What do all of you professionals recommend for a durable low luster finish that is easy to apply , such as a wipe on type. I will be giving this piece ( cherry entertainment center ) to my daughter ,and she has a two year old . What would you use . I am a week end warrior with about 25 years of wood working experience , but I am no finisher .
This piece turned out rather well and I hate the thought of screwing up at this point.
Thank you for your support.
Sincerely
Amox
Replies
Try "Minwax" Helman spar urethane - clear satin.
Thin the first coat 50 - 50. Brush it on and wipe across the grain.
When dry sand lightly with 220 grit.
Apply subsequent coats full strength with brush or wipe on and again lightly sand all but the final coat. Use furniture wax and lightly buff it out. Since it is cherry, it will continue to develope a darker redish color and will be beautiful. Good luck !!!
>> Try "Minwax" Helman spar urethane - clear satin.Why, is this piece going to be used outside or on a boat?"Spar varnish" is soft and not as abuse resistant as an interior varnish. The difference between an exterior varnish and an interior varnish is that the exterior contains more oil to make it more flexible. It also contains UV additives to protect the finish from sunlight. Interior varnishes contain more solids and form a harder, more water resistant and durable finish.There are few interior applications for a "spar" varnish.Howie.........
Howie, you are absolutely correct - spar urethane is overkill on interior furniture!! However, Gloss and Clear Satin are the only finishes I use and am comfortable with them on everything I make that doesn't require paint. Attached is an example.
The problem with spar varnish for interior use is not that it is overkill, but that in general it isn't very good for the application. It is quite a bit softer and easier to damage mechanically than good interior varnishes. It's main design criterial is that it be flexible to cope with the wide range of exterior temperatures and the flexing of boat, and that it protect from UV. In it's intended use outside it is also expected that it will be sanded and a maintenance coat applied about every year. There are good interior varnishes that are just as easy to apply, but that will hold up better. Behlen's Rockhard, Pratt & Lambert 38 or McCloskey Heirloom all have very good reputations for interior use.
Besides, the Minwax spar isn't even a very good spar varnish. In outdoor tests it fails much more rapidly than true marine spar varnishes.
Steve
Can you please recommend a good quality true marine spar varnish?
I have used some Minwax that was kicking around the shop on some prep tables and it worked okay. This year I will be building some outdoor furniture and I wanted to use a good quality gloss spar varnish.
Thanks
Bob
There are three that are pretty consistently at the top of the durabity tests. Epifanes Gloss, Pettitt Captains and Interlux Schooner. You can only find these at boating supply stores, ashore or on-line. No big boxes carry them, and the only other places might be good hardware or paint stores in boating mad towns like Newport or Annapolis. They are not a panacae. It still takes constant maintenance to keep varnish bright when it is in the sun. The teak benches on my back have had no finish other than epoxy on the ground contact points, and are a very attractive grey which I maintain by hitting with a hose and brush about once a year. If I wanted them bright (wood colored not grey) I would have had to apply 6+ coats of the varnish, sanding between each coat, and expect to sand and apply a maintenance coat every year with a complete stripping and reapplication about every 6 or so years. That's what bright work is on a yacht.
You have myriad choices.
http://www.popularwoodworking.com/features/finish5.html
A wipe on finish is about as foolproof as it gets. A shop-made Danish oil - 1/3 mineral spirts, 1/3 varnish, 1/3 boiled linseed oil will give a nice, in-the-wood finish. You can adjust the proportions to your taste. Canned Danish Oil is about 65% mineral spirts and 25% BLO. Wipe on thin coat, wipe off before it starts to get tacky.
The cure for the two year old is to teach him/her not to bang toys against furniture. Sorry, but no finish will withstand severe physical abuse. Eventually, the weak link is the wood.
amox,
Shellac!
It's simple, fool proof, and gives a deep rich finish that all antiques dealers covet.
You can brush, wipe, spray, apply with a broom, mop, or a brick in a sandstorm.. (I am only slightly kidding about the later)
The slopiest painter in the world can do it flawlessly if you follow my technique..
