Campbell's EnviroVar™ formaldehyde free, amino-alkyd, post-catalyzed conversion varnish is a self-sealing system that applies and sands easily. Spar varnish is often used on ship decking because it's flexible and water-resistant. Question The trick is to “tip off” the wet varnish by lightly dragging the tips of unloaded bristles over it while holding the brush at a steep angle. The Guider; Autumn Leaves; Faering Cruiser; Madness Proa; Mbuli Proa; Outrigger Junior The only finishes with a better rating for over all durability (according to AWI) are catalyzed polyurethane, polyester and polyester/polyurethane hybrids. It's usually found only through specialized distributors or directly from manufacturers. I know that's a copout, but for all my effort, I'm not completely happy with the results. Conversion varnish, also called catalyzed varnish, is the most protective and durable finish commonly available to amateurs and small shops. You can get this stuff from Jeff Jewitt and several other sources. How to Buff & Polish Varnish. I figure you need to let it cure for a few days first, but I wanted to make sure I didn't screw up the finish by trying to rub it out and polish it. Buffing Tools: Norton Abrasives, Yellow Block Apply a quarter-sized dab of polish to sand one section. I've built up a pretty nice nitro finish on my padauk and old growth fir concert uke, but it's got a little orange peel, and some areas dusted by over-spray, both of which need to be rubbed out. I use this after sanding and hand rubbing lacquer and conversion varnish finishes. Since finishes can differ dramatically from brand to brand and formulation to formulation and environmental conditions also play a role, you’ll want to err on the side of caution giving the … You don't need 100% burn in to make a high build, rubbed out piano finish with a wb. Forum Responses I use Crystal Varnish, too, and it seems to set-up quicker and with less dust than the others. M.L. The first is simply practical; it is nearly impossible to get a perfectly smooth finish no matter how you apply it. The finish is supplied in two parts: the finish itself, and … Skerry Scale Model; Wherry Scale Model; Dory Scale Model; Pro Kits. The SW people say they have heard it can be done but do not know the method. The higher/finer grit you use, the easier it will be to achieve a high-gloss finish. I have done it with success. Partial burn in is enough. I need a medium rub gloss. ColorTone Buffing Compounds remove more scratches than automotive compounds (the industry standard), and were specifically designed and tested to achieve the stunning mirror finishes found on high-end guitars, mandolins, and other musical instruments. I have carved and filled and it's leaving an irregular spot which needs to be blended. Wood finishing refers to the process of refining or protecting a wooden surface, especially in the production of furniture where typically it represents between 5 and 30% of manufacturing costs.. Finishing is the final step of the manufacturing process that gives wood surfaces desirable characteristics, including enhanced appearance and increased resistance to moisture and other … Conversion varnish is rarely available in paint stores or home centers. That's my reason for wanting to try this buffing. Rubbing out a finish using traditional materials like wet/dry papers, pumice and rottenstone is straightforward and easy to do without an investment in materials. Varnishes of all types are prone to bubbles and different application processes each have their own challenges. Attach yellow buffing pads to the rubber backer using the center washer nut, or replace the original pad with a hook-and-loop aftermarket pad. I'm almost ready to do something I never do... put some beeswax furniture polish on it and forget it. Spray Presta polish on buffing pad stuff to lubricate the pad. Thanks for the help! January 29, 2004, KnowledgeBase: Finishing: General Wood Finishing, KnowledgeBase: Finishing: High Speed Production. Others like the stark white, of a non-varnished seam. 0 How To Use Wax Finish on Wood. As you’ll find out, the buffing process removes a certain amount of finish; if there’s not enough, you’ll go through the finish to the bare wood and have to start all over again. Buff off the excess with a buffing or sanding pad (see below) in the direction of the wood grain. I have carved and filled and it's leaving an irregular spot which needs to be blended. Use a twisted wool pad to start and Menzerna's 2L paste. The reason you need the specialized sander/polisher is if you use a normal rotary polisher, you'll get swirl marks. Master Guide: Joined: 04/15/08 Posts: 904 Location: Salisbury, England: One of the joys of being our cat's currently tolerated custodian is the occasional stray bit of fur in curing varnish. I am at the limit of film thickness with this top and don't dare apply one more coat. Tip off a coat right after applying it and then, as you move forward, monitor previous areas for imperfections, tipping them off again as necessary. Enduro-Var