent
test showed it was a little too easy to damage through casual use.
I think the Deft brushing lacquer would be great for stained crown molding
or other things that dont really get touched and you dont want to have to do
a lot of work between coats. (The brushing lacquer also allowed recoats in 1
hour). My only fear would be if this stuff gives off gas as it heats up in
the summer or in a fire? (Any worse than the polycrylic anyways?)
For anything else I would handle or expect my child to touch, I definitely
recommend the polycrylic.
Thanks for all the advice! I know some have opinions against minwax, so if
there is another non-toxic polycrylic that is better, recommend away!
--
Thanks,
David W. Lovell
( Intrepid )
"David" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> David,
>
> I'd like to humbly suggest that you avoid Deft. Many years
> ago I made the mistake of finishing an unfinished stereo
> cabinet with the stuff. It doesn't hold up well, even with
> minimal handling. When I think of finishing products that
> SUCK, two brands come to mind: Minwax and Deft. I don't
> like Minwax because of the obnoxious smell and the loooong
> drying time needed, compared with other stains such as Zar
> or DriFast by Bonakemi.
>
> I think you find that "factory finishes" utilize some nasty
> catalysts and solvents such as xylene that you would be wise
> to avoid. The safest way to get a reasonably decent finish
> in a home shop is to get an HVLP and explore water borne
> coatings.
>
> Pick up a copy of Bob Flexner's book on finishing.
>
> David
>
> David wrote:
>
> > Well, I guess my point is that I am trying to get into wood finishing,
but I
> > want to have the same comfortability with finished items that I make
that I
> > have with stuff I purchase. I haven't really bought any furniture where
the
> > finish degraded unless I personally put a dent in it. My coffee table
from
> > Target has a smooth finish over a wenge stain and I have abused it
regularly
> > and the finish has never broken down. I feel that if I drop some food on
it
> > and then pick it up and eat it, I am not getting contaminated.
> >
> > So far there seems to be so much conflicting information for
do-it-yourself
> > type finishing, but I still can't find the answer on how to create a
> > comparable finish in a reasonable amount of time? I want to know if that
is
> > possible or if those factories have special exepensive tools/blends that
> > produce a superior finish than can't be found with brush or rub on?
> >
> > The other night I test sanded a piece of pine 2x4 with 220 grit and then
put
> > 3 coats of Deft Brushing Lacquer. I was actually amazed at how the brush
> > strokes dissapeared within seconds. After the final coat I used 0000
steel
> > wool and created a beautiful clear coat that showed a lot of shine even
for
> > stud-grade pine wood. The surface was smooth and felt waterproof, I was
very
> > excited. However I did notice that the same flexibility that allowed the
> > steel wool to smooth the surface also made it susceptible to regular
> > scratching. I gouged it purposely with my fingernail and could see a
clear
> > mark that was made. I could not remove the mark without re-rubbing with
the
> > steel wool. I tried the same thing with a few pieces of furniture I have
> > bought and did not have the same problem. After this experience, I did
some
> > more reading and find that Lacquer is more susceptible to scratches than
> > other finishes. Another problem is that it seems the smell takes a long
time
> > to go away. So I look at my coffee table or my bar chairs and wonder how
> > they got such a smooth and durable finish that I feel I could lick off
of
> > without ingesting chemicals!
> >
> > Anyways, I haven't yet tried the polyurethane products or the
water-based
> > acrylic finishes, so I will be doing a lot more testing on scraps before
I
> > decide what to do, but ultimately I am just looking for a finish that
would
> > be non-toxic, holds up against liquids and feels "clean" to the touch.
> >
>
A lacquer finish is probably the way to go for starters. You can get it as
smooth as you desire by rubbing it out. There are numerous sources on the
web that describe the process of rubbing out a finish. Check them out.
Brian.
"David" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I am looking to finish a few pieces of wood for a closet system as well as
a
> few other projects. The thing is that these projects dont require a
perfect
> mirror-sheen as on a cherry coffee table, etc. I am looking about how to
> make a smooth and water-tight finish like you would find on the
commercially
> available stuff. For example there are plenty of cheap products at IKEA
that
> have a really beatiful clear-coat over a birch wood. Their finish seems
> extremely smooth and extremely durable. (Its not melamime or other "fake"
> wood grain coating. In some cases it is wood veneer, but the finish is
still
> really beatiful and the grain shines.)
>
> Is this possible with brushes, sandpaper and/or rubbing on any hobbyist
> product or do the big manufacturers have access to tools/finish blends
that
> are not accessible to everyone else? I am basically trying to figure out
how
> much time/effort it takes to create a simple sealed and smooth clear
finish?