First buy a can of shellac.. Zinnzlers is the most common brand.. and buy three times as much denatured alcohol. That's right three to one.. you buy a quart of shellac buy three quarts of denatured alcohol..
stir the can for oh, a minute or so I'm lazy so I only stir for about 30 seconds.. <G>
find a container and pour 1/3 shellac and 2/3 denatured alcohol..
close is good enough! what are you some kind of scientist? 1/4to 3/4 will work and if you are say 2/5ths shellac and 3/5ths denatured alcohol who'll know?
Now grab your brush, rag, or whatever and just slop it on.. any old way! fast is far more important than carefull. In fact if you're carefull I'll flick boogers on your computer screen.. One little caution.. make the brush new, the rag new, or the brick new.. you don't want to contaminate your finish with old paint..
I am serious about fast.. please, please, don't be carefull! Runs won't matter. Drips won't matter! They disappear!. If you miss someplace the next coat will melt perfectly right into the spot that you missed.. Fast really is important!
The reason is that it will be dry enough to sand inside of 15 minutes!
Fast is real important. If you are just too carefull, get a house painting really wide big brush and get a 7 year old to apply it for you.. (pull the old Tom Sawyer trick here) The trouble is that he'll have all the fun and then when you see just how easy it is he'll cry because you won't let him do it anymore!
As I said wait 15 minutes sand with 220 sand paper (I use those 3M sanding sponges 220 grit the yellow ones) .. By now you should realize that I must be the laziest painter in the world. So sand like you're lazy,, I mean just a hit and a lick! one light scuff and you're done.. one square foot a second to a second and a half. All you are doing is sanding off the nubs, little fibers that are raised..
wipe off the dust and flop on another coat.. Fast again remember!?!!!! Now you get to wait a half an hour while it dries.. then another light sanding.. use the same sand paper/ spong.. then apply the third and final coat..
If you want to go beyond great you can color sand.. and follow up with a french polishing..
I suspect that you will be happy and stop at that point but ask and I'll give you the details about color sanding.. (lot more work) and french polishing (insane amount of work)
Now some cautions.. shellac is good for you! You see every pill has a shellac coating, pills make you better right? So shellac must be good for you! (I'm kidding) but it is kid friendly.
Alcohol is what makes the fine single malt scotch a drink OK beer or wine <G>you might get light headed when exposed to great deal of fumes so open a window or wear a mask. 3M makes decent disposable ones.. The denatured part of denatured alcohol is something mixed in so highschool kids don't get a cheap high at the local hardware store.. it's 2% of the gallon and varies depending on who's doing it and where.. So don't drink denatured alcohol OK? That single malt scotch or a nice glass of wine is OK.. ;-)
If you screw up no problem.. shellac wipes off easily! use some of that denatured alcohol ,on your rag, broom,or brick and it comes right off.. Comes off easily today, tommorrow, or 100 years from now.
It's the hardest finish there is so it shouldn't be damaged, but....
let's say that your cousin has a cowboy belt buckle and he's careless. OOPs that's a scratch..
Get your rag, soak it in denatured alcohol and rub back and forth briskly for few moments. Scratch be gone!
Spill a little water and if you wipe it up right away no problem, but let's say your cousin sets his wet boots on it over night, it will turn white.. get out that same rag and wipe away all the white and then refinish the bare spot, remember new blends in perfectly with old. invisable repair!
Oh and if you pour that single malt scotch on it, well why would you do that? I mean it's supposed to go in your face not on your furniture. But if you do it's a simple refinishing, and yes it will be invisable!
A few more pointers..
If you spill a little (or in my case, a lot of shellac on your clothes, just toss them in the wash. it will come out!
When your paint brush dries up, dip it back into the shellac mix and it will be fine.. so you don't really need to clean it, see I told you I'm lazy if you want to clean the brush there are two ways to do it.. soak it in denatured alcohol and it will come clean, or you can spray it down with Windex or whatever window cleaner you use.. and rinse it out with water..
