Anchorseal vs. Anchorseal 2

[Ned Ladner]

I just received a gallon of Anchorseal 2 but haven't used any yet. Then a few minutes ago, I happened to read a post in another thread in which someone commented that Anchorseal 2 is not as good as the original.

Comments from anyone that has experience with both?

[Scott Hackler]

That "post" is correct as far as I am concerned. The formula in AS2 isn't as thick and does NOT work for me as well. I will be searching out the originial formula before thinking about buying AS2 again. Loads of end grain checking. The first AS worked fantastic.

[David Dobbs]

Titebond cut by one 1/4 works very well much better than AS2 an cheaper.

[Faust M. Ruggiero]

I have no problems with the AS2. Maybe it varies by the climate we live in. I am in NE PA and the weather is humid more so than not. That helps the blanks hold their moisture.
faust

[Don McClure]

Here in upstate South Carolina, I have found AS 1 to be the best for keeping fresh cut blanks. I purchase it in 5 gallon bucket direct from the company. That being said, I use AS 2 for my rough turned bowls after soanking them in DNA. This seems to allow them to dry out at a controlled rate in brown paper bags. So I use both types.

[Bernie Weishapl]

I don't use AS2 anymore. I buy the orginal from here. http://www.uccoatings.com/products/anchorseal I know out here in Kansas AS2 is not even close to the original.

[Bob Bergstrom]

I've had more bowls crack with AS2. than I ever did with AS1. I have had to apply multiple coats to achieve the same coverage as AS1. I would return it and order the good stuff.

[steven carter]

Ditto on the no more AS 2. I will not buy it again. Even 2 coats do not work as well as one coat of AS 1.

[William Bachtel]

I have used anchorseal (original) or no l formula, for years no problems whatsoever, then the company sent me the no . 2 and that stuff is trash, all my bowl blanks cracked, and my logs at my sawmill also cracked, I had to send l5 gallons back and exchange for the original formula . Now that I am back on the original formula everything is all good again. They have a very good product, if you stay with the original. I have sealed over l000 bowl blanks with the no l, or original formula, and no problems.

[Pat Scott]

I had more bowls crack last year than I've ever had. I wondered what I was doing wrong although I hadn't changed anything in how I process and rough out blanks. It's sickening to spend all that time processing logs and roughing out blanks only to get big cracks in them a week or two later. And I was getting cracks in places on a bowl that I've never had cracked before. It happened with Maple, Walnut, almost everything. I thought it must be the time of year and I should have waiting until Fall to get logs. I tried coating blanks with AS2 and then paper bag them (double protection). That helped. Then I read with AS2 you're suppose to put 2 coats on. I never put two coats with AS1 so that kind of irritated me that I'd have to spend more time and use more AS2 recoating everything.

Then I read other posts saying AS2 wasn't as good as AS1. I was actually relieved to read that and know it wasn't me doing something wrong! I never thought Anchorseal was the problem because I had such good results with AS1. So now I looked forward to putting 2 coats of AS2 on everything just so I can use it up! I have just a little AS2 left from my 5 gallon bucket, but have since bought Baileys end grain sealer. A friend uses it and likes Baileys, and I figured if I have to double coat blanks with Baileys, at least I'll save money. A 5 gallon bucket of Baileys was about $20 less than Anchorseal, and I bought it when Baileys had a free shipping promo.

I can't comment on Baileys as I haven't used it yet, just giving my 2 cents on AS2. This reminds me of years ago when Coca Cola changed their formula and went to a "new" Coke. Nobody liked the taste of the new stuff and there was such an uproar that they went back to the original formula. Makes you wonder when Anchorseal will abandon AS2 and go back to their original formula. If it's not broke, don't fix it!

[Mark Levitski]

AS 2 did not work well for us either. We're about done with the 5 gallons that we tried and it was bad sometimes-- flaked right off the surface of a lot of our ends! Let's hope they continue to make the original available, but I think the changes come from new low VOC environmental requirements and could be here to stay.

I wouldn't be surpised if UC coatings makes the off-label stuff for Baileys and others.

[Jake Helmboldt]

Well maybe it was my recent comment that you saw, but I'll reiterate; I have been disappointed with AS2. Recent Maple logs that I sealed have very bad checking. Most of the logs I've used it on have cracked as badly as if I had not sealed them at all.

[David Dobbs]

I have been getting a lot of PM's asking about the Titebond mix/brew 3 parts glue 1 part water. Dont sound like it would thin it much but it does. Any of the Titebonds work, I use which ever is on sale. But Home Depot is hard to beat even when the others have it on"sale".


Bob Haverstock (my brother in-law) which is a member here got me started using the mix.

Titebond cut by one 1/4 works very well much better than AS2 an cheaper.

[Bill Boehme]

... Makes you wonder when Anchorseal will abandon AS2 and go back to their original formula. If it's not broke, don't fix it!

They never stopped making the original formula AFAIK.

... but I think the changes come from new low VOC environmental requirements and could be here to stay...

or, you could look at the MSDS sheet and see that the original formula is simply a petroleum based wax emulsion in a water base. They say that the only VOC would be if you heated the dried wax to 400° F at which point it would start to evaporate. The MSDS says that it could be an irritant if it gets in your eyes and like anything else, prolonged repeated skin expose could lead to contact dermatitis.

There are alternate formulations for use in very cold northern climates that contain either methanol antifreeze or propylene glycol antifreeze, both of which would require proper handling to limit exposure, but I doubt that woodturners use those products.

According to UC coatings the new AS2 is more stable and provides better end grain sealing. Their MSDS says that it is an aqueous emulsion of paraffin wax. So, I guess that the implication is that the waxes in the original formulation could cover a wider range petroleum waxes.