I received some white ash veneer whose color I want to retain as much as possible. Even blonde shellac makes it more yellow than I would like. What finish do you recommend that is clear and uncolored so that the wood’s true color comes through?
Thanks very much, Paul
Replies
A waterborne finish is likely to give the least ambering, both initially and over time. Now the ash will do a little bit of darkening anyway--nothing can stop that entirely.
As Steve said, a water-borne finish of almost any type - varnish, acrylic, lacquer.
Or try Cellulose Acetate Butyrate (CAB) Acrylic lacquer. It is "water-white," won't yellow the ash and the inevitible color change of the ash itself will be reduced and almost imperceptible over time. I like the Sherwyn Williams product with their companion high solids sanding sealer.
Rich
I can't verify the info on WB finishes personally, but I have heard the same info from others.
My own experience with WB finishes has shown that General Polycrylic from Woodcraft is by far the best.
Good Luck
Frosty
Crystalac is another water borne finish that works very well and is non-yellowing. Available in brushable and sprayable formulas.
Work Safe, Count to 10 when your done for the day !!
Bruce S.
I had a similar problem with maple. I am making a bed out of walnut with maple accents. I really want to us Watco Danish Oil on the walnut, but it gave the maple a yellow color. I tried Watco Light Walnut, but it made the maple too dark. I then tried a mixture of 75% Watco Natural and 25% Watco Light Walnut. There is just enough stain to mask the yellow, but not darken the maple much. I have done this on my test pieces and am about to finish the completed bed. Just an idea.
W/B - EnduroLac or EnduroPoly from Compliant Spray Systems
S/B - Lily Water White CAB Lacquer
John O'Connell - JKO Handcrafted Woodworking
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