Good morning Frenchy .
I appreciate you taking the time to respond to my finishing troubles . You make a very good case for shellacking, and I am practically sold .
I am just a bit curious why you would not recommend varnish or a Danish oil mix.
Is varnish / Danish oil more durable but more difficult to apply?
amox,
I've used varnish and danish oils,
both have problems and neither is as durable as shellac is..
Polyurethanes in a varnish are far softer than shellac is.. best way I can prove that is do two pieces and test it yourself..
oil's tend to eventually deplete and need freqent reapplications. not overnight but my grandfather clock done in Danish oils looks like raw wood a decade later..
As to ease of application.. I have the equipment and experiance to spray anything.. and if I deal with the overspray issue clean up hassle and etc. I can get acceptable results.. Brushing on the other hand is a real skill/art form I never mastered.. runs drips and holidays are more the norm for me with a brush.
But to me varnish always looks too plasticy never rich enough. Satin simply makes the surface seem dusty again with no richness or depth of finish.. Oils while they look like they have some depth at first that goes away too fast for my tastes..
I push shellac simply because I have yet to find anything that is as simple and easy to do that liteally any fool can do a decent job of.. Not that you're a fool but if I can do it to me it's proof that it's great..
No I don't sell or work for the shellac industry. Frankly that's the problem, nobody is out there touting shellac.. it sits on a shelf ignored and overlooked.. The rest all need to push their products in order to sell them.. so they have representatives doing that for them.. and the guys at the stores have seen demos and know how shows..
Thank you Frenchy . I will post a photo and show you how it turns out. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your time in giving your advise. I am new to this site and find it most helpful. If the weather here in the northeast ever breaks I will be able to get started . My garage / shop normally ranges between 45 - 50 degrees in the winter , however with this cold snap its below 40. I will just have to wait.
What is the Ideal temp.for applying shellac ?
Sincerely
Amox
You can apply shellac down to about 40F http://www.zinsser.com/product_detail.asp?ProductID=31
Amox
<G> about 75 and sunny with a slight breeze from the southwest!
Nah 40's fine if you can stand it.. I haven't found a temp that shellac seems to misbehave at, however I get downright cranky below 55.
Frenchy,
Curious as to your thoughts on using shellac over an oil like Watco "natural" or BLO. Amox might at least find your answer edifying. Plus I just bought some cooked Walnut Oil and am pondering using it to enhance certain woods before spraying a tougher and shinier protective coating over it.
As for me, in terms of years and equipment I'm probably roughly on par with you (20+). But with only a few exceptions all those years were doing commercial, production stuff. Some mass produced, some custom. But all within the constraints of the usual business environment for a large shop. Consequently when it comes to shellac and just about any other non-commercial finish material I'm right there with the newbies looking for some insights into a finish I know little about when you and others with comparable experience comment on these finishes.
I'd never even used shellac before I first started reading Knots a few years ago. Since then I've used it some. I usually spray it with a gravity gun. Zinzer, etc. Off the shelf stuff. I thin it some but not a lot. Ball park measurements, like youself. I usually do it like I do lacquer. So that means that I'd add maybe 10% DNA at most.
I'd like to pick your brain a bit if you would be so kind as to indulge me. One problem I'm having that really vexes me is a very textured looking finish with shellac. This seems to only happen with oily exotic woods. Although most of the times I've used it was on Cocobolo, Rosewood, etc for personal projects. So perhaps that's only a coincidence. My working hypothesis is that it is the oils in the wood causing it. But it seems like the very first coat goes on very nicely... just like lacquer, really. But after that each succeeding coat seems to kinda pull away from the pores and leaves a very unsightly surface texture which I really don't care for.
So I guess my question is whether shellac is better suited to non-oily woods? Or is there something fundamental that I'm missing? About half the time I've used it I later regretted it. So I'm hoping that you can salvage shellac's reputation for me.
