The brand name is Daly’s CryatalFin. Milk white in the can, dries clear as glass. Easy to work with stuff.
The question –
Project is a redwood top for the wife’s stainless steel laundry tub to be under mounted. This is my first experience using this material. Every other clear finish project on which I wanted a high sheen finish, I’ve used regular varnish, many, many coats, each slightly sanded or, in the case with the last few coats, hand rubbed between coats. Does waterbased poly ‘build’ a finish in the same manner as spirits based varnish? How thick does one normally apply this particular product? The can says “apply liberally”. The first couple coats I brushed on were perhaps too thin. The last coat I was able to get more millage on and seems to be drying OK and producing a pretty good ‘depth’. My concern with the thickness of the coat is, does this stuff cure from the inside out or could there be a problem with a coat that’s too thick in that it wouldn’t cure out properly?
I’ve always been under the impression that with something like this, you need to have the same number coats and type of finish on both sides to equalize moisture permeability. The guy at Daly’s said two-three coats on the underside would be sufficient, no matter how many coats were on the top. What’s your opinion?
Replies
Dennis, if your getting into w/b finishes I highly recommend you to pick up Andy Charrons book 'Water base Finishes" Its a good, informative book on the subj. Also go to http://www.homesteadfinishing.com
that is jeff jewitts site he can answer al your questions and has a book out called "Great Wood Finishes" too. It can answer alot of your finishing questions.
Darkworks: Its all 'bout da squilla
Thanks Ron & Howie for the feedback. Waterborne varnish, at least the stuff I got at Daly's, is indeed a different animal! I'll look for the reference material and read up on the stuff.
I'm beginning to think some quality spray equipment is nudging its way into my tool budget!
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Dennis in Bellevue WA
[email protected]
If your dealing with W/B then IMO spraying is the way to go.
Darkworks: Its all 'bout da squilla
Ron T has some good advice. Let me add that waterborne poly finishes need just as much time to "cure" as oil based finishes. Both have two stages of drying and curing. In the first stage the thinner or water evaporates. In waterborne, this brings the components into direct contact and the curing begins. Curing of waterboarne varnishes then proceeds very similarly to oil based varnish.
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