>
> --
> Thanks,
> David
>
>
On Wed, 11 Aug 2004 00:10:40 -0700, "David" <[email protected]>
wrote:
>Well, I guess my point is that I am trying to get into wood finishing, but I
>want to have the same comfortability with finished items that I make that I
>have with stuff I purchase. I haven't really bought any furniture where the
>finish degraded unless I personally put a dent in it. My coffee table from
>Target has a smooth finish over a wenge stain and I have abused it regularly
>and the finish has never broken down. I feel that if I drop some food on it
>and then pick it up and eat it, I am not getting contaminated.
>
>So far there seems to be so much conflicting information for do-it-yourself
>type finishing, but I still can't find the answer on how to create a
>comparable finish in a reasonable amount of time? I want to know if that is
>possible or if those factories have special exepensive tools/blends that
>produce a superior finish than can't be found with brush or rub on?
>
>The other night I test sanded a piece of pine 2x4 with 220 grit and then put
>3 coats of Deft Brushing Lacquer. I was actually amazed at how the brush
>strokes dissapeared within seconds. After the final coat I used 0000 steel
>wool and created a beautiful clear coat that showed a lot of shine even for
>stud-grade pine wood. The surface was smooth and felt waterproof, I was very
>excited. However I did notice that the same flexibility that allowed the
>steel wool to smooth the surface also made it susceptible to regular
>scratching. I gouged it purposely with my fingernail and could see a clear
>mark that was made. I could not remove the mark without re-rubbing with the
>steel wool. I tried the same thing with a few pieces of furniture I have
>bought and did not have the same problem. After this experience, I did some
>more reading and find that Lacquer is more susceptible to scratches than
>other finishes. Another problem is that it seems the smell takes a long time
>to go away. So I look at my coffee table or my bar chairs and wonder how
>they got such a smooth and durable finish that I feel I could lick off of
>without ingesting chemicals!
>
>Anyways, I haven't yet tried the polyurethane products or the water-based
>acrylic finishes, so I will be doing a lot more testing on scraps before I
>decide what to do, but ultimately I am just looking for a finish that would
>be non-toxic, holds up against liquids and feels "clean" to the touch.
Some general rules-of-thumb:
Finishing cannot be hurried. It takes as long or longer than the
construction.
Most clear wood finishes require a minimum of 28 days from application
to full cure. This means that checking hardness/shine the day after
you apply it will give you false indications.
Brushing will not give you near as good a finish as spray, unless
you're prepared to put in a LOT of elbow grease.
DEFT is crap.
Unless you really want the deep show-room shine look, go with Watco
Danish Oil. Easy to apply, non-toxic after everything has evaporated,
easy to apply, etc, etc, etc. You may have to go more than 3 coats.
If you DO want the show-room shine, go with a good HVLP spray outfit,
Ultima Spray Lacquer (water-borne) from Target Coatings, and the
appropriate amount of labor to polish it. And dont set anything on it
for at least a month.
Minwax wipe on poly is also very good. Applies easily with a rag,
and no brushes to clean. Between coats keep the rag in a zip lock
bag. Recoat in 2 hrs. Comes in satin and gloss finishes.
Although, I have only used the satin finish myself. I have used it
on bare wood and stained surfaces without any problems. 4 coats
with a very light sanding between the coats will give you a decent
smooth surface.
I dislike the regular brush on poly, it's too thick, even with one
coat it looks like a sheet of plastic.
But that's just my experience.
Pat
On Sun, 15 Aug 2004 10:05:16 -0400, "[email protected]"
<[email protected]> wrote:
>Thanks for the report, wish more would.
>
>On Sun, 15 Aug 2004 01:07:22 -0700, "David" <[email protected]>
>wrote:
>
>>After testing a lot of the different finishes I have found that the
>>Polycrylic by Minwax appears to be great stuff.
spray. it's fast and easy. i first shoot a sealer coat, and then two
or three coats of water-based lacquer. anyone would look at the end
result and think it came out of a factory - just beautiful.
for products, i like the target coatings stuff:
http://www.targetcoatings.com/products/sealers/em_8800.html (sealer)
http://www.targetcoatings.com/products/coatings/oxford_spray_lacq.html
enjoy!
---- dz
David wrote:
> I am looking to finish a few pieces of wood for a closet system as well as a
> few other projects. The thing is that these projects dont require a perfect
> mirror-sheen as on a cherry coffee table, etc. I am looking about how to
> make a smooth and water-tight finish like you would find on the commercially
> available stuff. For example there are plenty of cheap products at IKEA that
> have a really beatiful clear-coat over a birch wood. Their finish seems
> extremely smooth and extremely durable. (Its not melamime or other "fake"
> wood grain coating. In some cases it is wood veneer, but the finish is still
> really beatiful and the grain shines.)
