Your favorite water based spray finish?

[Alan Kalker]

I am switching to spray finishing. Because it will be in a spray booth in my shop, my reading suggests a nonflammable water based lacquer is the safest way to go. Looking through old posts, it looks like it has been a while since anyone directly posted a question about which water based spray finishes they favor along with any suggestions on their use to address specific finishes' quirks.

My question then is what is your go-to water based spray lacquer? I am building things like side tables, nightstands, music stands, dressers etc.
Thanks

[John TenEyck]

General Finishes Enduro Clear Poly. Hands down. Incredibly easy to spray, flows out beautifully, and dries to a smooth, water clear finish that is hard and durable.

John

[Andy Giddings]

Haven't tried the Enduro Clear Poly but Enduro Var is great for spraying if you want an Amber tint. Also, GF High Performance is an excellent clear finish - not as resistant to chemicals as Enduro Poly.

[Jim Becker]

I've only used Target Coatings EM6000 and EM 2000 to-date, but plan on trying the SW Kem Aqua at some point based on favorable comments I've read here.

[Prashun Patel]

I have used a couple gallons of enduro clear poly and find it as John says. It is very forgiving.

[Gary Muto]

Haven't tried the Enduro Clear Poly but Enduro Var is great for spraying if you want an Amber tint. Also, GF High Performance is an excellent clear finish - not as resistant to chemicals as Enduro Poly.

Enduro Var is nice but only on fresh surface. I do a lot of refinishing so I wind up using High Performance Poly since it can go over just about anything (especially with a layer of sanding sealer). I don't know for sure about Enduro Poly but Enduro Var is not campatible with many finishes.

[John TenEyck]

You can put EnduroVar over Sealcoat shellac w/o problems. GF used to say it was OK, then changed their story a few years ago. I've been using it for 5+ years w/o problems and it almost always goes over Sealcoat.

HP Poly is a nice product as long as you don't need chemical durability.


John

[Bill Adamsen]

Like Andy mentioned, the Enduro Var is very easy (and forgiving) to spray, comes in a variety of sheen and has the amber tint that some find desirable. It is a cross-linked urethane and very durable. GF also has a waterborne Conversion Varnish. These products are only available from the distributor in my area. Haven't tried the Enduro Clear Poly mentioned by Prashun and John but their endorsement would make it an excellent choice as well.

I would add that I have never had a general adhesion failure with the Enduro var which is a noted feature of some high VOC Conversion Varnishes (too thick application).

[Bill Adamsen]

So I thought I should update my endorsement based on something that happened yesterday (captured in a different thread in this forum). I have lately been using Enduro Var for most of my clear finishes and though I rarely refinish, I had not had a compatibility issue. And this included spraying over some well-prepped UV cured clear coats. Yesterday I found a substrate that the Enduro Var would not adhere to. Not really a big issue in that particular instance, but it could have been. I'm going to try John's suggested approach to "fix" and will experiment with the Enduro clear poly where appropriate. I still think Enduro Var is a great product for new projects.

[Alan Kalker]

Thanks so much for the above. For the General Finishes water based products, for ventilation do you still need an explosion proof fan or will an ordinary fan covered by a filter be OK?
Thanks again

[Prashun Patel]

Have any of you used Endurovar FLAT sheen? I am intrigued by this.

[Andy Giddings]

Thanks so much for the above. For the General Finishes water based products, for ventilation do you still need an explosion proof fan or will an ordinary fan covered by a filter be OK?
Thanks again
Fan with filter works, Alan. You just need to move the air to stop the overspray settling back on your work

[John TenEyck]

Have any of you used Endurovar FLAT sheen? I am intrigued by this.


No, but I've used several gallons of Clear Poly in flat sheen. I like it a lot. But beware that it mutes the grain. That can be a benefit or completely undesirable, depending upon what you are after. This is probably the best photo I have that shows the sheen.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/2d7rYyqKzLWF9UvbZpg14QDTOtfn6DFnykU6TDbsO2tj3Nhwfw vP0Nrn3FQJOwSJ207sVFs75XmIqMJ0N5eEofQ8t53a1pX8onNE RaLhMv4TJ7lckVqsj_8CSSrKwtQMvk9zBVfpEwRdA9zsMZrBJJ-tFcwSZKGEZk-oTIZV7PhSUdPtdVjdDl-GA8iY9JS8auzoftSY6qf28Qn3sgS7UwIXJ_YoEIDpzhKJti3EB omls5kRwuDhRAqyG5wa6VWhcAntcTK6xiM_0PWa6wFDYPVe1Qp WhKnYnJdOo90pC67xoacztYqgsaisNMSc5cIPBtzm2CthTsYW7 CJyuQglPP67BtyobsWEM5HueEZU3l3ZxNJyCaUAJrICYhqPbZA F9GPOZSzZwh0lFFF9Zaj1dwy1c8Z1aKjZixAO11C28IOYRxQNt d9RKnm_KHMgGdCY1zfV8rRN5LhkpsjniMy0vA4TdK1x3_jjgMO E02RyUbEjdqwp778I71LrtH-riSUy7ZomffyJdqYHU8vKcQhKbb3Gh8oJXD18dpXDyXY29-tVFRmfI4KGLk_46W_B-wPHjK322lGj48J7FNqtKuWDnkxDsvQFRw-RNAfpL6USBKKrGTF_SBTRFnts=w838-h628-no

