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Showing results for tags 'varnish'.
Found 18 results
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Some of you know that I am building a tool chest. I live in Virginia and winter is fast approach it. We are getting nights in the mid thirties to low 40s now. I would like to finish and by that I mean put a finish on this chest when I'm completed with it. That's going to be another couple weeks at the most. I had planned to use polyurethane. It is pretty much my go-to finish for anything other than musical instruments. But I have a three-fold problem. First of all it's going to take a bit of extra curing time in cooler weather for the polyurethane to dry. Second of all I'm going to have to store it in my shed. No temperature control. So it's a dovetail box held together with Tite Bond. Made from pine. Can that box withstand low 30s temperatures for a couple of weeks? I know that polyurethane only really takes about 3 to 5 days to fully cure, but my wife has a very sensitive repeat that very very sensitive nose. She also has cerebral palsy and it's not just about a dislike of smell, but sometimes really hard pungent or heavy or chemical type smells will throw her into seizures. Even things like the little car freshener Christmas treats things like that. And so I have to leave that in the shed until it is dry and completely cured. My other option is not to finish it at all and wait until winter is over. But I will be carrying it in and out of the house to the back yard where I do woodworking in the meantime. It's going to get dirty and nasty because I'll be working out of it. I would rather not do that. But I work in the wintertime out back on my bench as long as the snow and everything else allows me to do it, even in cooler temperatures. So I need a solution. I need to know if the box will withstand possibly freezing temperatures, I need to know if I can go ahead and use the polyurethane and give it that time or if I need to go to something else. I was considering shellac because you can pretty much throw it under any kind of finish, and I could shellac the box and it would be semi-protected at least until springtime rolls back around. But I do not know how long it takes for shellac to dry so that it has very little smell. It might be the same situation. Any type of advice that you can give me is more than appreciated. Thank you
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Hi, It seems now almost any film finish I run across gets termed "varnish" quite a bit. But when I was a young-un (70s) there was a specific type of finish called varnish. It had a pretty foul odor, and was usually a dark brown, transparent-ish finish. Does anyone know the finish I speak of, and if I can find it these days? Thank you.
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From the album: Old English Plate Shelf
Finished and ready for delivery. My go to finishing schedule for most of my flat work is water based dyes for color, followed by a coat of boiled linseed oil, then oil based varnish. I still love the warmth and glow of oil based varnishes, it has a warmth that I love.© Courtland Woodworks
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- curly maple
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A good article on shellac. The author is a long time instructor at a finishing school. I smiled at his comment, do you really need poly on a jewelry box or clock? What he does not mention is that Bullseye (except for the aerosol version) is a waxed shellac; Seal Coat is dewaxed. This is important if you plan to put another finish like varnish or water-borne on top -- you want a dewaxed version. https://www.popularwoodworking.com/finishing/brushing-shellac-2/?utm_campaign=PWW - NL - Sunday Newsletter&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=203011645&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8LBuwuA9TOYf3kNNTlzTPXPNFTJmfwXUX_eEwDO3ix4qRa0pqSJ8LQZVJmApD4gcLcGnPTKgLqTvrPYfTazFWMvF-pGS9QMYDfV1k8_RwPePqkjHM&utm_content=203009238&utm_source=hs_email#
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If you have been following me and lets face it who doesn't? Then you know I'm a water based finish guy. Anyway I found another water based finish that I am going to try out and there's even this killer video
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A good intro to buffing finishes and how various finishes differ. This is by Jeff Jewitt, wood finishing author, operator of Homestead Finishing, maker of Transtint and TransFast dyes, and now guitar maker/finisher. This would be useful if you are doing a high gloss finish and would be helpful for turners.
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Cutting, shaping, joinery, glue up and assy I can get that. If I mess up I just make another piece. But when all of that is done after maybe 50 hours of work and it is sitting there awaiting finish - I freeze. One mistake here and the entire project can turn into $250 in hard wood and 50 hours into tragedy. Am I mental? This is of course not at all out of the question. Is this typical or is it just me. Spray on - wipe on - brush on. Poly, oil, shellac, varnish, stain, polyshades. Uneven finish, runs, streaks. At times it feels like I am in a zombie movie and all of these issues are out to get me. So, I sit and look at the project in all of its unfinished glory and the more I look at it the more it seems it is looking at me and waiting.
