# stain vs varnish/ poly vs laquer



## Ibangwood (Feb 25, 2010)

any one have good reccomendation for which ones r better?


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

For what type of application? On what types of wood?
A stain and varnish are two different items.

G


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## Rory (Feb 24, 2010)

A couple hints about furniture finishes.

1. Stains usually are all about color and are not usually suitable as a top coat.

2. Varnish is used mainly on outdoor projects such as Spar Varnish which is used on boats.

3. Laquer is used mostly on interior projects such as furniture. It is the furniture finish that craftsman have using for furniture for hundreds of years.

4. Polyurethane is my personal finish of choice for most furniture, especially table tops. It is a little trickier to apply than laquer and is less forgiving but it makes for a very durable, long lasting finish. 

5. You did not mention shellac but I think it should be included. Shellac is a very soft finish. I seldom use it as a top coat, except when using it to coat rush chair seats, but often use it as an undercoat before I apply polyurethane. It helps seal the pores of the wood and helps prevent "fisheye".

The finish you use largely depends on the particular item you are finishing and what it is to be used for.

Hope that helps you.

-Rory-


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## Ibangwood (Feb 25, 2010)

what is the trick to polyurethane...it comes out uneven sometimes..does it have to do with the brush strokes?


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## Rory (Feb 24, 2010)

If you are having trouble with brush strokes in a polyurethane finish it is probably due to you trying to overwork the poly. I do much better with poly if I apply it quickly. Once I apply it to a table top for instance, I like to run a brush over the entire length of the table 1 time just to make sure it is even, with no puddling. I then let the poly "level" on it's own. Sometimes the more you try and work poly the worse it looks. It is often much better to not sweat the small defects and correct then with the sanding between coatsI currently have a pic posted on my blog of a mohaogany dining table that I covered in poly, if you would like to see it.


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## bb71 (Jan 23, 2010)

If you want to get a handle on finishing your projects, this is a great place to start...

Understanding Wood Finishing: 2nd Edition How to Select and Apply the Right Finish: Amazon.ca: Bob Flexner: Books

This is an excellent book that really helped me grow with finishing. I'm no longer afraid of ruining a project, what finish to use, how to do it, etc.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

Oil base varnish and oil base polyurethane can be applied very smoothly with little effort by making it into a wipe on finish (with a rag). A very simple mix is in thirds with mineral spirits, poly, and boiled linseed oil.

Naptha can be used in place of mineral spirits for a faster dry.


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## Rory (Feb 24, 2010)

Ibangwood,

Here is the shortcut to the pic of the table I did. 

http://thegreentiquessolution.blogspot.com/2010/02/one-of-my-dining-room-table.html 

It was done with three coats of poly, using a brush and sanding between coats.


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## Ibangwood (Feb 25, 2010)

wow thankyou you all so much that def helped a lot and thankyou a lot rory the book sounds great and ur piece looks awesomee


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## Rory (Feb 24, 2010)

Thank you Ibang,
Glad I could help a little. If you should need a book on finishing, I recently added a bookstore to my blog. The bookstore is dedicated to titles that deal with woodworking, crafting, and people who work with their hands. Good luck with your future projects.
-Rory-


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