Kevin, I have a friend that is a gunsmith. He made a gun stock out of Rosewood and tried to varnish it. The finish would not dry because of all the oil in the wood. He ended up giving it a bath in acetone, then let it dry before using danish oil. The stock is very heavy because it is such a dense wood, but it sure turned out beautiful. Maybe useing acetone to get the oils out and then shellac would work. To each his own method.
Kevin
You must be a massively better painter than I am.. I find if I don't really thin out shellac I tend to get a lot of orange peel. I used to use a HVLP gun but found that a brush was faster and a whole lot easier to deal with. By the way, I don't thin it by 10% I thin it by 200% (at least)
Funny because me and a brush used to be natural enemies. I mean those stupid brushes seemed to leave brush marks and runs and drips all over the place. Not to mention holidays.
However with overthinned shellac I just slop away and it fixes itself for me.. I now like brushes!
I haven't used shellac on any exotic woods, But If I did I'd first flood the wood with denatured alcohol which should raise the grain a bit. I'd sand off the nubs and then apply my first wash coat of shellac. wait about 15 minutes, sand and then flood on another overthinned coat. wait 1/2 hour sand and flood on the third over thinned coat..
I'm done at that point..I do know that if you get the shellac too thick you have problems, I call it alligator skin. the solution is to wipe off the shellac with denatured alcohol and start over..
Massively better painter? Oh I doubt that. I'm good at what I do, or at least my employer seems to think so because they keep paying me to do it. But there's lots that I don't know. Which is why I seek out those who do know and pick their brains.
It sounds like what I need to do is thin a lot more. Which kinda makes sense. I haven't used shellac often enough to have really developed any set approach to thinning it. So each time is a bit of an adventure trying to remember how I did it on the piece that turned out great. Now that you mention heavily thinning I seem to recall my first piece several years ago turning out pretty well and I think I remember it being thinned much more. Not as thin as you do it, but thinner than my last few attempts.
Thanks for the feedback!
I have a problem trying to pad on shellac. I use a pad made from a fist size ball of sheep's wool wrapped in tee shirt material with an outer cover of fine cheese cloth, which I discard when dirty. I use shellac flakes and dissolve in denatured alcohol. The mix is half a jar of flakes filled with alcohol. I think that this is about a 2-lb. cut. When I try to pad on the shellac, I get a string of bubbles on either side of the pad. The mix dries fast enough to freeze the bubbles. Going back over the area leaves ridges. I have tried thinning the mix, but the problem persists. (I keep the pad wet in a sealed jar between uses.)
Any suggestions?
Tex, Your pad is MUCH too wet. I believe you are causing bubbles as you squeeze solution out of the pad. Also, I don't think cheesecloth is the right fabric for the outside. The outer wrap needs to be a very tight weave, such as a hankerchief fabric. The T-shirt fabric should also work. You should put much less shellac solution into the pad than you're using. It should only feel very slightly damp if padded against your wrist, leaving just a suggestion of wetness on your sikn. Put a drop of mineral oil on the pad just before starting to work. The pad should not press too heavily against the surface to be finished and should never stop on the work. Each touch of the pad onto the surface should deposit a microscopically-thin, gleaming trail of shellac, but not enough that a single bubble could form. Add more shellac, sparingly and mineral oil as you work. Rich
I tried your recommendations. The result was much better. I am curious as to how to handle the mineral oll. Maybe I had too much on the pad, but there was a film of oil on the finish which, of course, did not dry fast. I removed it with paint thinner and tried again without adding any more oil . The results improved. I guess it is just trial and error. Never thought of adding mineral oil to shellac.
Tex, Just a single drop on the pad, tapped in a few times, before using the pad on the wood. That drop should last quite a while. It sounds like you're using too much everything. Try a smaller pad, also. "Fist-sized" is rather large. The "rubber" for french polishing is about the size of an egg. Try a pad about halfway between those sizes. Rich
Thank you for the guidance. I appreciate your help. KNOTS is a very good forum for exchange of this kind of information.
amox,
Oh, and shellac tends to be very cheap too!