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Hi! I am going to refinish a child's rocking chair for my granddaughter, but I'm not real experienced with this stuff, so I'm needing to ask a couple questions. What type of top coating finish is usually used on children's furniture? Here are a couple pics of the rocker i have. Can anyone tell what the finish might be, so I know what kind of stripping agent to use. Could it be laquer or varnish? Thanks for any help y'all can give me! Teri
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Ok, so far...have about 4 coats of thinned Amber Shellac on the "Project" Next step is supposed to be a clear, gloss varnish..... 1: Do I also thin the varnish with the DNA? 2: How long do I leave the shellac "dry" before I brush on the varnish? Should I fine sand before the varnish, or not? have rubbed it down with 0000 steel wool.....will that be enough? Will "tack" things off, before the varnish. Rather a bit of a rookie, when using shellac.. No, this is not a "run" ... Actually, it is a bit of Curly Maple grain showing off. Varnish is Poly Gloss. I am used to using the stuff, just not over shellac.... Wet clothes may get tossed onto the top...doubt IF shellac would like that...
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TGIF 2017-06-27 Last week, we looked at varnish, how it’s made and its properties. Today we’ll look at two of the three ways to apply this finish – spray and brushing. Spraying Don’t, just don’t. When I first got my spray gun, I tried spraying poly. I still have spots on the top of my tool box and I’m glad my cars were well out of the way. Why? Shellac, lacquer and water borne, dry very quickly. The over-spray dries and settles as dust. Varnish dries slowly, so the over-spray drifts, lands on flat surfaces wet, where it dries and cures. And it didn’t get cleaned out very well from the gun, which then required a good cleaning. Shellac and lacquer are easily cleaned from the gun with their respective solvent. Brushing Process Here is the technique that I use. The first coat provides the “sealer” There is no need to use a separate sanding sealer. There are several disadvantages to a sanding sealer – another product to buy and its reduced resistance to impacts and water vapor transfer. Sanding – Few of enjoy sanding, yet a poorly sanded surface will not give you a good finish. I usually stop at 120 or 150, or 220 if I’m refinishing a veneered surface. After sanding wipe off dust with a cloth dampened in mineral spirits. For opened-pored woods like oak, you might blow out the grain with compressed air. Preparation - Since varnish can attract dust into its finish, being clean is very important. Work in a clean room, preferably not the one where you’ve done sanding, clean the surfaces prior to applying the varnish, wear clean clothes, and apply the finish and leave for the day. Also pour some finish out in a separate container and use it from there. This keeps debris from getting into the varnish can. You can also use a paper filter to filter out any lumps. When you can, work on horizontal surfaces and with a long angle light behind the finishing surface. Use a natural bristle brush. Shake out any loose hairs prior to use. Then dip in mineral spirits to condition the brush. For the first few coats I use a good quality brush. For the last coat or two, I use a “badger-hair brush”. No badgers were actually used in its construction. If you are using a satin or semi-gloss varnish, stir the finish well before dispensing into your application container. Stir again after thinning and stir regularly during application as the flatteners will settle out. First coat – thin the varnish significantly so that it cures faster (a thinner coat). I thin 50:50 with mineral spirits. Apply with a brush. No need to be super critical here, just avoid heavy runs and puddles. Let dry overnight in a room-temperature room. Temperatures below 60 or above 80 will affect any coat curing Second coat - repeat same process as first coat. Third coat – Sand with P400 sandpaper. I like to use 3M’s 216U (sometimes labeled “Sandblaster.”) This will level the surface and remove any raised grain. You can also use ScotchBrite light gray to get an overall dullness to the surface. Wipe the surface with a lint-free cloth dampened in mineral spirits. For this coat, thin the varnish, somewhat less, usually 3:1 varnish to thinner. Many varnishes are very thick in the can to comply with VOC regulations. Adding thinner may take it out of compliance, but will make a much better flow out. Your objective here is to put on a thin coat. Thick coats cure longer and sometimes poorly. It's why varnish can look plastic or have deep brush marks. If you've ever seen a thick run or drip that is just gummy underneath, you see that thick coats don't cure well as they cure from the top down. Apply the finish in the direction of the grain. Flow off the end of the board and start the stroke about 1” in from the end. Once you’ve applied the finish, wipe the brush off on a rag and tip-off the finish by moving this brush across the surface with a light tough and nearly vertical to the surface. This will smooth the finish, cut down the thick parts and fill up the low spots. Let dry overnight. Fourth coat – Sand like for third coat. Lightly sand with same sandpaper and clean as before. This this coat, but now only about 10%. Apply in the same way as the third coat. If you are happy now, you can quit, but you have a couple more options. · Apply a fifth coat just like the