# What kind of finish do you like to use?



## Big Dave (Sep 16, 2006)

I personally am a laquer guy. Love the smell and how easy it is to work. Most of what I do is house construction type of stuff and not fine detail furniture building so I don't get into rubbing it with 2000 grit paper to get it perfectly flat. I used to use high build laquer and it worked fine then one day while at the paint store the salesman suggested that I use a high solids laquer. After talking to him for several minutes he made the point that the high solids laquer is more of a furniture finish. It is a harder finish than the high build laquer. It seems to work just as easy and does seem to be a bit harder. The other plus is it was several dollars cheaper than the other.

Dave.


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## Tom R (Oct 11, 2006)

I'm not much of a finish guy, myself, Dave (or did you notice??), - - but anyway, - - I'm under the impression (maybe wrongly so??) that the finest paper you really need to go is like 400 or so.

Wouldn't 2000 be more for fine sharpening type applications??

I don't know . . .


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## Leo G (Oct 16, 2006)

I do fine furniture and cabinetry finishing. I like to use pre cat lacquers and conversion varnishes. I use ML Campbell's stuff. I've gotten into toning and shade lacquers and my distributor can mix up any color my clients want. Been finishing now for about a year and some and have picked up quite a bit of info. I still call myself a sprayer more than a finisher because I can't do the mixing and the matching of the colors. I can lay the colors on the wood and get even tones but I just don't have the eye for mixing them up. I have built myself a good sized spray room with a good sized fan. Nice lighting, although the cool white fluorescents aren't the truest of color.


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## KenTheHandyMan (Oct 30, 2006)

Not that I have ever been able to do it, but one day I hope to build my own guitar. In the research I've done for that, as well as fine furniture building and repair, no, 2000 grit is not over kill.


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## Rob (Oct 31, 2006)

I'm a spray lacquer guy myself. It's just easy and gives great results. If I'm restoring an antique though, I like to use whatever the original finish was, if that's what the client wants.
As far as going up to 2000 grit...it is a lot like sharpening. I use the "scary sharp" method for sharpening chisels and plane blades. 400 grit will give a very flat looking finish because the scratches are heavier. If you go through all the grits and end up with 2000, you can see your nose hairs in the refelction. Same thing with a wood finish. A dull sheen doesn't require the extreme grit and a glossy one does. It boils down to the fineness of the scratches you are making on the surface you are dealing with.


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## MBScott (Oct 31, 2006)

> I'm a spray lacquer guy myself. It's just easy and gives great results. If I'm restoring an antique though, I like to use whatever the original finish was, if that's what the client wants.


Depends on what's doing. If it's a piece that's going in my house, it depends on how much the kids are going to be around it. My parents left me some walnut tables (oh, they're gorgeous) and I recently refinished them and had to put (gasp) polyurethane on them! But, you know, with kids and pets, I needed something easy to clean that wouldn't get damaged and would protect the piece.

A few years ago, I refinished a tea table. I wanted to hold on to the patina and ended up giving it a rubbed oil finish. I had paid $100 bucks for it in a junk shop and resold it in a consignment store for $1500 (my biggest coup!). Wish I had a picture of it now.

Missy


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## joewho (Oct 31, 2006)

My finish experience is limited to working in a antiques restoration shop. All stripping done by hand as well as finishing by hand.

I love the old, original finishes, but when it comes right down to long lasting durability, polyurethane lasts the longest.

Lol, 2000grit? Flat, gloss and semi-gloss finish can be achieved with fine sandpaper, like 600 grit. 2000 is off the map man. rubbing it with an old sock would rough up a 2000 finish.


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## TexasTimbers (Oct 17, 2006)

Okay buds - I am going to get a HVLP unit one day withing the next 20 years so I'd like some pointers. What unit can someone recommend? What I am going to pay? Can I shoot lacquer with it? I know I can shoot PU I assume lacquer too. 
I'd like to know some basices I currently have an empty canzas for HVLP. Someone paint on it for me please. :icon_wink: 

Rob, I'm a scary sharp convert too have been for many years.