Frenchy
How come I am not surprised you are tooting the shellac horn? JL
A wipe on varnish gives a good, durable finish that is pretty easy to apply. Waterlox makes a good phenolic resin varnish. You should start with Waterlox Original/Sealer. (It's not just a sealer, it is fine as the entire finish.) I would apply about 4 or 5 coats, and then evaluate whether you like that level of gloss. I would term the gloss as mellow, but a bit glossier than satin. If you want a duller finish switch to the Waterlox Satin for the last two coats. If not put on 2 or 3 more coats of the Original/Sealer.
Shellac is good too, a bit more prone to scratching because it is harder than varnish, but is much easier to repair after the distruction passes. It's main drawback is that it can be damaged by cleaners containing ammonia.
Since there are many ways of finishing a piece, I can never really decide what to use in every case. Remember that if time is a factor, most of your polys need lots of it to fully cure, (two weeks) before you can start polishing or rubbing out. What ever you do choose though it would be adviseable to put on several coats of a sacrifice wax over it, especially with the little one around. All of our furiture has been gracfully antiqued over the years by artistic little fingers, Now that the kids are big and gone, it's just something to reflect on now.
Sounds to me like you're a bit intimidated as was I when I attempted to apply a finish on a piece. I was proud of all the work I had put into its construction and wanted the recipient/customer to be equally proud of the finished product.
If this is a large case piece, given the above, shellac seems to make the most sense to me. frenchy has a passion for shellac and rightlfully so. It's very forgiving, and easily repaired, but tender. Keep it waxed and you should be good to go.
Just my 2¢,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Minwax wipe-on poly is a good finish. It's durable, dries fast, and is easy as pie to apply. It got a good rating in a FWW review about a year ago. The satin formulation dulls the appearance but gives that rubbed out look without the rubbing out. The wipe-on aspect means there is not a lot of build as can happen with a brushed finish.
Thank you for your input . How do you feel about shellac? Frenchy makes a pretty strong case in favor of shellac.
However , I am open to all suggestions .
Thank you for your time.
Amox
Shellac is a fine finish. I use it, I like it, I think it can give a nice feel and look to the wood. But you mentioned durability and ease of application. I think that the wipe-on poly is easier to apply properly than is shellac. I've never used frenchy's "slop it on" technique and don't intend to....... maybe it's the way to go. You can always try it on some spare wood. Try the wipe-on next to it. The cost of trials here isn't great. A small can of Minwax is about $7 and a can of shellac a little less. Compared with the cost of the wood you've invested in the piece, that's nothing. I think the poly is going to be more durable. The downside is that it's also more difficult to repair. But the ease of repairing shellac or oil is also overstated. After some time as a piece develops a natural patina, to repair the surface takes some patience and experience. Yes some materials are easier to repair, but all take some skill. You know, it's interesting how materials and techniques seem to go through phases here on Knots. When I started reading the forum, about 6-7 years ago, the finish "of choice" was poly..... wipe-on, brush on, spray, spit.... you name the method. Shellac was very seldom mentioned and then usually as a intermediate coat..... as a good bonding coat, which it excells at. But the final surface was poly. I couldn't understand that as I was using oil/varnish stuff at the time. (Still do, sometimes.) But some folks just couldn't be swayed..... they were adamant that poly was the cat's meow. Now it seems to be shellac. Now don't take anything I've said as gospel. I really don't care all that much for poly and really only like the wipe-on variety because I can keep the coats very thin. Personally, I'm headed to spray equipment of my own. For years I've farmed the spraying out to another shop, but that's problematic. For the work I'm doing now, I need full control so a spray room and set-up is in order. I'll still continue to use a full arsenal of finishes, including the wipe-on poly, shellac, my favorite oil/varnish sand-in/wipe-off looks great with all that elbow grease (mayby that explains the arthritus in the elbow) finishes.Are you still uncertain? Yes? Good. Go get some small cans of stuff and try it out. That's the only way you'll know. Be mindful of one thing the advertisements don't tell you.... All of these finishes are going to do a perfectly adaquate job of protecting your wood. There are few losers in the marketplace. The appearance will vary among finishes..... you have to be your own judge there.
