In Need of Suggestions for Clear Coating Wood

[Scott Balboa]

Hello everyone! I frequent the Engraving forum but figured this question is better suited for REAL woodworkers! I'll try to keep it short and simple...

I have bare woods ranging from 1/4" to 1/2" that I need to be able to clear coat nicely, quickly, and cheaply. Esentially we will be vector-cutting these into shapes and don't want it to look and feel like raw, unfinished wood. We will mostly be working with Poplar bought at the local Lowes in single strips.

I myself have limited experience working with wood finishes, but suggested to my business partner we look into the spray clear-coat as it might be an easier, quicker way to get the job done. Note - we are not looking for a thick high-gloss finish, but a simple, "slight-sheen" that seals the wood and looks and feels a step above the raw product. We are really looking at keeping this short and sweet, labor-wise, so several days worth of sanding and coating is not an option. I am familiar with some of the basics, but I guess my real question is this:

Are spray clear-coats any good? If so, what is a reasonable good product/brand?

Is the sand, apply, cure, sand, apply, cure, etc. method applicable to the sprays as well?

If spray-products suck, would I just be better off with a foam brush and a can of polyurethane?

I have heard something about dampening the wood before applying the first coat, as it opens up the grain. Is this true for woods like Poplar?


Any ideas or additional help would be awesome. Thank you!

[John A langley]

I would use a water white precat lac. Two coats would be more than enough. The first coat will dry in 30-45 minutes, a light sanding and the second coat will be good to the touch in 30 minutes. Package and wrap in 4-5 hours. You can buy it in a 20-sheen which is a pretty low sheen. I use either ML Campbells or Valspar. Those two are more or less commercial brands - Sherwin Williams has a good one you can buy at their stores. I would invest in a HVLP gravity fed gun. You can hook it directly to your air line if the air is dry. That is about the quickest way that I know of to get a good looking finish on.

[doug faist]

Scott - I routinely spray Enduro water-based acrylic with a Critter Gun (about $40 at Amazon) with excellent results. I spray about three coats an hour in decent weather (over 65 degrees) with a light sanding after the second coat. The results are quite good.

Of course, YMMV.

Have fun with your project.

Doug

[Tony Bilello]

I would use a vinyl sealer and 2 coats of pre-cat lacquer
Let the sealer dry about 45 minutes. If the surface feels rough, I will sand. If it feels smooth, i will go right to the first coat of pre-cat lacquer. It should feel dry to the touch in about 5 minutes or less but I will wait a total of 10 minutes before I give it the second/final coat.
The size and quantity of the pieces in question would dictate the size and type of gun. HVLP will only consume about 1/2 of what a conventional gun will. The excess disappears into the atmosphere.

[Mike Adler]

Can you dip it in a gallon can of shellac and then a quick brush, are the pieces small enough?
or you can get lacquer in a spray can at any box store - both of these dry very quick.

[Scott Holmes]

Hi Scott,


Are spray clear-coats any good? If so, what is a reasonable good product/brand?

The brands mentioned are all acceptable.

Is the sand, apply, cure, sand, apply, cure, etc. method applicable to the sprays as well?

Yes and no, although spray may require 3 or 4 coats you only need to sand before the last coat.

If spray-products suck, would I just be better off with a foam brush and a can of polyurethane?

Not a chance.


I have heard something about dampening the wood before applying the first coat, as it opens up the grain. Is this true for woods like Poplar?

This is to pre-raise the grain... some believe this; if you are using water-borne finishes.

I say if you use a WB, give it 2-3 coats, then lightly sand; the raised grain will be locked and stiff; very easy to remove. AND you will not re-exposed fresh wood that will raise.

[Jim Becker]

I would use a vinyl sealer and 2 coats of pre-cat lacquer
Let the sealer dry about 45 minutes. If the surface feels rough, I will sand. If it feels smooth, i will go right to the first coat of pre-cat lacquer. It should feel dry to the touch in about 5 minutes or less but I will wait a total of 10 minutes before I give it the second/final coat.
The size and quantity of the pieces in question would dictate the size and type of gun. HVLP will only consume about 1/2 of what a conventional gun will. The excess disappears into the atmosphere.


I would use a water white precat lac. Two coats would be more than enough. The first coat will dry in 30-45 minutes, a light sanding and the second coat will be good to the touch in 30 minutes. Package and wrap in 4-5 hours. You can buy it in a 20-sheen which is a pretty low sheen. I use either ML Campbells or Valspar. Those two are more or less commercial brands - Sherwin Williams has a good one you can buy at their stores. I would invest in a HVLP gravity fed gun. You can hook it directly to your air line if the air is dry. That is about the quickest way that I know of to get a good looking finish on.

These are great products but unless one has proper spraying facilities and personal protection, they are not exactly a safe choice to use, especially in a home shop.

There are so many good water borne products available today that look very good, spray easily and provide a host of desirable properties, depending on what is needed for a given project.

[Scott Balboa]

Thanks for all the help.

Using a spray gun, while handy, is not feasible where I am. In fact, just finding a dry spot where I can spray these is hard since our office is not equipped for such things...

J. Scott Holmes: Thanks for answering each question! Many thanks.

[Jerry Olexa]

Consider shellac. Easy to apply. Dries in 15 minutes. Quick.Efficient..