Waterbased Finishes That Look Like Solvent

[Justin Horne]

Hey guys, long time lurker here...

Anyways, I have been using Target Coatings exclusively for about a year, mainly 8000cv and 6500/6600, 95% of my work is custom cabinetry. I love that the sanding sealer(1000), 4000 in neutral, and 8000cv all give wood the solvent/oil amber effect...but shipping is killing me, I order direct from target coatings since there are no suppliers around that carry it.

My question is, are there other water based products out there that also give wood the amber effect? I'm aware you can add dye to your finish to achieve this, but I'm looking for finishes that do this without playing with dye.

So far my google skills arent turning up much. Also, I haven't been able to find anyone else that makes an entire lineup of waterbased like target coatings, ie sanding sealer, CV, lacquer, polycarbonate, etc.

Thanks for the help guys.

[Jack Clark]

https://thecrystalacstore.com/

Note that they offer free shipping on orders over $24.99.

Take some time and poke around their website. I've been impressed with their customer service and the high quality of their products. Their sealer is tinted to a warm tone. They offer their finishes in small sizes too (as small as 8 oz.), so if you want to test several different products you're not stuck having to purchase a quart or a gallon of something you may never use again.

The "Free Shipping" all the way out to the "left coast" is a big deal to me. However, this time of the year one has to be conscious of freezing temperatures and waterborne products. Might want to check some weather reports before placing an order.

[Prashun Patel]

General Finishes Endurovar is ambered.

However, if I want similar depth, I spray a Zinsser Sealcoat on first, followed by Enduro Clear Poly and have been satisfied with the look.

[John TenEyck]

Have you looked at the shipping costs for 5 gallons? For some folks the price to ship 5 gallons is about the same as for 1 gallon. When all else fails, call up Jeff and explain why you're looking elsewhere; maybe he'll cut you a deal if you buy more.

As for me, I'm fine adding dye to the GF products I normally use, or spraying a coat of Sealcoat shellac first like Prashun described.

John

[Justin Horne]

I've been buying 1 gal at a time...I'll look at the 5gal to see what it does. If it doesnt do much, I'll either suck it up or reach out to jeff.

[Jim Becker]

I've been buying 1 gal at a time...I'll look at the 5gal to see what it does. If it doesnt do much, I'll either suck it up or reach out to jeff.

Are you using the discount codes from the Target emails to keep the cost down? A gallon of finish from Target with the discount codes and shipping costs about the same as me buying a gallon of finish from the local SW store. But if you feel you are using finish fast enough to buy, say four gallons at a time or a 5-gallon container, then it's worth having that conversation with Jeff. Unfortunately, I've found the same issue with many of the products from various manufacturers...not available locally so shipping comes into play. I can't buy GF locally, for example. So I've stuck with Target other than trying (one time) the Kem Aqua Plus from SW and not preferring it.

[Justin Horne]

Oh yeah, I always use the discount code.

Thanks for your opinion on sw kem aqua. I was about to give it a go, but decided against it.

[Jim Becker]

Thanks for your opinion on sw kem aqua. I was about to give it a go, but decided against it.

John and I both had the same experience with it...it would not lay down. Some GF Extender seems to solve that issue, but I don't have the problem with the Target EM6000 and EM8000cv...so I'm sticking with them. Getting finishing materials isn't easy for "small operators" sometimes simply because we don't use enough to get quantity discounts and delivery, etc. At least Target ships direct and as I mentioned their product is the same price with shipping and the coupon code as the SW product costs me WITH a contractor discount.

[Justin Horne]

Thanks for everything, Jim. I'm pretty certain that I'm just going to stick with what I know. Target is definitely a quality product, I guess I was just hoping to find something comparable at a similar price without having to pay for shipping.

[Jim Becker]

I'm with you there...and you would think that with my being in the suburbs of a major city that I could get this stuff easier, but alas...nope!

[Justin Horne]

Same here...I'm on the south side of atlanta, and if I want/need anything woodworking related, I have to have it shipped or drive an hour each way to the north side.

[John TenEyck]

If you have a SW nearby you may be able to buy Sayerlack through them. They make a couple of excellent WB clearcoats. If you have a BM nearby you may be able to buy Lenmar's WB products through them. Lenmar's Duralaq is an incredible bargain at around $50/gal, and good for cabinets and other applications that don't require high chemical durability. Lenmar's MegaVar Polyurethane costs more but is KCMA rated meaning much higher chemical durability.

And here's a tidbit of info. Both the Lenmar WB products can be tinted to the full range of BM's 6000 colors. I had the Duralaq tinted to a dark gray and it sprayed just as well as the clearcoat, using slightly different settings on my gun.

John