The Windex experiment

[Phil Thien]

As the heat has now been on for a few weeks, the house is once again dry to the point where the humidity is too low to apply most water-based finishes without leaving brush marks (unless you spray, which I am not setup to do at this time).

I've had mixed luck thinning water-based finishes (resulting in runs on vertical surfaces when applied with a brush).

But this last weekend I needed to finish four shelves for my daughter's closet, and wanted to use water-based.

So in preparation, I spent the last week or so experimenting with ways to get a smoother finish, and this is what I came up with.

I apply the first coat of the finish using a small detail/trim pad (the kind typically used for painting walls). I wait for it to dry, then I lightly sand to take care of the raised grain.

I then follow this procedure on subsequent coats: I use the pad and apply another coat of finish. I make sure it is even, I ignore brush marks. Once I have the finish on the piece of wood, I stand back, and lightly mist the piece with Windex.

Yeah, you heard me right. I mist it lightly with Windex.

Now I walk away and let it dry. WHATEVER YOU DO, wait for the finish/Windex to completely dry. If there are any wet spots that you brush out, you will remove all the finish from that spot.

Once the piece is dry, you will have a very smooth finish, about as good as I'm able to spray.

Vertical surfaces work, just don't apply so much Windex that it runs.

My testing of the finish durability seems to indicate no reduced strength of resistance to water/chemicals or reduction in scratch resistance.

Of course, if you're going to try this, I highly recommend you experiment with scraps.

[John TenEyck]

Phil, what made you think of that idea? In any event, which Windex - Original? And what type of paint were you using - acrylic or something else? Thanks.

John

[Phil Thien]

Phil, what made you think of that idea? In any event, which Windex - Original? And what type of paint were you using - acrylic or something else? Thanks.

John

First of all, the finish I'm doing is CLEAR. This time, it is Varathane water-based poly.

But the reason I tried Windex is because I often use it for thinning paint I'm spraying. Windex doesn't change the sheen of the paint as much as water does, and it is less expensive than many of the proprietary paint additives. If you do a little googling, you will find that Windex is a favorite paint thinner of people spraying with airbrushes, where you often have to thin A LOT.

The Varathane water-based poly is really an acrylic, probably not too dissimilar to the paints I've sprayed. So I thought, well, if the Windex works well for paint, it should work well for acrylic-based "poly." I hypothesized that it would work better than water at maintaining the sheen. Many of these acrylic-based finishes specifically tell you to avoid ammonia based cleaning products, and Windex contains ammonia. Maybe that is why it works so well as a thinner for me?

So I haven't tried this for paint, though I probably should and will in the future. I think the difference between paint, and acrylic-based clear finishes, though, is that the many paints don't try anywhere near as fast as clear water-based finishes.

But give it a try on some scraps, I'm pretty darn impressed with how it comes out. I think it has limited use. It seems particularly suited to larger surfaces. Small, complicated projects (like a box) are probably better handled with a rattle can. Maybe. But I'll test that, too.

And oh yeah, the original Windex.

[Dan Hintz]

Considering Windex is mostly water and ammonia, I'd try mixing your own and skip the expensive stuff.

[Phil Thien]

Considering Windex is mostly water and ammonia, I'd try mixing your own and skip the expensive stuff.

I don't use much of the stuff, and the wife finds coupons that get doubled and then buys when the stuff is on sale. She often comes home with 1-2 bottles that she got for free.