Finish Suggestions for Toy Chest

[Steve Reeps]

Hello to all. I have been reading this forum for about 8 months and the advice you all give is great.

I have just finished building a Toy chest for my nephew. It is made from Pine with a Minwax Ebony finish. (to match the decor of their house). I am looking for suggestions on the finish. I just got a Fuji HVLP and I am very new to spray finishing. Any suggestions or advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks

[Jim Becker]

For spraying, I personally prefer water borne products; both for safety and for ease of cleanup. I generally use Target Coatings (http://targetcoatings.com) products, typically what is now called the EM6000. I don't suggest spraying oil-based products as the over-spray is a major sticky mess and for most folks, spraying solvent-based lacquer is just plain unsafe in a home shop environment. Please note that through this evening (18 Dec 2009), there is a 30% off promo code available at Target Coatings... DEC1809

BTW, welcome to SMC. An please post photos of your finished project in the Woodworking Projects Forum once you get it done!

[Steve Reeps]

Thanks for the advice. can you recommend anything that will be available locally. I am very pressed for time, as I am trying to complete for Christmas.

[Jamie Buxton]

My HVLP system (an Accuspray) doesn't spray well into concave things, like the inside of a box. The system puts out so much air that most of the finish gets blown back out of the box, and what remains is pretty rough. Since you already have the box glued up, I'd suggest a wipe-on varnish for the interior, or even a brush.

[Jim Becker]

I'd suggest a wipe-on varnish for the interior, or even a brush.

I do not recommend an oil-based finish for the interior of the chest...the off-gassing will last "forever" and that can mean smelly toys, especially stuffed animals and the like.

If fast and local is the need, then Zinsser SealCoat (Shellac) sprays very nicely for the exterior and can be brushed or wiped on the interior. Another option for "local" would be Minwax Polycrylic. It's an "ok" finish, despite having some poly in it... ;)

[Steve Reeps]

Thanks,
I ended up spraying a waterbased poly. I will post pics as soon as I have it fully assembled.

[Howard Acheson]

As you are new to spraying I strongly suggest that your first step is to ask Santa for Spray Finishing by Andy Charron. You can get it at Amazon.

Be sure to learn and practice on scrap or cardboard boxes before you attempt to finish a real item. There is a lot more to spray painted than just pulling the trigger.