II is a reformulation of our original oil-modified, ambering, water-based topcoat. Posted: 03 Jan 2011, 14:31 • #1 . It is pre-catalyzed so there is no mixing to worry about. It takes hours to dry properly. I recently bought an Oxnard M-20 (regular mahogany, not sunburst). There are two ways to avoid this problem. What makes conversion varnish "good" is a matter of what properties one is looking for in a finish. It is water borne and low VOC (at least the ones I have seen) but has many of the finish characteristics of a classic Conversion Varnish such as high resistance to chemicals. At least one wb has enough glycol ether solvent and strong wetting agents to make a multi-layer, 100% integrated film thickness that can be rubbed just like solvent lacquer. (Finishing Forum) Dust Collection, Safety and Plant Operation, Job Opportunities and Woodworking Services, Can the same method be used as for pre-cat lacquers? Buffing can create a glass-smooth finish, even after polyurethane has been applied not-too-well with nothing more than a brush in an ordinary home workshop. I was hoping a polishing step would blend them in more. Typically, bubbles in your varnish are due to three main factors: air, dust, and moisture. The absolute best way is quite unusual. After the final coat dries for 48 hours or more, we wet sand it with water and 400 grit sandpaper. However, they also have a new water clear catalyzed product called Ultra Solids and it is a finish that will burn in and is as durable and hard as conversion varnish. Better Durability. It makes me want to sand it, but that would be disastrous unless I can buff the whole top. Apparently they have gotten "fantastic results when rubbed out" as long as it is done within 3 days. Greetings to the LTG community. (Finishing Forum) Yes, it's possible. From contributor A: What I can tell you is that AWI rates conversion varnish very high across the board. It makes me want to sand it, but that would be … Dust Collection, Safety and Plant Operation, Job Opportunities and Woodworking Services, A tiny spot repair turns into a blending hassle: how to buff a not-quite-glossy sheen into a conversion varnish coating that is at its mil-thickness limit. Even if you must thin it a bit for good flow-out, you'll probably need only two coats to get an even sheen and adequate build because these finishes generally boast a much higher solids content than nitrocellulose or acrylic lacquers. Buffing spar varnish is not a good idea. The orbital design of the Rotex cancels these out. These gylcol ethers can become embedded deep inside the film thickness, and become visible as they slowly work themselves up and out of the coating. You can also subject the dry-to-touch surface to warm, circulating air. New member here! Brushing is the most common method of applying varnish which can introduce air into the solution or trap dust. To rub out scratches on the surface of a wood table, make a paste with mineral oil and pumice (in powder form, which you can grab from a hardware store). This removes the high spots, the embedded dust, the laps, etc. The overall look is nice, but the combination of the black dye stain under all that CV is giving a milky look to the film. I generally use pre-cat lacquer and of course don't have any issues, but I was wanting something even more durable and wanted to shoot CV but still be able to rub it out if necessary to create a glass smooth finish. Typically the white seam, as you say, lies below the varnish, but do be very careful.If you want a brilliant white seam with no ambering of the varnish over, then you could think about doing all of your buffing before striping. So we “rub out” the final coat to make it smooth and flat. The same procedure can be used with modern abrasives, but the general idea is … Then we buff with an abrasive pad. How to Use Rubbing Compound on Spar Varnish. You can rub out all types of film forming finishes, including shellac, lacquer, oil based varnish and polyurethane, waterbased coatings and catalyzed or conversion coatings. I know auto finishes are harder than CV, so why wouldn't CV buff? You should be able to use a buffing pad on … You need a gear driven random orbit sander (Festool Rotex or the Bosch or Makita equivalents) and you use a hard foam pad (yellow Meguires) and Menzerna coarse brown paste (forgot the number of this stuff, but Jeff probably sells it too; if not Grizzly, does). When you want the best and longest lasting finish conversion varnish delivers. I am not sure that is the case, but that's what I would expect. It is more durable, easy to clean, and has elasticity which helps it stay looking great! Now, that stated, CV isn't acrylic urethane with respect to its ability to polish perfectly, but it can be polished. This leaves a nice satin sheen and is fairly goof-proof, which most other methods aren't. Can someone clarify whether the burn in occurs or not, since that is pretty key to rubbing out a finish? If you end up with streaks, and they aren't real witness lines, then you can just wait for