Sapwood,
Why don't you take your own advice and try my overthinned method of shellac application. Not trying to be offensive, but as you pointed it will cost you very little to try it..
I keep using words like slop etc. to help overcome the fear others have of a paint brush. If like me they are used to brush marks, runs, drips, etc..it's because they like the way you can simply wipe on some finishes. That appeals to so many people that it's the prime reason they use finishes that are less durable and less elegant..( You can wipe on shellac as well).
When I go to great lengths to make it seem overly simple and try to remove ingrained fear. I'm just trying to help people..Shellac has a reputation for difficulty primarily because nobody is out there marketing it.. As a result there are a lot of mistakes made and myths about it.. I've seen overly thick coats , wrong thinner, and countless other simple arrors made. Hopefully I have helped others..
As for spray equipment. I've been spraying for decades.. My first job was in the late sixtes early 70's (sorry I really don't remember the year just the paint job. {turned out quite nice, still have it})
I probably have a dozen paint guns and two compressors plus all sorts of other equipment.. If spraying held any great advantage I certainly would use it.. With certain finishes under certain conditions it's fine and indeed the only way to apply the finish..
Wood seems to really accept shellac, it has the ability to protect and yet move with the wood, unlike some catalized finishes. Since it's use can be traced back 5000 years it's properly earned it's place in woodworking..
I apologize for endless browbeating with regard the use of what I feel is an overlooked finish. Hopefully I can inspire enough enthusiasts to continue its' use that fear will go away and others will once again use a finish that has been used on fine furniture for centuries.
No need to apologize for championing a great finish product. Shellac is great. I just don't think it is the right finish all the time. I hope that my advice to amox is read as an atempt to encourage his own trials. As an interesting aside: I've spread more shellac onto steel then I have onto wood. I use shellac as a barrier coat when I etch steel. My process uses electrolysis..... dc power, a highly concentrated solution of salt water, and copper for the cathode. The shellac sticks like crazy to the steel, seems to be highly water proof or at least salt-water proof, and is relatively easy to remove with alcohol. It's also not very costly. I've tried to remove it by abrading with a wire wheel on a grinder, thinking that it would come right off. No such luck. It is tough stuff and it's slick..... the wire wheel just skips over the surface. Soaking in alcohol is the only way.
Sapwood,
Wow.
That's interesting. Maybe salt water hardens shellac. A wire wheel skips over a shellac surface!?
Rich
Rich14.
I do know just how tough shellac is. I mean you only have to look at my 150 pound dog to understand that if it was delicate at all it would peel right off as he jumps around..
Maybe because fine antiques use it and they are considered delicate we assume that the finish is delicate as well?
I remember the first week I had it on the floor I insisted everybody remove their shoes and walk around in stocking feet. Clean stocking feet. I really wanted everybody to tip toe!
A few weeks later I found myself walking in my street shoes and checked my tracks in horror for scrtaches!
None visable!
So now it's just a floor.. we walk on it and play on it and don't worry about it..It went on so easy that I can't believe I worried.
sapwood,
Oh I agree it's the wrong finish in several places.. can't use it outside, don't use it in bathrooms, if you use windex or ammonia based cleaning products make sure none gets on the shellac if the windows are shellaced..
I wouldn't use it on a bar either!
Interesting comment about it's use on steel.. I'd Have never thought of that..
Funny about shellac.. we take pills coated in shellac and you can't wire brush it off steel, my 150 pound dog can't scratch it, and yet somehow it's delicate?
Think it's because antique dealers use it on their antiques? and we all know that antiques must be delicate aren't they?
