SealCoat alternatives—cost is going through the roof.

[Packard]

I use Zinsser’s Seal Coat as a clear primer/sealer under other clear finishes.

Key for me are:

1. It is water-clear
2. It does not raise the grain
3. Non-toxic when dry
4. Provides excellent adhesion to the substrate and to the subsequent clear finishes (oil based or water based

Key objection:

The current price of 1 gallon is $80.00 (Amazon); $70.00 (Ace Hardware); $98.00 (Walmart).

I have an older can with a price label of $29.00.

Any alternatives??

I will use a non-toxic, water based acrylic over pine. If I don’t use a sealer, the water-based acrylic will raise the grain and add hugely to my labor.

I may very well end up buying a gallon of Seal Coat—one gallon lasts a long time. The best deal is from Ace Hardware (about a 15 minute drive).

The clear finish is for toys. The acrylic and Seal Coat were chosen because they are non-toxic and I am familiar with the application methods.

 

[Steve1]

Yeah, I put a few coats of shellac over just about anything I finish.
I mix my own from flakes. I don't think it's any cheaper.
Price of the shellac has been going up rather drastically for a couple of years now.

 

[Michael Kellough]

“gallon of Seal Coat—one gallon lasts a long time”

As long as the steel can doesn’t leak. I hang gallon cans from the basement rafters because it’s not as cold up there.

Last year I saw something new on the basement floor, an amber blob. It was sticky so it couldn’t have rolled there. I looked up and saw a thin amber string hanging from the bottom of a can of Seal Coat. A pin hole, that wasn’t the result of damage. Inherent vise.

 

[Crazyraceguy]

Mixing your own, from flakes, allows you to control the mix ratio. In your particular case, that might be perfect. All you're really looking for is sealing, enough to not raise the grain later. You can experiment with making it weaker, saving some material and knowing that you have the rest in dry form.

Personally, I would switch to a wax/oil blend, for the same projects. Totally natural, safe. It can never peel, since it is not a film finish, it hardens inside the wood fibers. There is a slight darkening, over totally dry wood, but no more than most.
Use Linseed oil, rather than Tung oil, since the later darkens with time. It is exceedingly easy to apply, since you essentially wipe it all off, after coating and allowing to soak for a few minutes.

 

[Packard]

Mixing your own, from flakes, allows you to control the mix ratio. In your particular case, that might be perfect. All you're really looking for is sealing, enough to not raise the grain later. You can experiment with making it weaker, saving some material and knowing that you have the rest in dry form.

Personally, I would switch to a wax/oil blend, for the same projects. Totally natural, safe. It can never peel, since it is not a film finish, it hardens inside the wood fibers. There is a slight darkening, over totally dry wood, but no more than most.
Use Linseed oil, rather than Tung oil, since the later darkens with time. It is exceedingly easy to apply, since you essentially wipe it all off, after coating and allowing to soak for a few minutes.

I am back to making toys. Seal Coat + Polycrylic = child-safe finish.

I bought a pint of Minwax’s Sanding Sealer. I intended to use it under Polycrylic, but the instructions say it is intended for polyurethane top coat. So I’m not sure it is compatible.

The sanding sealer requires more labor, as it will raise the grain. But I also read it decreases the durability the top coat (I think for floor finishes).

 

[kevinculle]

I too use Seal Coat pretty routinely in the finishing process. I buy it by the quart, and the price has risen steeply but it works so well that I will just keep using it.

 

[Packard]

I too use Seal Coat pretty routinely in the finishing process. I buy it by the quart, and the price has risen steeply but it works so well that I will just keep using it.

That’s the decision I have made too. The problem is that it is getting hard to find.

As an aside, I apply Seal Coat as a wipe-on finish. I’m able to get a light, even coat—and no cleanup. I use Scott Rags-In-A-box, folded into a small square. When I’m done, I unfold it and drape it over the edge of my trash can until it is dry.

I tried foam brushes, but they all seem to get soft and floppy in a hurry and I go through a lot of brushes. And safe disposal is not as simple as with the shop towels.

I just tried a can of General Finishes Endurovar. I really liked the warm tone, but no matter what brushing technique I used I would end up with drips.

I tried a light, even coat with a brush. I tried a near-dry brush technique, and because of the viscosity, I tried wipe on. The wipe on seemed to work, but the next morning the finish slow migrated through the “window” hole and accumulated at the opposite side. (I dried these car bodies using posts that fit the axle holes, so the pieces were on their sides. Perhaps vertical drying would get a better result—but I doubt it. I suspect it would simply move the runs to a different location.)

Normally, I apply Minwax Polycrylic as shown on the completed toy car. I also applied a coat of Butchers’ Wax with 0000 steel wool, which knocks down the shine a bit and leaves the finish feeling “silky”. The gloss Polycrylic is apparently a different formulation than the semi-gloss, the matte, and the “flat” versions, all of which are cheaper than the gloss version.

Seal Coat (shellac) is a child-safe finish. In fact every M & M you have ever eaten has a coating of food-grade shellac to give it shine. It took some digging but I found that both Polycrylic and Butchers’ Wax are also child-safe finishes.

Oil based Polyurethane is rumored to be child-safe when dry, but all that is from forums and blogs. I did not find that information on any official website. Several coats of shellac would do the job—but as this thread indicated, shellac is getting expensive. And it is not very durable.

 

[Michael Kellough]

Cute car!

 

[Packard]

Cute car!

Thanks. The kids played with it, and the adults think it’s cute.

I made a dog (that involved too much work) but was my most successful design. Red oak ears and tail, poplar body.