>
> Is this possible with brushes, sandpaper and/or rubbing on any hobbyist
> product or do the big manufacturers have access to tools/finish blends that
> are not accessible to everyone else? I am basically trying to figure out how
> much time/effort it takes to create a simple sealed and smooth clear finish?
>
Deft what?
Minwax what?
Both make many finishes and formulations.
"David" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> David,
>
> I'd like to humbly suggest that you avoid Deft. Many years
> ago I made the mistake of finishing an unfinished stereo
> cabinet with the stuff. It doesn't hold up well, even with
> minimal handling. When I think of finishing products that
> SUCK, two brands come to mind: Minwax and Deft. I don't
> like Minwax because of the obnoxious smell and the loooong
> drying time needed, compared with other stains such as Zar
> or DriFast by Bonakemi.
>
So? A lot of people are misled by what they hear and choose to believe.
That's what makes politics.
Looked at your favorite stain's composition and found it to be a formulation
similar to the Minwax stain and varnish product. Thinner is the same, so
your nose must be playing tricks on you.
Also, lacquer thinner is still 90% the same everywhere.
Other than that, your argument makes sense.
"David" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> AAMOF I was just discussing Minwhacks stains with a fellow I
> struck up a conversation with at the lumberhouse this
> morning. He mimicked my thoughts on the product line nearly
> verbatim! :)
>
> David
>
> David wrote:
>
> > Brushable lacquer
> > Stains
> >
> > David
> >
> > George wrote:
> >
> >> Deft what?
> >> Minwax what?
> >>
> >> Both make many finishes and formulations.
I saw lacquer, pore filler and spraying mentioned in replies here. IMO they
all work fine if you know what you're doing and have forgotten what doesn't
work:-) Firstly, none of them is really water tight. Nor are many of the
commercial finished items, although they will ignore simple spills. To better
answer your question, you probably need to clarify two items:
1- Describe the surface use, regarding type of wear. Food and liquids? Throw
keys on the surface? Cups in coasters only, or maybe rarely even touched?
2- How much of a surface sheen do you want? Do you need a fully smooth
surface, or can the wood grain and pores show?
Depending on these answers, your work could go from hours to several days. You
might spray and get by with a $40 sprayer, or need to spend over $600 for
sprayer and compressor. Everybody talks about what they do and what they like,
but it's hard to give enough details for you to see if you like it also.
Whatever you might try, start with scrap projects and expect to make more
scrap for a bit. Also check out some finishing books, especially from Flexner
and Jeff Jewitt.
I'll also note that none of the 3 replies I saw mentioned how long it took
them, which was half of your question.
GerryG
On Sat, 7 Aug 2004 23:02:28 -0700, "David" <[email protected]> wrote:
>I am looking to finish a few pieces of wood for a closet system as well as a
>few other projects. The thing is that these projects dont require a perfect
>mirror-sheen as on a cherry coffee table, etc. I am looking about how to
>make a smooth and water-tight finish like you would find on the commercially
>available stuff. For example there are plenty of cheap products at IKEA that
>have a really beatiful clear-coat over a birch wood. Their finish seems
>extremely smooth and extremely durable. (Its not melamime or other "fake"
>wood grain coating. In some cases it is wood veneer, but the finish is still
>really beatiful and the grain shines.)
>
>Is this possible with brushes, sandpaper and/or rubbing on any hobbyist
>product or do the big manufacturers have access to tools/finish blends that
>are not accessible to everyone else? I am basically trying to figure out how
>much time/effort it takes to create a simple sealed and smooth clear finish?
"David" <[email protected]> wrote:
...
> ultimately I am just looking for a finish that would
> be non-toxic, holds up against liquids and feels "clean" to the touch.
I think if water resistance is and toughness are your main criteria
then you might want to look at a polyurethane.
Personally I don't much like the look of most polyurethanes and
instead opt for oil/varnish mixes or shellac. Even though those
finishes are not quite as durable, to my eye they look a little
better. To each his own.
All can be applied with a regular brush. You'll want to do it in a
place that's not too dusty. Sand with 400 grit or so between coats.
After the last coat has thoroughly cured, you'll want to do a final
polish with 0000 steel wool and wax (to remove bumps in the final
finish).
It usually takes several days after application for the final finish
to reach full hardness.
As others have said, there are fine books on the topic out there by
Flexner, Jewitt, etc.
Brushable lacquer
Stains
David
George wrote:
> Deft what?
> Minwax what?
