Clear Coat For Entryway Storage Bench

[Mike Goetzke]

I usually use Target Coatings (mostly EM9300)but want to try something I can pick up at the store. I have a Fuji HVLP system. I want a waterborne finish. Checking quickly I see General Finishes and Old Masters. I have plenty of SW & BM stores by me.

What is you go-to waterborne finish?

Thanks

 

[Packard]

I use wipe on oil-based poly as it eliminates my main objections to spraying oil based.  No airborne fumes, no special clean ups.  A nice, durable, and nearly fool-proof finish. 

The only thing I have to do, is let the rags dry before placing them in the trash.  I usually rinse them with water first.  The volatiles evaporate faster than the water so no chance of a fire.

I did try spraying Minwax’s water based poly and one of GF poly coats that mimics the amber cast of oil based.  But I’ve been happier with the wipe on.

I finish off the process with butchers’ wax applied with 0000 steel wool.  It cuts down some of the sheen and leaves a nice touch to the hand.

Slow process though.  Four coats minimum.  Six or seven for work surfaces.  So, slow.

I’m not trying to sell you on wipe-on, I am just saying what I use.

 

[Mike Goetzke]

I use wipe on oil-based poly as it eliminates my main objections to spraying oil based.  No airborne fumes, no special clean ups.  A nice, durable, and nearly fool-proof finish. 

The only thing I have to do, is let the rags dry before placing them in the trash.  I usually rinse them with water first.  The volatiles evaporate faster than the water so no chance of a fire.

I did try spraying Minwax’s water based poly and one of GF poly coats that mimics the amber cast of oil based.  But I’ve been happier with the wipe on.

I finish off the process with butchers’ wax applied with 0000 steel wool.  It cuts down some of the sheen and leaves a nice touch to the hand.

Slow process though.  Four coats minimum.  Six or seven for work surfaces.  So, slow.

I’m not trying to sell you on wipe-on, I am just saying what I use.

I use to always wipe on until I got my HVLP system. I decided to use wipe-on for this bench since there are several enclosed areas and it's looking great so far. Thanks for the help!

 

[twistsol1]

I used to use the Crystalac with my Fuji HVLP until it became nearly impossible to find, even online. I now just use Minwax water based poly and it sprays just fine with a number 3 aircap. It doesn't lay out as well as the Crystalac.  If I thin it about 10%, though, it gets pretty close. I've been meaning to try the General finishes product, but I still have a a couple gallons of Minwax.

 

[Packard]

I have seen Minwax’s products panned in woodworking websites.  But when reviewed by major woodworking publications, they typically the second or third choice.  They are never at the bottom of the heap quality-wise. 

My guess is that there is a degree of snobbishness among hobby woodworkers who seem to feel that any finish that is accessible to the occasional DIYer is beneath their consideration. 

As an aside, Rustoleum, the parent company for Minwax, recently came out with new packaging for their aerosol enamels.  The new sprayer head has five spray patterns:  Conventional (round), vertical (elliptical), horizontal (elliptical), light, heavy, and also a “lock” position.

The point being that a huge conglomerate like Rustoleum can afford to invest more heavily in engineering and chemistry than smaller companies can. 

This is not to say that products from smaller companies are not better than Rustoleum’s, but it is to say that most of the Rustoleum products perform exceedingly well. 
https://www.dawnofanewspray.com/

 

[leakyroof]

General Finish, or Old Masters. I'm still impressed with a Spar Varnish , Water Based, that I used on our Dining Room window sills from Old Masters from, well , now a good few years ago. It gets daily sun, and the stain under it hasn't really shown any degrading from UV rays. The finish gets hit by our two Cats as they jump on and off the sills, so it's survived UV exposure and Cat claws really well... [big grin]

 

[jaguar36]

I've tried a couple different water based finishes, but have never found anything I was as happy with as Target's.  The shipping is a pain (particularly when you end up just a little short and are trying to get something finished)  But I've come to just some extra on hand.  I tend to go through it reasonably quickly that its not a big deal.  The tinted lacquers are the only ones I have issues getting od.

 

[Bob Wolfe]

Minwnax is owned by Sherwin Williams not Rustoleum.
The reason it isn’t panned in woodworking publications is because they dont want to loose the add revenue from Sherwin Williams.
Keep that in mind when you read all reviews in publications.
BW

 

[Steve1]

My go-to clear finish is General Finishes High Performance (water based poly).  So far, always in satin.
I use my Fuji HVLP and find it goes on nicely.
They say putting on more than 3 coats does not give any additional protection, but I find it can look better with additional coats.
Dries pretty quickly, so I can put 4 coats on in a day.   

Often, I will wait for it to cure for a couple of weeks and then buff it out with a brown paper bag.  Not sure if I can see a difference, but definitely feels smoother.

 

[DynaGlide]

I used GF High Performance on my cherry bench that gets abused. I love that stuff and also apply with a Fuji sprayer.

Those are when I finished it a year ago. Seems to be holding up just fine today.

When it came time to finish the base of my Roubo bench I wiped on the GF High Performance with those white foam pads you see at the store. It went on and leveled really easily.

The only pic I have is putting it on my leg vise chop with a foam brush:

It's so forgiving with application and seems pretty darn durable. Doesn't smell bad either.

Matt

 

[Packard]

I’ve been using Scott Rags-in-a-Box lately for my wipeon finishes.  I fold it into eighths and dip it in the finish.  I adopted it for the low cost, but it carries just the right amount of finish for me. 

I would note that Scott has been reducing the size of the sheets to cut costs.  The latest is the third time that I noticed.  Any smaller and it will lose its utility.

