The interior wood in the remodeled bed and bath in our 310 limited is cherry. The finish is a sprayed on lacquer. I'm in the process of adding/completing some trim work that wa never completed (It's a long story, alluded to elsewhere ). It been cold and damp here so spraying lacquer outdoors is not an option. Nor is spraying lacquer in the house - the only heated space available. I'm looking for suggestions for a finish which can be applied in the house which will match the existing finish.
Brush on lacquer, polyurethane, tung oil, watco?
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If you want others to be happy, practice compassion.
If you want to be happy, practice compassion - The Dalai Lama
1984 310 Limited Motorhome
Courtesy Parking (W/S/E/Wi-Fi) on I-5 in Northern California, 70 miles from Oregon border
I brushed polyurethane from a new can on all my cherry woodwork even though the weather was suitable for spraying.
There were no brushmarks evident after the poly dried.
While I would like to attribute this to my consumate skill as a painter , I have been burned by using old poly, and think fresh poly is was the secret to my success.
Oh, and new woodwork (a bed) was stained first. I experimented with trying to duplicate the original appearance. Color-wise I succeeded. But I came real close to the way catalyzed lacquer looks with satin polyurethane.
I'm about halfway through refinishing all my woodwork. I'm using Varathane Spar Urethane, Satin finish. It's a new can I bought from Menard's yesterday.
I got some brush marks. I think part of the reason is I applied the second and third coats while the finish was dry, but not totally hardened. I have heard that if you brush over previous brush marks, you make them a lot worse.
So now I'm sanding everything in preparation for the fourth coat, and letting it dry an extra day.
I'm about halfway through refinishing all my woodwork. I'm using Varathane Spar Urethane, Satin finish. It's a new can I bought from Menard's yesterday.
I got some brush marks. I think part of the reason is I applied the second and third coats while the finish was dry, but not totally hardened. I have heard that if you brush over previous brush marks, you make them a lot worse.
So now I'm sanding everything in preparation for the fourth coat, and letting it dry an extra day.
I have had good luck thining the finish and then applying it with a 'rub-er'. Still need to level a bit with fine wet/dry sand paper with a lubricant (soap and water works fine) after the finish is well hardened.
__________________
If you want others to be happy, practice compassion.
If you want to be happy, practice compassion - The Dalai Lama
1984 310 Limited Motorhome
Courtesy Parking (W/S/E/Wi-Fi) on I-5 in Northern California, 70 miles from Oregon border
I have restored antiques and damaged furniture for years as a business. Sprayed lacquer is hard to beat IF you have the capabilities to do it properly. For the past several years, on custome furniture I also build, I have begun to use "PolyCrylic", made by Minwax. It's a waterbased finish, so there are no problems with fumes.
You have to "scuff" sand the old finish, (I use a green ScotchBrite pad), the apply the finish using a disposable foam brush. There should be no brushmarks. Apply at least 2 coat, preferably 3 coats.
It is an extremly hard finish, comparable to the catalyzed lacquers, and conversion varnishes that are used commercially, and very easy to clean as well, just use a damp cloth.
Good luck!
I have restored antiques and damaged furniture for years as a business. Sprayed lacquer is hard to beat IF you have the capabilities to do it properly. For the past several years, on custome furniture I also build, I have begun to use "PolyCrylic", made by Minwax. It's a waterbased finish, so there are no problems with fumes.
You have to "scuff" sand the old finish, (I use a green ScotchBrite pad), the apply the finish using a disposable foam brush. There should be no brushmarks. Apply at least 2 coat, preferably 3 coats.
It is an extremly hard finish, comparable to the catalyzed lacquers, and conversion varnishes that are used commercially, and very easy to clean as well, just use a damp cloth.
Good luck!
You stole my thunder. The PolyCrylic product by Min-wax is marvelous. I will apply many thin coats using a "Jen Poly" foam brush. Stay away from the imitators found in the big box stores and visit your friendly Tru- Valu and get a "Jen Poly" foam brush. The foam is more dense and the handle will stay attached. I will place this brush into a baggy and seal it between coats, using the same brush sometimes up to twenty or more coats. The finish you get is incredible and since the product dries so quickly it can be re-coated soon after application. On freshly stained or very porous wood I will used the Min-wax water based sealer which is compatible with the PolyCrylic.
The difference in the color is because the "wipe-on" is an oil base, and "Polycrylic" is a water base. The Poly is much more durable and fool proof than the wipe on.
I DON'T recommend trying to recover an old finish, simply because there may be hairline crazing that you can't see without a 10x magnifier.
Scuff sanding is no problem, I use Scotchbrite pads (green) I've done entire home kitchens using them. For no more cabinets than there are in an AS, it shouldn't take more than a couple of hours at the longest....
Guy,
I agree with these guys on the min-wax. I used it professionally years ago and always as a hobbyist. I've never used a more forgiving product on wood and it looks great.
For a wipe-on finish I like oil-based polyurethane mixed roughly 50/50 with Watco Danish Oil (natural, with no color). Advantages - nearly foolproof, easy to touch up, even years later, no brush marks, very durable, very attractive finish. Disadvantages - it builds in very thin coats, so three applications are the minimum for furniture, and it is not waterproof, so countertops need something else.
You wipe it on and then wipe off the excess in, oh, 20 minutes or so. I usually apply the second coat with 220 wet/dry sandpaper, and the third with 400 wet/dry. If I really want to go the extra mile I add a fourth coat with 600.
But the new water based polys can be very good as well. I like the Valspar product, whose name eludes me at present.
I'll second the Watco Danish Oil Finish. Great stuff, comes in many different stain variations. I haven't tried the wet sanding approach, that sounds like a neat trick. I have always just put it on with cloth rag. Another favorite is tung oil, again applied with a cloth rag. Both finishes are very forgiving.
As always be carefull with those used rags. I hang mine on a chain-link-fence till they are dry.
I like a product called Deft. Has a strong odor, but dries super fast. I usually use 2 or 3 coats rubbing with 00 wool between to knock down the brush strokes. After the final coat I rub out with 0000 wool and Minwax Butchers Wax. The result is a wonderful satin hand rubbed finish with little effort. I don't know how it would work as a touch up thing though - try a small spot to see how it looks, you can always use the steel wool to rid of it if it doesn't work out.
__________________
Ron
2004 Classic 25 - The Silver Sausage
2008 Silverado LTZ CC 2500 4x4 Duramax - Brutus WBCCI 2623
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). It been cold and damp here so spraying lacquer outdoors is not an option. Nor is spraying lacquer in the house - the only heated space available. I'm looking for suggestions for a finish which can be applied in the house which will match the existing finish.
, I have been burned by using old poly, and think fresh poly is was the secret to my success.
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