Emtech 2000 (Hybrivar) experience?

[David Damiano]

Has anyone had any experience with Target Coatings Emtech 2000 (formerly Hybrivar) on cherry. I'm ready to finish my shaker style kitchen cabinet doors with a natural finish. I like the warmth and pop of oil finishes on cherry and I know it is supposed to have the properties of a traditional alkyd varnish, I'm just not sure. Normally I would use BLO, shellac, then topcoat but with 20 doors I would really prefer to just spray a single product. It is also a bit pricey to order some just to do some test boards. Any info to help me decide would help.
Thanks,
David

[Jamie Buxton]

Despite being alkyd resin, Hybrivar still is kinda cool. It doesn't color the wood quite the way solvent-borne alkyd does. I'd still put a solvent-borne base coat of some sort on cherry.

[Jim Becker]

Yes, I did like the product when I used it on some cabinets. It goes on nicely, but has a longer dry time than EM6000/USL. Surprisingly pleasant odor considering it's a suspended alkyd resin varnish.

That said, I'm in line with Jamie. For what I tend to do, I just like my BLO/shellac/USL (now EM6000) regimen for color and finish. The premium for the hybrivar (Now EM2000) doesn't justify on my particular projects. But if I were spraying a lot of cherry veneer plywood and wanted to minimize the steps, it would be back in the lineup.

[Matt Meiser]

Someone recommended the BLO/shellac/EM6000 process to me for a cherry kitchen (with shaker style doors) I'm getting started on. I did a cherry vanity for our main bath and just did shellac (sealcoat) and USL and the color turned out great and has darkened a fair amount already since spring.

[Rob Cunningham]

I did some samples of Hybrivar on cherry and and was not happy with the look. It didn't give the color shift that I was looking for. Ended up using BLO, shellac, then the Hybrivar. I think Hybrivar is a great finish, just not by itself on cherry.

[Daniel Berlin]

I did some samples of Hybrivar on cherry and and was not happy with the look. It didn't give the color shift that I was looking for. Ended up using BLO, shellac, then the Hybrivar. I think Hybrivar is a great finish, just not by itself on cherry.

I agree.
The coloration reminded me of arm-r-seal, so I did samples of hybrivar vs arm-r-seal on bare cherry the a little while ago, and they came out identical.

Since then i've been using hybrivar as a water-based replacement for arm-r-seal when i want to wipe on a finish (I love arm-r-seal, but cleanup and fixing the occasional drip or whatever it can be a pain, where it's easy with water based stuff)