Correct sealer???

[aaron muniak]

Hello everyone, I am wondering what type of finish sealer to use on a dinning table I am making for my sister. It is made of soft maple and I just want to make sure that I use the right stuff for the job. I am a trim carpenter and this is sort of my first of these projects. Reading through alot of the forum I see that WATERLOX comes up quite a bit...safest bet??

Cheers...
Aaron.

[Joe Chritz]

I assume you are talking about a final finish in place of a sealer used as a barrier coat.

I highly recommend you get a copy of Flexner's finishing book and read it a couple times.

As for finishes that are wipe or brush on Waterlox original, Behlen's Rockhard and Pratt and lambert #38 are three very good ones. All go on about the same after thinning and each has a slightly different color when cured.

There isn't any "correct" one as each finish is best in certain applications. Without moving into spray finishing those three will give you great results, lots of flexibility and a huge leap over BORG poly.

Joe

[Scott Holmes]

None of the varnishes noted need a sealer... they all are very capable of sealing the wood. What is your reason for the sealer? Did you color the wood?

[aaron muniak]

So I guess that Ive shown that I am very new to finishing and sealer is not what i meant to say. However I have picked up some Waterlox Tung oil finish for the job. Thanks for the replies. Im sure that I will have some updates over the next few days. :)


Peace,

Aaron.

[Scott Holmes]

We all started as rookies. If you are lucky you will learn something everyday.

[Joe Chritz]

We all started as rookies. If you are lucky you will learn something everyday.

.... and after many years realize how little you really know. As with most things every bit of knowledge opens up hundreds of other avenues. It is like wandering around in Daedalus's labyrinth.

Joe

[Prashun Patel]

Not that it matters, but I think yr talking about "Waterlox Original Sealer" which is [corrected] a phenolic resin varnish. It's a varnish good and proper. It's a great product and perfect for your application. Beware, though, that it is one of the darkest varnishes you can buy, so it will amberize your maple (wives call it YELLOW). So test and get domestic approval b4 you go all out.

(Aside) I think the term 'sealer' is misleading. 'Primer' is more appropriate. Their purpose is the same as their painting primer counterparts: to help a top coat adhere to its base, and to stop the surface from drinking up too much top coat in an uneven manner

[Howard Acheson]

>>>> talking about "Waterlox Original Sealer" which is polymerized tung oil. It's a varnish good and proper.

Just a little clarification. Waterlox Original Sealer/Finish is not a polymerized tung oil. Polymerized tung oil is made by heating pure tung oil to a particular temperature that causes it to dry/cure much faster than standard pure tung oil. As you said, Waterlox Original Sealer/Finish is a standard varnish that is made by combining a phenolic resin and pure tung and heating it until the two components combine into a new compound that is called varnish. Varnish is a quite different finish from tung oil or polymerised tung oil.

According to Waterlox, the three products in their "Original" line are identical except for the amount of flatteners or deglossing material in each.

[aaron muniak]

OK, so I have done all of that. Applied 3 coats now. and im still getting small bumps in the finish. Im pretty certain that they are air bubbles. Ive tried many different ways of applying it and still seem to get the same outcome. any suggestions? also it does not seem to dry smooth, it continues to have a semi rough tacky feel to it. Not to easy to slide your hand accross it. confused!

[Scott Holmes]

Are you wiping any dust off with a rag damp with mineral spirits before you apply the finish?

Are you working in a dusty shop?

Waterlox is a slow to dry varnish but what you discribe is not the finishes fault.

Try thinning the varnish a bit and then brush it on.