I live in an apartment, and don’t really have a workshop. All of my finishing needs to be done indoors, so I really prefer to stick with finishes that will not quickly destroy my lungs (or my wife’s). What I’ve been using as a finish so far has been GF’s water based stains and topcoats. The one problem with this is that the topcoat usually pulls up some of the stain. Any idea how to get around this problem?
One idea I’ve had is to put a layer or two of dewaxed shellac between the stain and topcoat (I don’t think the alcohol in the shellac would be nearly as bad as paint thinner or alot of the other solvents). Would this work?
Replies
Since you're already using w/b why not spray it. If you haven't tried a good turbine HVLP setup you're in for a surprise. There is almost no overspray and very little stink. I sprayed my new mantle in place and would do it again. Masking is way easier than touching up the inevitable installation dings. I recommend Enduropoly or EnduroLac and Accuspray equipment. Go to http://www.compliantspraysystems.com.
BTW I once rebuilt a VW motor in an apartment. Once I carried it upstairs, the tough part was sneaking it past the land lady next door. :)
John O'Connell - JKO Handcrafted Woodworking
The more things change ...
We trained hard, but it seemed that every time we were beginning to form up into teams, we would be reorganized. I was to learn later in life that we tend to meet any new situation by reorganizing; and a wonderful method it can be for creating the illusion of progress while producing confusion, inefficiency, and demoralization.
Petronious Arbiter, 210 BC
I live in an apartment, too. Fortunately, we have two bathrooms. So I do my oil-based finishing in my bathroom with the exhaust ventilator running and leave it on for several hours to clear the fumes. So far, my wife hasn't complained about the fumes or my using her bathroom on "varnish days." Of course, it does limit the size of my projects. No entertainment centers here!
Good luck with your project.
Shellac should work just fine to separate the stain from the finish.
Andy
"It seemed like a good idea at the time"
I sure wouldn't want to do much spraying, HVLP or otherwise, in an occupied apartment without really good ventilation. There is less overspray than conventional but it is still considerable. You're wife will go ballistic when she sees all the dust (dried paint particles) settling out of the air. I've heard their are good wipe on waterborne finishes (Fuhr has one) but have never used them.
Yea, I would rather shy away from spray finishes. It is also rather expensive to buy all that equipment; I'd rather spend it on some other woodworking tools that I need (I've picked up this hobby within the last year).
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