What finish can I use over Waterlox

[Frank Martin]

Couple months ago I used High Gloss Waterlox for couple coats on a small table I was building. Finally got around to sanding it and need at least another couple coats. However, I am really low on Waterlox and realized there aren't anyone in Los Angeles area that carry Waterlox. The closest one is Woodcraft but they don't have High Gloss.

What other finish I can use for the remaining coats over Waterlox? I have Target Coatings EM2000 on hand, but not sure if it is compatible with Waterlox.

[Brian Kent]

You will get good answers over in the "Project Finishing" forum. I could make a guess but they will actually know the right answer over there.

I just noticed you are from So Cal. It is really difficult to get Waterlox around here. I went to many different stores before finally ordering online.

[Jim Becker]

Frank, you can us any oil based varnish for additional coats if you want or the EM2000. If the Waterlox is fully cured, you can likely spray the EM2000 directly after you scuff the surface of the existing finish. You could also use a thin barrier coat of de-waxed shellac to insure adhesion. Regardless, you need to insure that the existing finish is absolutely clean and oil (including finger oils) free for best results.

Waterlox is hard to find in many geographies...

[Frank Martin]

You will get good answers over in the "Project Finishing" forum. I could make a guess but they will actually know the right answer over there.

I just noticed you are from So Cal. It is really difficult to get Waterlox around here. I went to many different stores before finally ordering online.

Brian, I checked Waterlox website where they list dealers, only found a Woodcraft that was open on Saturday and they did not have The High Gloss version. I moved to So Cal from Chicago, where I had several sources within 5 miles, not here...



Frank, you can us any oil based varnish for additional coats if you want or the EM2000. If the Waterlox is fully cured, you can likely spray the EM2000 directly after you scuff the surface of the existing finish. You could also use a thin barrier coat of de-waxed shellac to insure adhesion. Regardless, you need to insure that the existing finish is absolutely clean and oil (including finger oils) free for best results.

Waterlox is hard to find in many geographies...

Jim,

Thanks for the suggestions. I had a can of Waterlox Original Sealer/Finish, which I thought was softer and should not be applied over the High Gloss base. Then I decided to search to see if this was true. Sure enough there was a post here by someone from Waterlox stating that Sealer/Finish is not really softer than others. Therefore, I decided to go ahead and use that for the remaining coats. I have applied 3 coats so far. I will likely apply one last coat and let it cure for 2 weeks before rubbing out with #0000 steel wool and wax. Once this is over, I will completely switch over to Target Coatings waterborne finishes.