Edited 2/9/2007 9:27 pm ET by frenchy
What's interesting is that the shellac on antiques is often 150-200 years old. I doubt any varnish would have survived that long. Shellac is vulnerable to a few specific risks, but in terms of sheer longevity it has the longest successful record of any finish.
Frenchy:I enjoyed your lighthearted, yet serious diatribe on the advantages of shellac. You said, however, that you wouldn't use it an a bathroom. What about a kitchen? The conventional wisdom seems to be pre or post cat lacquer because of the relatively harsh environment. You make shellac sound inviting and I don't have the space (or equipment) for spraying. Not sure I want to deal with the chemicals involved either.Also, I would appreciate your lesson on "color sanding". I have seen the term used on the Discovery Channel automotive programs (American Hot Rod, Overhaulin') but not sure what it entails.I have also read that the "finish" of the finish is important in non-commercial work. Would be interested in your point of view.I am a "newbie" and have Bob Flexner's book on finishes, which is very helpful.Thank you for your help.Hastings
Hastings, Shellac is a poor choice for use in a kitchen. That environment has all the conditions under which shellac breaks down - Frequent and persistent moisture, cleaning solvents, especially ammonia, alcohol, and the constant abrasion from dishes, utensils, hands, around and near the action places. Rich
Rich:Thank you… However, I will be interested to learn how Frenchy's kitchen turns out.Hastings
Hastings,
Should you use shellac in a kitchen?
Most likely not.. steam and water aren't friendly to shellac.. in addition most kitchen claning sprays contain a lot of ammonia which also ruins shellac.
Having said all that I intend to try.. I will use it on the cabinets in the kitchen and if it should fail it is extremely simple to remove it and refinsh them with another finish..
I will not use hardwood flooring because frankly I know that even care won't prevent water and other liquids from finding the floor.. Gravity seems to work very well in my kitchen.
Color sanding is just as the hot rodders describe it.. start with say 320 grit sand paper using blocks sand everything to nice satin finish, then go to a finer grit say 400 and remove the 320 scratches, switch to 600 etc.. repeat untill you have this deep finish.. I know it sounds nuts to sand something to make it shine but that's what 's done and the reesults are always wonderful.
Frenchy:Thanks! Will you let us know how the kitchen turns out?Hastings
Hastings, I'll be glad to, however the kitchen is a ways away yet, This summer the last of the timbers will go up and the exterior finished to satisfy the neighbors. Next year the bedrooms will be finished to allow my long suffering children to finally have their own bedrooms/bathrooms etc..
The following year flooring and other finish details will occur and then come the kitchen.
I estimate that there is at least another 4 1/2 years of work ahead. A Lot differant scratch building stuff from roughsawn lumber than buying a bunch of cabinets and installing them..
Hi frenchy,
From our experience it seems that Simple Green (diluted) doesn't seem to exhibit any ill effects on shellac. We spray it on a soft cloth as a general purpose cleaner and wipe, including our kitchen cabinets, which are shellac finished!
Plus, Simple Green is environmentally friendly.
Regards,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Edited 2/10/2007 9:02 pm ET by KiddervilleAcres
Bob,
She who must be obeyed should never be told that there is a cleaner that doesn't damage shellac..
Once she finds out that one doesn't she will assume none damage shellac and use oven cleaner or brillo pads on it..
She must be repeatedly warned about the hazards of anything but a soft clothe and gentle rubbing. lack of repeated warnings will result in use of brillo pads and oven cleaners to remove a gravy spill. <G>
I'm not a professional, but I've had very good luck with Arm R Seal. Really easy to apply and forgiving, kid tough, yet not plastic-y. For a low luster finish, I've rubbed it out with 4F pumice and used a semi-gloss for the last coat (theoretically more clarity than using it for all coats). Follow the directions on how much time to leave between coats, not too little, not too much.
Whatever finish you decide on, take a scrap piece from the same project, prepare the surface as you have with the rest of the project, and take it through the entire finishing process. Much better to decide you want to change the process when you haven't touched the piece yet.
Pete
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