fourth · Sand again and apply a thin coat of wiping varnish (next week’s topic) This will give you a nice even finish. · Finish the finish to smooth it out. One way is rub with 0000 steel wool and furniture wax, then buff out the wax with a clean soft cloth. Or you can take a crumpled up paper grocery bag to lightly abrade the surface. · Rub out with rubbing compounds (after 3 -4 weeks cure time). Varnish does not rub out as well as harder finishes like shellac or lacquer, so it’s better to just pick the right sheen from the can. Sheen information If you want a flatter finish than you have, you can let the varnish sit for a few days. Decant off the top part of the can and stir up the bottom part that will have the majority of the flatteners. Some people say to apply gloss finish up to the last coat, since it determines the final sheen. Not a problem if you have it, but I’d not buy a second product just for this purpose if I didn’t have other needs for it. Cleaning the brush I keep two or three jars of mineral spirits and label them III, II, and I. First wipe off the excess varnish from the brush onto a clean rag. Then dip and swish in jar III. Wipe off again, Dip in jar II, wipe off. Then dip in jar I. In time, jar III will get too gunky to use. Let it dry out and throw out the solid residue. Promote jar II to jar III, jar I to jar II, and start a new jar I with fresh mineral spirits. Store each jar with a well-fitting lid. Once you’ve reached this stage, I have another jar with lacquer thinner that will clean and remove some of the oiliness of mineral spirits. Wipe the brush dry and store in its jacket to dry. Over time the brush may get thick. You can buy a commercial brush cleaner that is a soup of solvents that will strip out most finishes. I also have use NMP stripper as it’s a bit gentler on the bristles and less noxious to the user. I wait until I have a few brushes in this state, then soak overnight in the solution with a plastic bag rubber banded over the top. Some more reading: http://www.popularwoodworking.com/techniques/finishing/finishing-for-first-timers
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From the album: Old English Plate Shelf
Young Patriot Woodworkers, they are not ready to see this one leave our shop. As with any project that takes time, it becomes part of the family, and the kids always hate to see it leave the shop.© Courtland Woodworks
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- varnish
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a little tool chest varnish/BLO/walnut stain. insides are filling up quick. Might just be a decent chest. From a pile of old bed parts
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From the album: Old English Plate Shelf
The cabinet in place at its final resting place, with pewter molds in place. You'll see the tails are cut into the side of the cabinet and exposed, I set the tails on the side of the cabinet to lend it downward strength, the mechanics of the joinery will not allow any weight to push down and separate the corners.© Courtland Woodworks
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From the album: Old English Plate Shelf
In place at a home where the resident loves colonial works, and this piece fit right in.© Courtland Woodworks
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From the album: Old English Plate Shelf
The customers pewter molds on full display. The pewter molds are one area of his vast collections of antique in his home. These molds were used to make breads, bread puddings, and puddings, in the shape of the molds.© Courtland Woodworks
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From the album: Old English Plate Shelf
The curls are wonderful in this lumber, thank you Bob Kloes.© Courtland Woodworks
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Awhile back, picked a Scioto works #8 coffin style smooth plane at an antique toy store. Missing a bolt to hold the iron and chipbreaker together. Missing the strike button on the backside. So, Found a tap that was close to the size i needed to make a new thread in the chipbreaker. Turned out to be a 10-1.5 Metric plug tap. Ok, we have the matching bolts at work. Brought one home that I found on the floor. It came out of the shelving system they use. Takes a 6mm allen wrench to loosen. Ground the head down a bit, to almost flat. And still leave a bit for the wrench to grab into. Shorten the threaded part a bunch. had to clear the wedge. Sharpened the iron back up, adjust the chip-breaker for a better fit. Beltsander and sandpaper on a tile to sharpen the iron. A look at the back side Soaked the wood body in a BLO/ Varnish/ Walnut stain mix.....about ten coats. Wood was VERY dried out. Markings on the iron are from Ohio Tool Co. Thistle Brand Made in USA Took a handplane to the sole for a tune up. nise was worn quite a bit. Got the sole nice and flat, and gave it a coat Yep, there is a crack in the heel. Right where the missing strike button USED to be. Guess that is why it is AWOL. Decided to make something to take it's place. Didn't like the idea of a carriage bolt stuck up in there. Didn't have a big enough bolt, so, a washer of sorts was made, and a smaller bolt added. Filled the hole with glue, and tapped the parts in place Almost like a Lincoln's spare tire..... Got everything back together for a test drive The shaving is the full width of the pine scrap I was using. Had it set a bit deep, though. Not too bad for a $5 plane
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