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## Leo G (Oct 16, 2006)

TexasTimbers said:


> Okay buds - I am going to get a HVLP unit one day withing the next 20 years so I'd like some pointers. What unit can someone recommend? What I am going to pay? Can I shoot lacquer with it? I know I can shoot PU I assume lacquer too.
> I'd like to know some basices I currently have an empty canzas for HVLP. Someone paint on it for me please. :icon_wink:
> 
> Rob, I'm a scary sharp convert too have been for many years.


You can get an OK gun at an auto parts store, Sears, Graingers etc. You will pay about $100. If you want better guns try looking at Spraygunworld.com, the Astro line is pretty good and economically priced. You can spend up to $700 on just the gun. These guns (gravity feed HVLP) will spray most materials. The thicker primers and pigmented lacquers will need thinning. If you are constantly shooting the thicker materials you will need to upgrade to a pressure pot or a AAA unit.


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## TexasTimbers (Oct 17, 2006)

That helps. I had been looking at Apollo as they have been advertising in Woodshop news for eons.


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## Tommy_Joe (Nov 1, 2006)

Tom R said:


> I'm not much of a finish guy, myself, Dave (or did you notice??), - - but anyway, - - I'm under the impression (maybe wrongly so??) that the finest paper you really need to go is like 400 or so.
> 
> Wouldn't 2000 be more for fine sharpening type applications??
> 
> I don't know . . .


Actually if you use a Deluxing Compound to finish a piece it's like sanding at 1500 or 2000 grit with a built in wax. Think of it as a Rubbing Compound for Furniture. 

I do wet sanding with 600 grit wet/dry paper mainly on small projects and pens. 

I don't really have a Favorite Finish, but I've done several different types of finish. 

Tom


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## formula462 (Dec 9, 2006)

I have been using General Finishes oil and water based with great results and it's easy to use. I also like tung/danish oils.


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## bob4814 (Dec 12, 2006)

Most of our log furniture gets a spray job with poly. I have done quite a bit with stains, mixing and matching multi layers of different colors to get the colr my clients are looking for.

My biggest challenge is on the table right now. An 8 foot oak table that they want finished in a black laquer and then aged to look about 150 years old. I got the table legs from Osborne Woods (no lathe here yet). My customer wants the finish to look similar to this picture (the kitchen island, not the top cupboards). I was told this piece was done with a vinyl sealer mixed with a 944 tint to a deep chocalate glaze. Then the corners were sanded to the wood and stained to darken the edges a bit. The entire base was sealed in a dull clear coat. *Anyone see any problems with this set-up?* I haven't played with this stuff in about 30 years. All I know is I'll have to spray it. I've got the HVLP gun for that part.


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## Suz (Dec 8, 2006)

*I started using shellac*

Hi,
I used to put "poly" on everything but now have starting using shellac more often. I like the way it dries which allows you to put three coats on in one day, the stuff has been around for centuries, plus it's safe for kids or anyone else who chews on the finished wood. Besides I love that smell of alcohol in the workshop! :laughing: 
Jim


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## 1 1/2 Thumb (Dec 29, 2006)

I will chime in with my 2 cents worth here ... I like spraying Lacquer if I am in a hurry, plus it looks great .. (on kitchen cabinets) (I have found magnamax over magnasand works really really well) but for a piece of Furniture ... I like to finish with a base coat of clear dewaxed shellac and then waterlox. Its a very tough finish ..(heck they use it for gloss gym floors) Goes on well and spreads out great. 
As far as spray guns .. Devilbiss makes a pretty good gun, you can get thier master kit ...(comes with 4 different size nozzels) for about 200.00. I also have a Walcome (roughly 600) I actually use it just to spray dye finishes with. I only had one nozzel for it and I could never get it to spray well with waterbase lacquer. I never tried it with regular lacquer .. the devilbiss was working well .. so you stick with whats working ......


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## kevin (Feb 16, 2007)

Conversion Varnish for me. Using MLC Krystal right now because it is close but going to upgrade to Becker Acroma for a better product eventually. Also I use pre-cat laq(magnamax) on bigger jobs.

Spraying with a Kremlin Air-Assisted-Airless.


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