I am very close to making the switch full on to water based finishes. The finishes I have always used for years are General Finishes Arm R Seal and nitrocellulose brushing lacquer. I do a lot of reproduction furniture so it is important that I maintain the look of a solvent or oil based finish. I have recently made a lot of finish samples with Target Coatings products (EM2000 water based varnish, EM6000 lacquer, and their sanding sealer). I have found great success using solely Target Coatings products mimicking the look of solvent or oil with red oak, white oak, mahogany, maple, but have had trouble with walnut. I have fixed that problem with walnut by adding 2 coats of amber dewaxed shellac prior to using the Target Coatings products, but wonder if their NR4000 clear base will be a viable solution to get me the amber color and grain pop while still staying 100% water based?
The other question I have is in regard to sheen. 90% of my final products have a satin sheen. With oil and solvent finishes, I always start with a gloss finish for my build coats, and finish with the last 2 coats being satin. I was taught to do this since I was a teenager for the purposes of durability and clarity. Is the same process necessary with a water based finish?
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You won't get the old time look with just waterborne finish. It's a bit without soul, but it protects well.
I use two coats of dewaxed shellac (Sealcoat), and 2 coats of General Finishes high performance satin. I love the look, and the protection.
Sounds good. I am setting up a small spray booth in my shop with a regular box fan. Is it safe to spray the shellac (alcohol based) in a non explosion proof setup with just a box fan?
I don't know. I only spray outdoors, or just inside my garage door, while the door is open. I just don't like screwing around with that.
Im not an expert (still new to spraying myself)...but I've been researching a ton for my own needs. While clearly not as toxic as spraying lacquer or conversion varnish, denatured alcohol is still pretty toxic as it contains methanol. Skin exposure alone (not to mention vapor) can impact you nervous system! A lot of woodworkers I know have made the switch from DNA to liquor store grain (190 proof) alcohol for mixing shellac flakes. Behkol is the same (no methanol). That said whatever alcohol you use would still be explosive when atomized (needs explosion proof fans, lights, switches, etc). And regardless of what you spray (even waterbased Target Coating products) remember to use a respirator.
I also turn to shellac to get the warm tones and grain filling but waterborne finishes don’t build a thickness as fast as oil based varnishes so I don’t get the depth and gloss . Using a waterborne sanding sealer will help filling the grain quicker but it will never achieve the thick, amber look of oil finishes. I however am sold to the waterborne finishes and have switched to them many years ago and unless I absolutely need an old world look they are my go to finish.