Hello, i am looking for advice from experienced woodworkers on which
finish to use. I am looking for a clear finish (preferably gloss)
which is 100% sealed from the air. Maybe i am expecting too much but
if their is a one coat, titanium hard, 100% impenatrable barrier to
the elements, lasts a long time and will kill any existing worms and
infestation finish out their i would like to here where i can get it.
Maybe someone can share grandads secret recipe with me?.......i once
saw a carving from green mold infested wood covered in a thich
transparent gloss finish which obviosly preserved the piece in that
state. I am looking for something which will effectivly allow me to
preserve a fresh piece of green burr wood (worms mold and all) in its
present state without deteriorating further. I assumed the piece i saw
in the shop was such a good sealer that the worms could not survive
without oxygen nor any life form and that the piece would not continue
to deteriorate under the finish. Forgive me if this is a dumb post and
question...i am a total begginer in woodwork and am prone to being too
optomistic in what is possible and what is not.
thanks in advance for any suggestions that do not include people
laughing or sugesting i try plumbing instead of woodwork
I don't know of any product that can give you what you want in one
coat, but I recently have been using Kleer Kote, a 2 part epoxy. I
bought it in gallon jugs (1 epoxy, 1 hardner) plus pumps that would
push out equal, small amounts. see
http://www.shopmaninc.com/pdf/kkote.pdf for more info. I don't recall
who I bought it from except it was a company in Florida. It cost me
about $45 delivered I think.
This is one product where you want to read the instructions thoroughly
& do exactly what they say. The pdf I point to above is 3 pages & all
you need to know, except that you really want it at least 70 degrees to
use it. I coat bowls with it, generally after turning them green &
drying them in a microwave. Thin coats! I buy those cheap plastic
clear cups & mix it up in them, apply with a foam brush. Works great!
I'm not sure how well it works for exterior projects, but I did put 2
coats on the top of an old picnic table that sits on my open porch last
summer. So far, so good. We've had temps down to about 10 degrees &
other days up to 90, so far. It hasn't cracked yet, but it's been less
than a year.
It doesn't really change the color of your project - but changes the
contrast - kind of hard to explain. You know how polyurethane will
soak in & make the contrasts in the grain more apparent? This does the
same thing, but even more so. It REALLY soaks in. I've used it on
rotted wood & it can take several light coats before it stops soaking
in & builds up. I made a Willow bowl (very porous, close to rotting)
which weighed nothing & now it weighs a pound.
I think this will do what you want, but I'm not sure that the soaking
in of the product won't be a problem.
Jim