Finishing question

[Hoang Nguyen]

I'm a building a closet system for my wife. I using a prefinished cherry plywood by Norbert. The manufacture states that it's an epoxy coating. The sheen looks like semi gloss.

http://www.norbord.com/HP_PrefinishedPlywood_features.htm

I'm using 1X2 cherry wood for face frame. I would like have suggestions on how to closely match this finish. I know nothing about finishing (or ww for that matter.) A professional ww recommended that I just spray on 3 coats of lacquer. My problem is that it's winter. It's too cold to spray outside. I don't have any ventalation system for indoor spraying. I don't want to wait until spring to start finishing the face frame.

My thought is to just install the unfinished face frame now. When it's warm enough, I'll open all the window in the room, and use a brush on clear lacquer on the unfinished face frame. Although, I don't know how long it will take to clear out the smell.

Is there a good option to apply a finish on something that is installed in a closet? I can live with the colors not exactly matching. I'm assuming in time, that the color will darken to a similar color using a clear finish. I'm concern about odor and easy of application. I guess something watebase is the way to go. Or just wax?

[keith ouellette]

I wouldn't try to spray in the house. Not even an aerosol can. You won't believe how the spray travels. I would take a scrap piece of cherry and put a couple of coats of wipe on semi gloss poly and see how it matches (I am assuming it is natural cherry ply and natural wood. No stain). Wipe on poly is easy to use and should give you good results.

[Steve Schoene]

I'd use shellac to finish the face frame. The odor will disappear quickly, and not be objectional before that. It dries quickly, and the solvent is mostly ethanol and quite a bit less noxious than lacquer solvents. An oil based finish, traditional resin or polyurethane resin could have odors that linger quite a while in an enclosed space such as a closet. No need for polyurethane anyway, its best use is floors where it's resistance to heavy abrasion is a benefit. Waterborne finishes wouldn't have an odor problem, but wouldn't wet out the cherry like I expect the epoxy did and might look rather different.

[Richard M. Wolfe]

Ditto on the shellac recommendation. Since the solvent is alcohol in a half hour all odor should be gone. Zinsser's Sealcoat is made as a sealer for woods and may come close as far as matching the luster so it may be all you need. If you use something like a varnish, in a closet you may be smelling it for months.

[Hoang Nguyen]

Thanks all. I picked up some clear shellac today. I let you know how it turns out.