And here's one of what it looks like over paint.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/eOfzRLxwyuIEgskuDdzVlsKeaM_YJmHJSGHkVMneNzr9Im5yU7 qBbGAlWT5vAqRIagMIEG4tl_NpeDSeowokR5KqTGV51iBuexXW HNpfRA99hpWTag5Kpox57ctSDChc-Que_YCCKz1TZnnrZiWg2VIe5KkzyYhUld6uq-t-SUp7olbTrvDmi5UzIYmDFeEJKKyxpKnK-MAtyvNeRCYUAWedGDuwObLk1KLQo0DEKOtkJmf9vMrf8yXub_5 yJPGi-ZJjMCoYSzmWCt7LJwpXujjIUva_fUwLPzfJ1Tw4WV8_HvftLFN WwATUeF8Z8kLF0tejutRP06es62HJgDBr2ec283htSFvjIR31a uSj6EaHKNzaN-pg_TNipXlikjCy3CRFC-qAsC0nToosvXnofpWJXgEt_JR2hjoG_dEN1PURtqPqSvodpAM2 qBT-XGE6CSFzPjFRnTng0ldZ8N6P0mBEcaQNoP7j1nddKnDx0OFkNB OpMHnJ3Ul5U2KmV-kIc-JVGyvAS36aD2ygl5oRDrvBsM7IlAA1226sOOjpAmkh0WrXv-3V1vsLZ5rvKuiNOpugW0-1TX5houXzaEq9Va8u7yMWMqA2t4JDmquFgou6o97INCmqRaUnk s1cbFFMHYnQZVdUQCmS5CQrX3jjNqbWHKgsryQLs--WKhZab-uF5oo=w838-h628-no

John

[Prashun Patel]

Thanks John. I appreciate the photos.

[Alan Kalker]

Again, much thanks to all

[Hoang N Nguyen]

I'm a fan of Kem Aqua+, it's been my go to finish since I've discovered it. Sprays beautifully with my Fuji Q5, levels out glass smooth and can be re-coated within half an hour with no sanding in between coats. Kem Aqua surfacer is their line of primer and it works just like their paint. Sands to a nice powder and half an hour for re-coating. I can usually lay down 2 coats of surfacer and 2 finish coats within 3 hours. This includes time spent sanding the surfacer and cleaning up dust before next coat.

[Prashun Patel]

Hoang-
I'm doing a kitchen table project right now. Have you tested Kem Aqua for chemical or liquid resistance?

[Hoang N Nguyen]

Hoang-
I'm doing a kitchen table project right now. Have you tested Kem Aqua for chemical or liquid resistance?

I've never used it on a kitchen table before. I'll be happy to test it out for you though. I have a good bit of left over paint and can rub some house cleaner on it once a day for a few weeks to see how well it holds up.

[Ian Scofield]

I've never used it on a kitchen table before. I'll be happy to test it out for you though. I have a good bit of left over paint and can rub some house cleaner on it once a day for a few weeks to see how well it holds up.

I'd really be interested in the results from this. Just bought my Q5 and so I'm looking to find my go to finish to spray as I have quite a few projects lined up that could benefit from a finish that does have that level of durability / resistance.

[John TenEyck]

I recommended Kem Aqua Plus to a friend based on favorable reviews here by Hoang and another member, and because of its UV package. He sprayed it on hard maple with a 3 or 4 stage Fuji, whatever one gives you about 8 or 9 psi. He could not get a smooth finish no matter what. I figured he just didn't know how to spray very well, so I got the can from him and sprayed a couple of pieces of hard maple with my pressure assisted Qualspray conversion HVLP gun. This gun sprays everything I've tried in it beautifully. Conditions in my shop were ideal at 65 - 70 F and 55% RH. Results were marginal at best in terms of flatness, and really poor for hardness. It was barely hard enough in 2 hours to sand w/o sticking on my 400 grit sandpaper. Even a week later it was not as hard as GF Enduro Clear Poly is in a couple of hours. Maybe it was bad product. I don't know; I've got no track with it to compare it to. I've never had a bad gallon of GF product.

I gave my friend a gallon of Enduro Clear Poly I had and he sprayed some samples. The next day he ordered a 5 gallon pail and is now laying down a beautiful finish with it on his kitchen cabinets. I'm not trying to bad mouth Kem Aqua Plus, just reporting our results.

