Michael Dresdner

straight talk about wood finishing

Archive for the 'compatibility' Category

Compatibility

Thursday, September 2nd, 2010

Q: A friend told me that he used nitrocellulose sanding sealer on wood, and then finished it over with an automotive two part clear coat. Does this seem possible? To me it just sounds like the two different systems will not go together.
A: You are correct in worrying about incompatible systems, but as luck would [...]

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Acetone and the VOC question

Tuesday, August 31st, 2010

Q: I found some conflicting information on thinning nitrocellulose lacquer. Some very good finishers use straight acetone while others write of using lacquer thinner. I realize lacquer thinner is a soup so there are many possible formulations, but generally I was wondering how acetone might behave differently from thinner.
A: Acetone, a ketone, is one component [...]

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Glazy days of summer

Monday, August 30th, 2010

Q: I’ve stained and sealed with Zinsser SealCoat and plan to glaze with a Van Dyke oil-based glaze. I wanted to top with Zar Interior Polyurethane antique flat, but Zar says polyurethane will delaminate off either the glaze or SealCoat, which has no wax, but may contain stearates. Now what?
A: First, SealCoat contains no stearates [...]

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Epoxy over shellac

Friday, August 27th, 2010

Q: Can epoxy go over shellac?
A: It depends on the epoxy. Most contain either alcohols or amines, either of which will bond to shellac, but because epoxy formulas can vary so widely, it would be best to either know more about the formulation you are using, or do a sample followed by a cross hatch [...]

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Over pre-catalyzed

Saturday, August 21st, 2010

Q: Can you apply brushing lacquer over sprayed pre-catalyzed lacquer?
A: That depends on the pre-catalyzed finish, and how long it has been cured. In some cases you can; in others you risk cracking and wrinkling. Because it is so risky without knowing a whole lot more about the particular coating involved than anyone outside the [...]

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Oil based lacquer?

Thursday, August 19th, 2010

Q: Can I put oil based wiping polyurethane over oil based spray lacquer?
A: The simple answer to your question is yes, you can put oil based polyurethane, whether wiped, brushed or sprayed, over almost anything, including lacquer. For the record, though, lacquer is, by definition, an evaporative finish, while oil based finishes are, by definition, [...]

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A shade more glycerin

Thursday, August 12th, 2010

Q: I just obtained two small table lamps made of burl and the lampshades are of what appears to be birdseye maple veneer. The veneer is fabric backed and very brittle. As a result there are some small voids and cracks in each shade. I plan to back the voids with wood putty and then [...]

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Just a shmear

Friday, August 6th, 2010

Q: If I brush on a final finish, will it cause water based dye stain to bleed into the finish on the brush and smear?
A: Water soluble dye can bleed onto a brush loaded with waterbased finish. Whether that will be enough to smear the stain also depends on your brushing technique and how aggressively [...]

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To seal or not to seal

Wednesday, August 4th, 2010

Q: Should I apply a sanding sealer after staining maple? I read that you cannot use sanding sealer under a sprayed precatalyzed spray lacquer which is what I was thinking of finishing with.
A: That’s half true; stearated sealers, which are one type of sealer, are not compatible under most catalyzed finishes. You must have a [...]

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Dye another day

Monday, August 2nd, 2010

Q: I am about to start staining and finishing my new maple kitchen cabinets. I decided to use a dye stain. On my sample pieces I applied a wood conditioner then lightly sanded, then applied the stain to the color I wanted.
A: Dyes work best on raw wood. Wood conditioners work by inhibiting stain absorption. [...]

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