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General Category => General Scroll Saw Talk => Topic started by: Marshall on October 31, 2011, 09:09:46 am
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I wanted to know what everbody likes the best or perfer to use and why . This is something that always sparks a lot of interest and I use both and have always wondered what most of my fellow scrollers liked .............MB
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Hi, Marshall:
I like lacquer better. I think it gives a warm, rich finish and looks less 'plastic-y'. I know it isn't as durable as poly, but with the type of scrolling I do it doesn't need to be durable, as it would on a table or floor. I think that the lacquer provides adequate protection and the finished overall look of it is nicer.
Sheila :)
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I like lacquer, but I also use a lot of shellac. Similar qualities, as in quick drying, easy to work with. Can't explain, but the solvent for shellac, denatured alcohol, seems a little friendlier than lacquer thinner. I only use poly on table tops or things that must be water and alcohol resistant.
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I use spray can lacquer for the same reasons as Sheila. It is very easy to apply and is available at all hardware stores near me. It dries fast and can apply up to three coats in an hour if needed.
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Like Sheila I use a spray from the can; easy to use, quick and durable for the generally small projects I cut.
Pieter
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Most of my scrollwork gets finished with shellac. Depending on the wood, I may apply a coat of boiled linseed oil first, to pop the grain, and then spray on the shellac as a topcoat. For decorative scrolled items, it's become my "go-to" finish. Most of the scrollwork I do doesn't require a heavy and durable finish like a piece of furniture would.
I spray it with a gravity fed, HVLP spray gun. The reason I like it is that it dries so fast and cleans up so easily. For fretwork, the fast drying provides the benefit of being able to hit the piece from multiple angles, to get in all the inside cuts. If applied lightly, I have no problems with too much build up from the multiple coats and I can get complete coverage and be done in no time. It The fumes dissipate pretty quickly, although if I'm doing a lot of heavy spraying, I always try to do it outside. Denatured alcohol is flammable in high enough concentrations, but as someone else said, I think it's a little friendlier than lacquer thinner.
For other woodworking items, such as furniture, I will use whatever the project dictates, based on the type of wood and the function of the piece. I mostly prefer an oil varnish instead of a polyurethane. Sometimes I mix it with boiled linseed oil and mineral spirits to make my own version of a Danish oil. I've recently used a waterborne, oil modified polyurethane, which did a pretty good job. Waterborne finishes are fast becoming the standard as VOC regulations are making it harder & harder for manufactures to ship solvent based finishes and meet EPA standards.
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I use Poly on everything I do, and they come out looking great.
gene
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On my scroll work for my first coat I use spray can lacquer to seal the wood, especially if I use an oil or stain. Then I apply several coats of Clear Acrylic for the finish. I only use Poly for the extra protection on furniture or shelving. 8)
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I prefere spray lacquer. It is quicker and easier then poly. When using poly I have to be so careful about dust, sawdust, fingerprints and everything else. With the dry time of lacquer I don't have any of that. I also like the look and feel of lacquer more then poly. Poly ends up being plasticy, lacquer feels more natural.
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Spray lacquer, mainly because it dries so fast and I can finish projects a lot quicker.
On my ornaments this year, all I am doing is soaking them in Watco (natural) for 15 or 20 minutes and then hanging them up to dry.
Barry