John

[Hoang N Nguyen]

I recommended Kem Aqua Plus to a friend based on favorable reviews here by Hoang and another member, and because of its UV package. He sprayed it on hard maple with a 3 or 4 stage Fuji, whatever one gives you about 8 or 9 psi. He could not get a smooth finish no matter what. I figured he just didn't know how to spray very well, so I got the can from him and sprayed a couple of pieces of hard maple with my pressure assisted Qualspray conversion HVLP gun. This gun sprays everything I've tried in it beautifully. Conditions in my shop were ideal at 65 - 70 F and 55% RH. Results were marginal at best in terms of flatness, and really poor for hardness. It was barely hard enough in 2 hours to sand w/o sticking on my 400 grit sandpaper. Even a week later it was not as hard as GF Enduro Clear Poly is in a couple of hours. Maybe it was bad product. I don't know; I've got no track with it to compare it to. I've never had a bad gallon of GF product.

I gave my friend a gallon of Enduro Clear Poly I had and he sprayed some samples. The next day he ordered a 5 gallon pail and is now laying down a beautiful finish with it on his kitchen cabinets. I'm not trying to bad mouth Kem Aqua Plus, just reporting our results.

John

That's interesting to hear John. I've never had an issue with KA+ but than again I've only sprayed about 10 gallons of it.

What wet mil thickness are you spraying it at? KA+ recommends 4 wet mil, anymore than that and it will either run or take longer to cure if at all. Less than 3-4 wet mil and it doesn't have enough time to flow out before drying. Fan pattern, fluid rate and air pressure all play an important role in how well KA+ will spray. I also add 10% GF extender in each pot before spraying as well. KA dries extremely fast so the extender is almost a must, I've never sprayed without it so I can't say how it reacts without.

I've read of a few people having issues spraying it over at the FOG (festool forum) but they've always had their issues resolved. There's a guy over there name Tom that sprays about 100 gallons of KA yearly and he knows almost everything about it. He was the one that introduced me to it and has helped me get great results with the product. Although I've never had any issues because I asked all the questions up front and did a good bit of reading on it over at the FOG.

[John TenEyck]

Thanks for the input Hoang. I sprayed 3 - 4 mils. At less than 3 mils and it didn't flow out worth a hoot. At 5+ it looked like a plastic film. So you added GF Extender to get it to flow out well? Ok, I can see how that would help. But how did you get it to dry so quickly? It sure didn't for us. Maybe the temp. was higher and/or the RH lower? And were you satisfied with the hardness? I could scratch it off with my finger nail even a couple of days after spraying. It was incredibly clear, I will say that, even the medium rubbed effect we used.

That's the thing about Enduro Clear Poly; you don't have to add anything to it, or thin it, or even hit a narrow wet mil thickness. It sprays great straight from the can over a pretty wide range of gun conditions, flows out well at both light and heavy coats and dries fast and hard. If you have not yet tried it, I would be very interested in your comments after you do. Hint.

John

[Hoang N Nguyen]

Thanks for the input Hoang. I sprayed 3 - 4 mils. At less than 3 mils and it didn't flow out worth a hoot. At 5+ it looked like a plastic film. So you added GF Extender to get it to flow out well? Ok, I can see how that would help. But how did you get it to dry so quickly? It sure didn't for us. Maybe the temp. was higher and/or the RH lower? And were you satisfied with the hardness? I could scratch it off with my finger nail even a couple of days after spraying. It was incredibly clear, I will say that, even the medium rubbed effect we used.

That's the thing about Enduro Clear Poly; you don't have to add anything to it, or thin it, or even hit a narrow wet mil thickness. It sprays great straight from the can over a pretty wide range of gun conditions, flows out well at both light and heavy coats and dries fast and hard. If you have not yet tried it, I would be very interested in your comments after you do. Hint.

John

Hang on, are we talking about the same product here? Are you referring to KA clear or KA+ white? KA clear is their line of clear coat, KA+ white is the "paint" line and can be tinted to almost any color. The KA+ white tinted to different colors was the only product I've ever sprayed, that and KA surfacer. I've never tried their KA clear before but read it sprays the same as KA+ white.

My shop conditions when spraying is around 70-75 degree with 55% RH. Humidity is controlled by a dehumidifier in my shop, temp is controlled with A/C.

The true test of durability is my built-ins. It's survived the torture of my 2 year old running his toys on it and into it for a few months now without showing signs of wear.

I've never tried GF Enduro clear poly but have to give it a shot next time I need a clear finish. I'm a big fan of GF gel stain and Arm-R-Seal. I just finished a table a few months using GF dye stain plus their high performance clear and really like it. The finish has held up to the abuse of my son banging his toys on it without peeling but the there's dents all over the wood.

[John TenEyck]

Hoang, I think the rest of us are talking about clear coats, although the OP didn't exactly specify.

John

[Prashun Patel]

Thanks for the clarification, Hoang. Yes, I am talking about the clear coat. My neighbor's installer used it on his bathroom cabinet doors, and I loved how it looked.

[Hoang N Nguyen]

oops!! I've never used the clear so I can't be of any help. Only sprayed the paint line of KA+