I got into some spalted cherry on the my latest batch of decorative tea jar lids. Unfortunately I only had enough for 8 or 10 lids. Would like to find a whole log of this, it's some pretty wood.

 

That is some nice looking wood.

It does look pretty and you brought it from the ruff and made it prettier.

Beautiful ❤️

Nice wood ! I don’t think I have ever seen spalted cherry. Mother Nature has a way of making some beautiful wood. 
Paul

May I ask what finish you use on your lids?    Thanks  Larry

12 hours ago, Larry Cutlip said:

May I ask what finish you use on your lids?    Thanks  Larry

 

Larry, these are sanded to 300 grit with an ROS. Two coats of spray can shellac for a seal coat. Sanded, and then sprayed with two wet coats of Target Coatings, EM6000 water borne production lacquer.

Do you think the EM6000 is a stronger finish than brush on or spray can lacquer?

32 minutes ago, Larry Cutlip said:

Do you think the EM6000 is a stronger finish than brush on or spray can lacquer?

 

I have not done any side by side comparisons as to durability. What I have done over the years is to spray a few hundred gallons of nitrocellulose as a professional and hobbyist re finisher.  It is the finish I cut my teeth on and never thought anything would replace  it for me. A few years ago someone recommended the EM6000 to me and I told him I'd tried water borne finishes before and they weren't any good. He said I'd never tried one like this. Against my better judgement I ordered a gallon, tried it and haven't looked back. It is simply the most forgiving, easiest to apply finish I have ever used. It flows out nicely and is ready to recoat in about 20 minutes. I have sprayed it under heavy humidity, on rainy days, middle of the summer and middle of the winter, it just works. I put on a wet, heavy coat and have never had a problem with runs or sags, 4 coats will pretty much fill walnut grain. Back to the strength or durability question. The manufacturer states it is comparable to nitrocellulose and I have no reason to dispute that claim.

2 hours ago, Steve Krumanaker said:

 

 A few years ago someone recommended the EM6000 to me and I told him I'd tried water borne finishes before and they weren't any good. He said I'd never tried one like this. Against my better judgement I ordered a gallon, tried it and haven't looked back. It is simply the most forgiving, easiest to apply finish I have ever used. It flows out nicely and is ready to recoat in about 20 minutes.

You may use more than I do but with lacquer may use a quart in 8 months. So to the point how well does the EM6000 keep?

10 hours ago, Gerald said:

You may use more than I do but with lacquer may use a quart in 8 months. So to the point how well does the EM6000 keep?

 

Hi Gerald. You may remember I was absent from here for around a year, maybe a little more. During that time I was also absent from my shop. It happened that I had an opened can of EM6000 that sat under my bench during that period, of course it was sealed but had been opened and partially used. I looked at my order history with Target Coatings and my last purchase was in July of 2018, so that can was opened near that date. I don't have another order with them until January of this year when I needed more. I finished out that can that had sat for well over a year after being opened and it sprayed like it was fresh so I would have to say it keeps very well. The only thing I'd caution about it is, it's water borne and so must be protected from freezing.

 

I know at one time Jeff Jewitt gave all waterborne finishes a shelf life of 2 years, whether it had been opened or not. Like Steve, I've had some Target product (this was the old PSL stuff some years ago) keep longer than that.

I have some brushing laquer that has kept for a few years.  never skims over either.

35 minutes ago, HandyDan said:

I have some brushing laquer that has kept for a few years.  never skims over either.

 

Same here. I do keep the temperature stable though.

Steve, I looked at the web site for the EM6000, and they mentioned 100% burn-in functionality. What does that mean?

9 minutes ago, PostalTom said:

Steve, I looked at the web site for the EM6000, and they mentioned 100% burn-in functionality. What does that mean?

 

I believe they are referring to separate coats re amalgamating or melding together, not sure but I think that's it. It's one of the things that make a lacquer finish so deep and rich. With varnish or polyurethane once it's set up it's done. Following coats have a mechanical bond but not a chemical bond so every coat lays on top of the previous coat. So, if you put on eight coats you have a finish that is 8 separate layers. With lacquer, and some other solvent based finishes successive coats dissolve and meld into the previous coats. So, if you put on eight coats you end up with one layer eight coats deep.

Thanks Steve, for all that information.     Larry

@Steve Krumanaker, does it also mean it isn't necessary to sand between coats?

19 minutes ago, Steve Krumanaker said:

 

I believe they are referring to separate coats re amalgamating or melding together, not sure but I think that's it. It's one of the things that make a lacquer finish so deep and rich. With varnish or polyurethane once it's set up it's done. Following coats have a mechanical bond but not a chemical bond so every coat lays on top of the previous coat. So, if you put on eight coats you have a finish that is 8 separate layers. With lacquer, and some other solvent based finishes successive coats dissolve and meld into the previous coats. So, if you put on eight coats you end up with one layer eight coats deep.

Very interesting.

1 hour ago, HandyDan said:

@Steve Krumanaker, does it also mean it isn't necessary to sand between coats?

 

Exactly, I always give it a feel but very, very seldom do I sand between finish coats.