I have read posts in other sites were members “sprung” for the extra cost to use exterior poly instead of the regular poly.  Since no one has ever mentioned this on FOG, I am probably wasting typewriter ribbon with this part of the post.  But here goes.

Exterior grade poly is softer and more flexible to allow for greater expansion rates that the exterior temperatures would create.  In interior applications, where this is not an issue, they scratch and wear more easily than interior grade clear finishes.

You can resume reading.  I am done with my “teaching moment”.  [eek]

 

[squall_line]

Exterior grade poly is softer and more flexible to allow for greater expansion rates that the exterior temperatures would create.  In interior applications, where this is not an issue, they scratch and wear more easily than interior grade clear finishes.

You can resume reading.  I am done with my “teaching moment”.  [eek]

This is a good thing to point out even for those who haven't brought it up before.  The logical progression in my mind seems to be "if it's made for exterior, it must be tougher to hold up against the elements, therefore it will hold up even more better indoors!"

It's a mistake I would likely have pursued without a post like this, so I appreciate it.

 

[leakyroof]

I agree about the differences between interior and exterior finishes, but after living in our house for almost 35 years, I’ve watched UV rays in certain locations play havoc with an ordinary oil based/pigment stain covered by regular oil based varnish .
I’ve switched, where I know Sun is a factor, to Dye stain that is more UV resistant, and top coat it with either Marine varnish, or Water Based Spar Varnish.
We have a back office set of windows trim that I worked on only a few years ago- probably still less than 10 years- The Sun has burned out so much of the Miniwax Pigment Stain under the Pratt and Lambert 33 varnish, that I can’t stand to see it at times…. [mad].

 

[Crazyraceguy]

I have seen Minwax’s products panned in woodworking websites.  But when reviewed by major woodworking publications, they typically the second or third choice.  They are never at the bottom of the heap quality-wise. 

My guess is that there is a degree of snobbishness among hobby woodworkers who seem to feel that any finish that is accessible to the occasional DIYer is beneath their consideration. 

As an aside, Rustoleum, the parent company for Minwax, recently came out with new packaging for their aerosol enamels.  The new sprayer head has five spray patterns:  Conventional (round), vertical (elliptical), horizontal (elliptical), light, heavy, and also a “lock” position.

The point being that a huge conglomerate like Rustoleum can afford to invest more heavily in engineering and chemistry than smaller companies can. 

This is not to say that products from smaller companies are not better than Rustoleum’s, but it is to say that most of the Rustoleum products perform exceedingly well. 
https://www.dawnofanewspray.com/

That looks like a graffiti artist's wet dream......jus sayin

 

[Packard]

I tested the spray patterns and they are exactly as engineered.  But the conventional spray pattern worked best for me, so no advantage at this time.  But clever engineering.

 

[Packard]

I agree about the differences between interior and exterior finishes, but after living in our house for almost 35 years, I’ve watched UV rays in certain locations play havoc with an ordinary oil based/pigment stain covered by regular oil based varnish .
I’ve switched, where I know Sun is a factor, to Dye stain that is more UV resistant, and top coat it with either Marine varnish, or Water Based Spar Varnish.
We have a back office set of windows trim that I worked on only a few years ago- probably still less than 10 years- The Sun has burned out so much of the Miniwax Pigment Stain under the Pratt and Lambert 33 varnish, that I can’t stand to see it at times…. [mad].

UV wreaks havoc on not only finishes, but also framed art and photographs.  Keep those out of direct sunlight. 

Photographs are particularly vulnerable.  Compare the one wedding shot on your wall, with the colors of that same photo in your table top wedding album. 

Grow lights, full spectrum lighting and fluorescent bulbs also will fade out art and photos.

Mineral-based stains are (usually) fade-proof.  When was the last time you saw a piece of granite fading? 

Also, on the UV subject.  Zip-ties come in “natural” (no added colorant) and black.  The black colorant imparts UV resistance.  If you tie things together in an area of bright sunlight, the “natural” ties will break after a time.  The black ones will last far longer.

This company sells mineral based pigments.  They are listed as “archival” and generally resist fading.  These were intended for artists’ media.  I don’t know if anyone is using pure mineral pigments for wood stains.
https://naturalearthpaint.com/earth-mineral-pigments/

 

[woodferret]

Fusionhttps://fusionmineralpaint.com/

 

[Packard]

Fusionhttps://fusionmineralpaint.com/

These people are selling actual paint.  The site I linked is only selling the pigments.  You would have to blend in your binder.  But for staining wood, I think mineral spirits would do the trick.

A good way to judge the quality of a gallon of paint is to heft it.  The pigments are heavy.  Pick up a gallon of primer, which generally don’t have that much pigment, and it will feel half full.

I have a gallon of SealCoat and to pick it up, you’d think it is nearly empty, when the reality is it is almost still full.

 

[WastedP]

It would be easy to diss on Minwax Polycrylic floor finish, since it's a product for the mass market, and not woodworking finish connoisseurs.  But when I have a workpiece destined for abuse (and a week of waiting for spar varnish to dry isn't an option,) Polycrylic is my go-to because it dries fast, can be built up with a roller and brush for the first couple of coats, and can be aggressively (and quickly) sanded between finish coats.

It's nice to make a coffee table that you're not afraid to spill coffee on.

 

[PaulMarcel]

I also spray GF High Performance out of a Fuji. Very easy to work with, levels well, doesn't run. Previously, I used GF Polyacrylic mostly because it was more readily available at my Woodcraft than High Performace. Once Polyacrylic was retired, I went with High Performance (which is like an upgraded Polyacrylic).

It would work well for your entryway storage bench as it takes a beating. I added shelves to a high-use pantry and applied HP over the paint. Appliances are push/pulled back and forth over it and I have yet to find a scuff.