Michael Dresdner » waterbased

Michael — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 14:00:25 +0000

Q: I am finishing alder with Daly’s Benite and CrystalFin, spraying with a Fuji gun and #55 needle. I have been using water damp cloths as tack rags. I am getting white spots in the dried finish. Most areas are fine, but some of the areas look like white overspray. The spots are down in the cured finish. I did not apply a sealer. Could this be an issue?
A: Probably not. The most common cause of white in waterbased coatings comes from applying it too heavily, or working in conditions where the water does not have time to evaporate before the finish starts to cure. Try spraying thinner coats, work on days when the humidity is low, or add a slowing solvent to the finish.

Just a shmear

Michael — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 14:00:59 +0000

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 you wiped the dye originally. It is also worth noting that some dye stains contain a binder that will prevent this. Others don’t.

Cleanup in aisle two

Michael — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 14:00:40 +0000

Q: I’m using a water based urethane acrylic lacquer. Can I leave the stuff it in the spray gun (HVLP) in between coats, or do I have to clean the gun every time?
A: Most waterbased finish clog gun tips sooner than you would expect, and cleaning the gun can be very troublesome if the finish does set up in it. I prefer to empty the gun and at least blow clean water through it right after spraying. It’s fast, cheap and is good insurance. I’d do a more thorough cleaning once you are done spraying for the day.

India ink for ebony

Michael — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 14:00:46 +0000

Q: I’m planning to ebonize a project using India ink. Is there anything I should know before I tackle this, such as warnings about curing times or lap marks?
A: Use waterbased India ink as opposed to oil based, and treat it as you would any stain; flood it on liberally, then wipe it all off while it is still wet, leaving only what the wood was able to absorb. That flood on, wipe off method will eliminate lap marks. Like all waterbased materials, drying times depend on humidity, so drying can be from a few minutes to many hours. Fortunately, the wood will look and feel different dry than it does wet, so you should have no problem on that score. And as always, try this and any new finishing method on scrap first.

No fade, no shade

Michael — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 14:00:10 +0000

Q: We are in the process of making a dining room table out of solid padauk and purpleheart, and wanted to know the best way to finish it. We would love to be able to keep the colors of the natural wood, without ambering over time. A clear, durable finish would be great as well.
A: For a clear durable finish that will not amber over time use a waterbased polyurethane. It goes on clear and will not amber. For more durability, use a cross linking waterbased floor finish. However, neither of those will prevent the sun fading the wood. For that you’d want an exterior waterbased finish that contains UV absorbers and blockers, but it will be softer and not as durable. Even at that, it will only delay the fading of the wood colors, not stop it entirely. Sadly, finishing, like life, is full of tough choices.

Gel dye

Michael — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 14:00:51 +0000

Q: I am trying to find the gel base for water based dyes. Do you have formula or resource to this gel base, and does anyone make water base dye gels?
A: I used to. Back in the late 80’s to 1995, my wife ran a company called Clearwater Color Company, making waterbased gel dye stains for woodworkers based on a patent pending formula of mine. We eventually sold the company and it continued for a few more years, but I am told it has now dissolved. I have thought about once again offering the stains if there proved to be enough desire for them, but to date, I have not had enough call to do so. To the best of my knowledge, no one else ever offered a waterbased dye in a gel form. Unfortunately, it is not as simple as adding dye to a gel base; the entire mixture was somewhat delicate to create and the various components had to be added in just the right sequence for it to work. Incidentally, I still have some containers of the stain, now 15 years old, and it still works fine.

Be still my (purple) heart

Michael — Mon, 17 May 2010 14:00:30 +0000

Q: Is there a wiping finish I can use that will retain the color after staining purpleheart purple?
A: The problem with wiping finishes in general is that they are almost all oil based. Even some waterbased ones are actually oil and water emulsions. Thus, they tend to dry with a slight amber cast, and adding amber to purple makes it browner. To keep the purple color, your best bet is a waterbased acrylic, which is clear, or a waterbased polyurethane, which is slightly purple gray or blue gray. Either will hold the color well, but neither works well as a wipe on finish. On the other hand, both spray on beautifully and are available in aerosol cans.

Wax on, wax off

Michael — Wed, 05 May 2010 14:00:42 +0000

Q: My oak floor has a factory wax finish from 1982. Can it be refinished using a polyurethane? How do you know the wax is completely removed?
A: Scrubbing the floor thoroughly with mineral spirits on a nylon abrasive pad and wiping the residue with paper shop towels will remove any surface wax. After that, you can sand back to raw wood and refinish, or go over the existing finish with the product described in yesterday’s blog post.

Topping off the floor

Michael — Tue, 04 May 2010 14:00:20 +0000

Q: It been about six years since I’ve had my hardwood floors installed. I want to apply a couple of coats waterbased polyurethane sealer to the floor but I’m not sure whether the installer used oil or water.
A: Several companies offer special waterbased floor finishing kits designed to go over any type of floor finish without having to sand. For example, Varathane makes a very good one called the Varathane Renewal Kit. http://www.rustoleum.com/CBGProduct.asp?pid=67

In the buff

Michael — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 14:00:12 +0000

Q: Can I buff waterbased acrylic and be able to get a fair shine?
A: Certainly, assuming you started with gloss acrylic. However, it will be much easier, and you’ll get a much better shine, if you wait until the finish is not just dry, but cured. Waterbased finishes generally take about a month to cure.