What’s your favorite type of topcoat?

What’s your favorite type of topcoat?
- Varnish
- Shellac
- Wipe-on polyurethane
- Clear lacquer
- Other (post in Knots)
You will not be able to change your vote.
What’s your favorite type of topcoat?
You will not be able to change your vote.
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Replies
For me, it really depends on what I'm working on. On the insides of things I like shellac. And I use shellac washes for transitioning different finishes. As a whole on the outside of most wood projects I've become a big fan of Waterlox, which I guess you'd call an oil/varnish?
2K urethane/polyester
Beat it to fit / Paint it to match
As others mention, it depends greatly on the context of the piece. I love the durability and repairability of the cab-acrylic laquer, but my personal preference is for an oil finish and not a film finsh. My kitchen cabinets next year will probably be finished with a water based laquer but the telephone cabinet i am presently making will be finished with watco. Don't limit yourself, try them all!!
none of the above.
yet another non-orthogonal poll.
yet another non-orthogonal poll.GEEE! Like any POLL.. Just a GENERAL question. If you did a poll with specific questions for EVERYBODY I'd bet it would read like something from Homer or maybe even Homer Simpson.. I like Homer Simpson..
Sort of like me but he has more 'class'.
Edited 1/26/2008 8:48 am by WillGeorge
Topcoat? Favourite?
Heavy on cashmere in the mix, with a high collar to keep the wind off my neck. Down to the knees is good with two vertical rows of buttons and a neat belt with an unostentatious buckle, or even just tie the belt into an elegant knot. Dark blue is good.
Best of all though is a sort of camel colour for when I'm after the debauched, heavy eye-lidded, lounge lizard look. One o' they homburg hat thingies and blue smoke curling from a Marlboro dangling from my lips just adds to the air of sophistication I carry off in that camel coloured get-up that I wear with such panache. Slainte.
Richard Jones Furniture
That's too much! 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
What, no turned walking stick!? C'mon man get some class!
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
no turned walking stick!? ME!I make them for folks I see doing their 'walk' past my house..I collect fresh branches that fall off my several Maple trees. They seem to like to do that for some reason. Those trees are always dropping something I have to clean up all year long! But I love then just the same..I just 'skin' the bark, plane off it sharp points / whatever. My daughter (one of several) makes glazed pottery knobs I attach to the tops.. I give them out and have a hand saw at ready to cut off the bottom for length they like. Some even want one for each hand!
Richard,
I'm more of a Carhartt guy myself, although I sometimes wear a LLBean Baxter State Parka, when I'm gettin' above my raisin' (putting on airs).
Nothing like a little panache, with a side order of caramelised onions, shiitake mushrooms, and an impertinant white zinfandel. A bit of soda water will get it all off your Burberry, without leaving a stain.
Ray
Carhartt's?? What?? No 3/4 thigh-length Work-n-Sport with matching boots. We call that "brown tie".
Carhartt's are for skinny guys. XXL doesn't fit me. What's up with that??
Jeff
Jeff,
XXL too small...
Do your shopping at Omar the Tentmaker's?
Seamseal for a topcoat then, I suppose.
Ray
Omar's, huh?? Ha ha, very funny.
I'm not fat, just big. Carhartt's don't make their clothes with enough room for the arms in jackets, and thighs in jeans. Everything feels like I jumped into it from the 3rd floor roof.
Work'n'Sport XXL's fit me perfect, with plenty of room to work.
Maybe Omar could let my Carhartt clothes out a little in the seam, huh.
Jeff
I think you should trade in your homburg hat thingies for an urban sombrero! Available from the J Peterman catalog. Sure you won't look as sophisticated, but at least you'll keep the rain off that marlboro.Russ.http://www.jensenfinefurniture.com
I knew you wouldn't be able to resist this one... lounge lizard. ha.. ha...
I personly avoid the bars (and lizards) and prefer a reversible Army field jacket. I did dye it dark blue on one side for formal events as wedding.. funerals.. and power lunches. The other side I did in camouflage so I can wear it hunting.
Regards...
Sarge..
Sarge
My baby sis' got married in 2006. Her wedding was at one of the most highline joints in all of Chicagoland...... I'm talking over $200 a plate.
My cousin shows up in a Norm Abrams flannel, worn 'out', of course, with corduroys, gym shoes, and his favorite camo' hunting jacket. I was in stitches for a good 20 minutes.
My sister blew a gasket, and my dad asked him to leave. It was quite the spectacle.
Jeff
Nothing like a man that marches to the "beat-nik" of another drummer.
Regards..
Sarge..
No more 'slainte' for you. From now on, it's 007.
Jeff
Well Jeff, now that you've rechristened me 007 (lite perhaps?) you, and everyone else, is and are, no doubt positively moist with excitement about my preferences for a base coat underneath the elegant top coat.
My base coat of choice is a scuzzy looking string vest missing a few holes, underpants with a worn out puckered waistband; both undergarments should ideally sport that kind of 'puce-washed-in-dirty-water-too-often' look, and a hint of skid mark on the outside of the underpants is a definite bonus. Topping off, or perhaps bottoming off, that ensemble should be a pair of those oh-so-sexy elasticated sock suspenders sometimes glimpsed under the cuff of wide, baggy trousers with a turn up. You know the sort; they flap about the ankles like full sails in a weak breeze.
I'm sure my fellow Brit Lataxe would approve. He probably wears similar stuff anyway-- we're all so elegant us Brits, ha, ha-- ha, ha, ha. Slainte.Richard Jones Furniture
Richard
In a former life, in a galaxy far, far away, and a long time ago, I was a VP of a pretty large company. As a young man, I spent oodles and oodles of my hard earned money on clothes. I've got about $10,000 (US) invested in ties alone, along with the Armani suits, and the custom fitted shirts to boot.
What a frickin' waste of money. They're all still hanging in my closet under plastic, waiting for someone making a movie about the early 80's to grab them up for costumes in a movie, or something of the sort. They haven't been my size in about 15 years or so.
Now, I don't own a single pair of jeans that doesn't have a glue stain on them somewhere. Cotton sweatshirt and T-shirt as well. I've got the same corduroy flannel-lined long sleeve shirt in 5 different colors that I wear in the shop every single day. At the end of the day, before coming in, I remove it, and "pop" it up and down 2 or 3 times to remove the sawdust. Ready to go.
Tonight is "Senior Night" for my son with regards to his hockey team. It's his last home game of his high school career, and the school puts on quite a fuss. My wife is GENUINELY worried about what I'm wearing. Ha ha ha ha .............
Can I borrow your Topcoat?
Jeff
Wipe on poly is in the lead!? I think I just threw up a little.
Do most of us walk on our furniture or what? C'mon people, Jeesh!
Rob, possibly getting above his raisin'
1) Non-Wax Shellac or oil
2) Whatever for color
3) Wipe-on polyurethane
4) Wax
By the way, I 'stink' at finishing. Usually turns out Ok or better but I'm sure I could do better if I had the space to do it in.
I actually like tung oil or Danish wiping oil and wax on anything that is not used around water, food, or outdoors.
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