Spray Finishing Conversion Varnish - couple questions!

[Sean Moore]

Im fairly new at spraying and am using a Fuji Mini Mite and Target Coatings Conversion Varnish, mostly on walnut. First question, what is a good way to warm up the CV, it is a clear coat the walnut lacks warmth. Target Coatings has discontinued their waterbased shellac, so I would like a good alternative.

My second question is, when using a brown paper bag to buff the finish and smooth it out, is this best done when the finish has fully cured after 120 hours, or should I do this when the finish has been dry for a couple hours and has not fully hardened?

Thank you!

[Jim Becker]

You can add color to the finish or add color to the wood to "warm" things up. EM8000cv is already slightly ambered but perhaps it's not enough for your particular project. You can use Transtint directly in the finish or in a thin, barrier coat of wax-free shellac before applying the EM8000CV.

I suggest you wait way longer than you mention before you move on to buffing out. You want the finish fully cured and while the published number may read 120 hours, I'll suggest to you that it really needs to go a lot longer if you intend to work on it at that detail level.

[Steve Jenkins]

I like to use either medium or dark walnut watco on kiln dried walnut. Usually wait at least 36 hours before top-coating. If all you are doing with the paper is knocking off the occasional dust nib I’ll do that after waiting a couple hours.

[John TenEyck]

Be careful with the brown paper bag, whether you wait 1 day or 1 month. It's used to round over any dust nibs that get in the final finish. It's not going to completely remove them; just make them feel less noticeable. If you start bearing down on the paper it will leave scratches in the finish or change the sheen. If you really want to rub out a finish to get a dead flat, silky smooth surface, that's best done by other means.

My advice is to scuff sand between coats with 320 grit or finer sandpaper, vacuum and wipe off really well, and leave the last coat untouched. If you did your prep work well and have a reasonably dust free spray area, the finish should be nearly perfect. Whatever few little dust nibs are in it will go away over time through use.

John