>
> Both make many finishes and formulations.
>
> "David" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>
>>David,
>>
>>I'd like to humbly suggest that you avoid Deft. Many years
>>ago I made the mistake of finishing an unfinished stereo
>>cabinet with the stuff. It doesn't hold up well, even with
>>minimal handling. When I think of finishing products that
>>SUCK, two brands come to mind: Minwax and Deft. I don't
>>like Minwax because of the obnoxious smell and the loooong
>>drying time needed, compared with other stains such as Zar
>>or DriFast by Bonakemi.
>>
>
>
>
AAMOF I was just discussing Minwhacks stains with a fellow I
struck up a conversation with at the lumberhouse this
morning. He mimicked my thoughts on the product line nearly
verbatim! :)
David
David wrote:
> Brushable lacquer
> Stains
>
> David
>
> George wrote:
>
>> Deft what?
>> Minwax what?
>>
>> Both make many finishes and formulations.
>>
>> "David" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>> news:[email protected]...
>>
>>> David,
>>>
>>> I'd like to humbly suggest that you avoid Deft. Many years
>>> ago I made the mistake of finishing an unfinished stereo
>>> cabinet with the stuff. It doesn't hold up well, even with
>>> minimal handling. When I think of finishing products that
>>> SUCK, two brands come to mind: Minwax and Deft. I don't
>>> like Minwax because of the obnoxious smell and the loooong
>>> drying time needed, compared with other stains such as Zar
>>> or DriFast by Bonakemi.
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>
I'll generally agree with David here. IMHO, what they tell you on the can just
isn't the whole story. Someday you might try a side-by-side comparison and
see.
GerryG
On Wed, 11 Aug 2004 14:38:49 -0700, David <[email protected]> wrote:
>I'm not misled. I've used Minwhacks stains over the years,
>and finally realized other brands are much better overall.
>I didn't get "talked" out of using it; I learned my lesson
>from experience.
>
>David
>
>George wrote:
>
>> So? A lot of people are misled by what they hear and choose to believe.
>> That's what makes politics.
>>
>> Looked at your favorite stain's composition and found it to be a formulation
>> similar to the Minwax stain and varnish product. Thinner is the same, so
>> your nose must be playing tricks on you.
>>
>> Also, lacquer thinner is still 90% the same everywhere.
>>
>> Other than that, your argument makes sense.
>>
>> "David" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>> news:[email protected]...
>>
>>>AAMOF I was just discussing Minwhacks stains with a fellow I
>>>struck up a conversation with at the lumberhouse this
>>>morning. He mimicked my thoughts on the product line nearly
>>>verbatim! :)
>>>
>>>David
>>>
>>>David wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>>Brushable lacquer
>>>>Stains
>>>>
>>>>David
>>>>
>>>>George wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>Deft what?
>>>>>Minwax what?
>>>>>
>>>>>Both make many finishes and formulations.
>>
>>
>>
Well, I guess my point is that I am trying to get into wood finishing, but I
want to have the same comfortability with finished items that I make that I
have with stuff I purchase. I haven't really bought any furniture where the
finish degraded unless I personally put a dent in it. My coffee table from
Target has a smooth finish over a wenge stain and I have abused it regularly
and the finish has never broken down. I feel that if I drop some food on it
and then pick it up and eat it, I am not getting contaminated.
So far there seems to be so much conflicting information for do-it-yourself
type finishing, but I still can't find the answer on how to create a
comparable finish in a reasonable amount of time? I want to know if that is
possible or if those factories have special exepensive tools/blends that
produce a superior finish than can't be found with brush or rub on?
The other night I test sanded a piece of pine 2x4 with 220 grit and then put
3 coats of Deft Brushing Lacquer. I was actually amazed at how the brush
strokes dissapeared within seconds. After the final coat I used 0000 steel
wool and created a beautiful clear coat that showed a lot of shine even for
stud-grade pine wood. The surface was smooth and felt waterproof, I was very
excited. However I did notice that the same flexibility that allowed the
steel wool to smooth the surface also made it susceptible to regular
scratching. I gouged it purposely with my fingernail and could see a clear
mark that was made. I could not remove the mark without re-rubbing with the
steel wool. I tried the same thing with a few pieces of furniture I have
bought and did not have the same problem. After this experience, I did some
more reading and find that Lacquer is more susceptible to scratches than
other finishes. Another problem is that it seems the smell takes a long time
to go away. So I look at my coffee table or my bar chairs and wonder how
they got such a smooth and durable finish that I feel I could lick off of
without ingesting chemicals!
