Finishing Schedule

[George Bokros]

I am starting a project with some large panels, ~36" X 88". Material will be maple and maple ply. I will outline my finish schedule below

Finish Schedule
1. Sand to 220 grit
2. Apply two coats of Charles Neil Blotch Control following the directions including sanding with 320 grit after first coat and 600 grit after second coat
3. Apply either a water based stain or water based dye, not sure yet since we have not settled on color
4. Apply Zinser SealCoat to seal the surface
5. Apply water borne poly top coat, likely some General Finishes product.

I do not have spray equipment nor do I have a place I can spray.

Questions:

1. Best way to apply the SealCoat. I would like to put it on with a lambs wool pad since it covers a large area quickly.
2. Is there something better than SealCoat to use to seal the surface before applying water borne topcoat over water based stain?
3. How soon after applying the SealCoat can I apply the water based top coat? I know you can apply successive coats of shellac about 30 minutes apart.

I want to stay water based, other than shellac, for ease of clean up

Other recommendations on what to use or how to apply?

Sorry for the long post but to cover all the info and questions it was necessary.

[Prashun Patel]

Unless you are spraying, sealing in a waterbased dye with sealcoat can be tricky. If you are brushing or padding it on, it can lift or move around the dye.

If you have to hand-apply anyway, consider using an oil based wipe on varnish for the top coat. In this case, you can go straight from the dye to to the wipe-on topcoat with minimal risk of lifting and no need to pre-seal.

Now, I read a lot of your posts, George, and I see that your output is prolific. So, I humbly suggest that YOU are a great candidate for an HVLP sprayer. I also lack a good place to spray, but with waterbased topcoats, the game has changed. I can spray in my garage with a fan, with only a shower curtain to protect the wall behind the panel I'm spraying. I don't find any overspray or mess. It's hard to beat the professional look of a sprayed finish on "large panels".

[John TenEyck]

I agree with Prashun. Switch to an oil based wiping varnish and forget the Sealcoat. And I also agree that spraying is truly better for applying both dye and finish on large panels. You could forget the Charles Neil stuff if you spray the dye and for all the panels you have that savings will pay for a modest turbine rig.

John

[George Bokros]

Wish I could spray. I know spraying water based is much less problematic as far as ventilation is concerned. The issue is I live in Ohio and winters are prohibitive to use the garage if I even could. I have my other hobby in the garage, two muscle cars.

Prashun. my recent questions are on the same project so my out put is not prolific at all. My bathroom remodel took me all winter and it was only a new floor, new vanity, paint and some crown mold in the bathroom and the bathroom is small 5' x 12'.

[John TenEyck]

George, you could actually set up a temp. spray booth indoors in a spare bedroom or such. Julie M. did so a couple of years ago. It's not nearly as hard as you might first think. Plastic for a booth, paper for the floor, and an exhaust fan ducted out a window are all you need.

John