[OP]
Member
Hello, I am looking for an easy to spray clear finish that I will be spraying a cherry bed that I am building. I am not applying any stain or oil, just want to clear coat it and let it darken with time. I am looking at General Finishes High Performance Topcoat. Just wondering if anyone has used this. I usually spray regular oil based Minwax poly but am looking for something that wont make as much of a mess and not yellow. I dont have a spray booth at this time so any CV is out for me. Thanks
Member
Danish oil looks very good on cherry.
Moderator
When you say "CV" i assume you mean solvent-based.
I am just now using Target EM8000CV and it sprays very well. It's waterbased. You can add a cross-linker if you wish to post-catalyze it. I've been spraying it in my garage with a box fan, and it works fine.
Other products I have sprayed with good success are General Finishes Endurovar and Clear Poly. Both spray very well. Endurovar has an amber cast to it. Clear Poly is water white.
Beware that if you spray any of these too thick, they go on slightly blue (but dry to white).
If you are only considering spraying a WB because you think the amber will interfere with the darkening, I would look to Waterlox or Arm R Seal. These wiping varnishes look great on cherry (esp Waterlox OSF)
Contributor
I've sprayed gallons of GF's High Performance product. It sprays great, looks great, doesn't yellow, and is plenty durable for your application. However, it will look pretty bland on cherry by itself. The good news is it's easy to make it look great. The easiest thing to do is to first spray a coat of Sealcoat shellac. That will really highlight the grain. It also will prevent the waterborne HP product from raising the grain, which then requires a lot of sanding to get rid of. Sealcoat shellac is dewaxed and completely compatible with HP. Try the two on some scrap; I think you will be pleased.
Besides wearing an organics respirator you should provide for good ventilation. Waterborne products, and shellac, may not be as toxic as solvent based ones (though some WB ones are pretty bad) you still don't want to have their volatiles hanging around in your shop/home.
John
Moderator
Target Coatings EM2000 and EM8000cv both have the slightly amber color that's desired when applied directly to many wood species to avoid a "cold"/bluish look. The first is an emulsified alkyd water borne finish ("oil" finish in a water carrier) and the latter is formulated to be warm in color. I have no experience with the GF product...you may or may not need to add a tiny bit of amber dye to it for a similar effect. Personally, I finish cherry with BLO, a barrier coat of wax-free shellac and then water borne. The two earlier steps bring the "warmth" while the last step provides whatever top coat qualities I want for the particular project.
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The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...
[OP]
Member
Thank you for the replies. Im thinking I will try the SealCoat then some sort of top coat afterwards. I'm worried applying anything like BLO or any oil will darken it to much from the start. Im hoping the shellac will enhance the grain without darkening much, then let the top coat protect it. My biggest issue is I dont have an official spray booth. My basement is my shop so whatever I build I finish there as well. Would the Target Coatings be ok without a booth?
Contributor
I spray in my basement shop. I put up a plastic curtain to create a temporary spray booth, and cover the floor with a disposible drop cloth. I use my 1200 cfm DC fan as an exhaust. It blows out a nearby window and I open another window to provide makeup air. It all works great with the shellac and WB products I spray, even in the dead of winter. I encourage you to set up some sort of temporary spray booth, not only to get rid of the volatiles, but to control the overspray so it doesn't land back on your freshly sprayed surface.
Spray booth, takes less than 5 minutes to put up/take down. It doesn't have to be fancy or cost much to work well.
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John
Contributor
If you don't need a lot of scuff and water protection, SealCoat is a great finish for cherry on its own. I usually brush on two or three coats, but spraying is probably better if you have the equipment. I am going to finish my cherry spinet harpsichord with it in the next month. It has a nice clarity and the slightly amber color works well on the cherry, nice warmth as noted above.
Friend of the Creek
Keep in mind also that cherry has a tendency to blotch. Some don’t mind that look, but I try to minimize it. I’ve had the best luck applying several thinned coats of Sealcoat. I dilute the Sealcoat at least 50% with DNA and at least a couple applications.
Contributor
True, but if you spray it on it won't blotch. I spray it full strength (2# cut) and it's never an issue.Originally Posted by Phil Mueller
Where I get blotching with cherry is if I wipe it with BLO.
John
Friend of the Creek
Good to know, John. I don’t have spray capability, so every thing I do is usually wiped or padded on. But I’ll give the spray shellac a try next time.
Member
If you want the cherry to age to a darker color make sure that your clear coat doesn't have UV inhibitor in the formula.
Moderator
The end result over time, BLO or not, will be about the same relative to darkening. Cherry gets darker over time from UV and oxidation. The BLO just gets you closer to what the final color will be sooner as well as provides some grain enhancement...some call that "blotch"; some call it "figure".
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The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...
Contributor
Yes, which reminds me that GF's High Performance contains a really good UV inhibitor package, so it would be a poor choice if you want to let the cherry age. It will, of course, but much more slowly than with a finish w/o that UV package. TC's EM-2000 likely would be a great choice on cherry.
John
[OP]
Member
I sprayed my SealCoat tonight, first time ever using this. Great product and enhanced the grain nicely. Sprayed it right out of the can with my Fuji Semi Pro II. It was dry before I finished. Tomorrow I'll top coat with General Finishes HPTC Gloss, then Satin for the final coat. Thanks everyone for the information. Ive really stepped up my woodworking game the past year or so and its time to do the same with finishes.
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