Anyways, I haven't yet tried the polyurethane products or the water-based
acrylic finishes, so I will be doing a lot more testing on scraps before I
decide what to do, but ultimately I am just looking for a finish that would
be non-toxic, holds up against liquids and feels "clean" to the touch.
--
Thanks,
David
"GerryG" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I saw lacquer, pore filler and spraying mentioned in replies here. IMO
they
> all work fine if you know what you're doing and have forgotten what
doesn't
> work:-) Firstly, none of them is really water tight. Nor are many of the
> commercial finished items, although they will ignore simple spills. To
better
> answer your question, you probably need to clarify two items:
>
> 1- Describe the surface use, regarding type of wear. Food and liquids?
Throw
> keys on the surface? Cups in coasters only, or maybe rarely even touched?
> 2- How much of a surface sheen do you want? Do you need a fully smooth
> surface, or can the wood grain and pores show?
>
> Depending on these answers, your work could go from hours to several days.
You
> might spray and get by with a $40 sprayer, or need to spend over $600 for
> sprayer and compressor. Everybody talks about what they do and what they
like,
> but it's hard to give enough details for you to see if you like it also.
> Whatever you might try, start with scrap projects and expect to make more
> scrap for a bit. Also check out some finishing books, especially from
Flexner
> and Jeff Jewitt.
>
> I'll also note that none of the 3 replies I saw mentioned how long it took
> them, which was half of your question.
> GerryG
>
> On Sat, 7 Aug 2004 23:02:28 -0700, "David" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >I am looking to finish a few pieces of wood for a closet system as well
as a
> >few other projects. The thing is that these projects dont require a
perfect
> >mirror-sheen as on a cherry coffee table, etc. I am looking about how to
> >make a smooth and water-tight finish like you would find on the
commercially
> >available stuff. For example there are plenty of cheap products at IKEA
that
> >have a really beatiful clear-coat over a birch wood. Their finish seems
> >extremely smooth and extremely durable. (Its not melamime or other "fake"
> >wood grain coating. In some cases it is wood veneer, but the finish is
still
> >really beatiful and the grain shines.)
> >
> >Is this possible with brushes, sandpaper and/or rubbing on any hobbyist
> >product or do the big manufacturers have access to tools/finish blends
that
> >are not accessible to everyone else? I am basically trying to figure out
how
> >much time/effort it takes to create a simple sealed and smooth clear
finish?
>
>
I'm not misled. I've used Minwhacks stains over the years,
and finally realized other brands are much better overall.
I didn't get "talked" out of using it; I learned my lesson
from experience.
David
George wrote:
> So? A lot of people are misled by what they hear and choose to believe.
> That's what makes politics.
>
> Looked at your favorite stain's composition and found it to be a formulation
> similar to the Minwax stain and varnish product. Thinner is the same, so
> your nose must be playing tricks on you.
>
> Also, lacquer thinner is still 90% the same everywhere.
>
> Other than that, your argument makes sense.
>
> "David" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>
>>AAMOF I was just discussing Minwhacks stains with a fellow I
>>struck up a conversation with at the lumberhouse this
>>morning. He mimicked my thoughts on the product line nearly
>>verbatim! :)
>>
>>David
>>
>>David wrote:
>>
>>
>>>Brushable lacquer
>>>Stains
>>>
>>>David
>>>
>>>George wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>>Deft what?
>>>>Minwax what?
>>>>
>>>>Both make many finishes and formulations.
>
>
>
On Sat, 7 Aug 2004 23:02:28 -0700, "David" <[email protected]>
wrote:
>I am looking to finish a few pieces of wood for a closet system as well as a
>few other projects. The thing is that these projects dont require a perfect
>mirror-sheen as on a cherry coffee table, etc. I am looking about how to
>make a smooth and water-tight finish like you would find on the commercially
>available stuff. For example there are plenty of cheap products at IKEA that
>have a really beatiful clear-coat over a birch wood. Their finish seems
>extremely smooth and extremely durable. (Its not melamime or other "fake"
>wood grain coating. In some cases it is wood veneer, but the finish is still
>really beatiful and the grain shines.)
>
>Is this possible with brushes, sandpaper and/or rubbing on any hobbyist
>product or do the big manufacturers have access to tools/finish blends that
>are not accessible to everyone else? I am basically trying to figure out how
>much time/effort it takes to create a simple sealed and smooth clear finish?
a good buildable clearcoat will give the protection you want. a pore
filler underneath it will give a smooth base for the clearcoat.
Thanks for the report, wish more would.
On Sun, 15 Aug 2004 01:07:22 -0700, "David" <[email protected]>
wrote:
>After testing a lot of the different finishes I have found that the
>Polycrylic by Minwax appears to be great stuff.