the solvents to come out, or subject the entire object to warm circulating air. From contributor D: Wipe it off with a damp paper towel, then buff with a dry one. Forum Responses Conversion varnish is the premium paint finish for all sorts of projects, including cabinetry and cabinet doors. Great little guitar, very comfortable and sweet tone. It's very easy to polish something to full gloss and very hard to polish to anything less. However, it's important to learn the difference between witness lines and trapped solvent. Or is there a better finish for a dining table? It replaces original Endurovar and is made with more than 70% RENEWABLE RESOURCES formulated from sustainable materials that decrease the carbon footprint and can be used with all of GF's water-based products. Woodworking wax has been used to complete projects for centuries. There are three strong reasons for doing so. Apparently they have gotten "fantastic results when rubbed out" as long as it is done within 3 days. Take some steel wool (ideally, extra-fine-grade so you don’t damage your furniture) and rub the paste on the scratched area. This is a large desk with a couple small blemishes that are sticking out. After that it gets too hard (so I was told). It's easy to assume these are "witness lines". When compared to basic home lacquer paint; conversion varnish wins in durability. Scale Model Kits. However, they also have a new water clear catalyzed product called Ultra Solids and it is a finish that will burn in and is as durable and hard as conversion varnish. Would the effort of polishing mask the milkiness, or highlight it and make it worse? A polisher for rubbing out furniture finishes should have a variable-speed control for slow-speed work that won't overheat your finish. Continue section by section. You are trying to knock off any burrs and bumps in the varnish only. Rubbing or Buffing out a Finish: Shake container well. Has anyone had success power buffing conversion varnish (Sherwin Williams)? It's too soft and will make a mess of your varnish job. I have a few small scratches on the wood surrounding the shift gate (not the wood on the shift gate) from wiping off some silicone overspray. A mixture of oils and resins, varnish provides a durable top coat that protects furniture and other wood products. Rubbing Out By Hand Using Traditional Materials. I've done it several times. As is the case with virtu­ally all finishes, several thin coats are preferable to fewer thick coats. Post subject: Buffing out varnish blems. The only thing that bugs me is the satin finish. In the photo below, you can see what we are looking for when buffing. In industry it is often used on office furniture and kitchen cabinets. Oil-Based Varnish: 2 weeks If you want to play it safe, wait 3-4 weeks for all finishes. This is a large desk with a couple small blemishes that are sticking out. Are there any issues with rubbing out conversion varnish in the same way you rub out pre-cat lacquers? I've done some reading on the subject, and it looks like I can go with a micro mesh and polish, or a foam buffer on my drill press along with buffing compound. Because thicker coats require more time … As they work out, they become visible as clouds or streaks, depending on how the coating was sprayed. Buffing is especially valuable for dealing with the nasty side of waterbased urethane – the brush strokes, the bubbles and the less-than-smooth results many people struggle with. Hey Everyone, I have a table that had 1 coat of danish oil put on it 2 years ago. Start with a light sanding with 400 grit paper – don’t overdo this and be careful on edges and corners. The two small spots I worked on with a razor today and they are fairly level and not looking too bad. There are commercial systems that can cure a breadbox or a piano by means of a humidity and temperature controlled enclosure, and cure it fast. Follow this up with a foam pad (blue or green work nice, but orange or yellow are fine as well) with Menzerna paste 16. I would like to put a finish with better protection on it now. The catalyst brings about the cross-linking. You can purchase wax in paste, liquid and solid stick forms and there are even a wide range of colors to choose from. There is a new product called a "water based conversion varnish" or sometimes "Water based conversion finish". Question The process is called “rubbing out”, and serves the purpose of getting rid of minor imperfections in a surface film finish, such as varnish or lacquer, (sometimes) leveling the finished surface, and establishing a consistent sheen. Conversion varnish or catalyzed lacquer sprays the same way. Has anyone had success power buffing conversion varnish (Sherwin Williams)? Conversion varnish is a fast-drying finish that comes in two parts: the finish and an acid catalyst you add to the finish just before spraying. Spread with pad. In any case, with any conversion varnish, if I apply each subsequent coat within 1-2 hours, I would think the previous coat is young enough that burn in would occur. Let sit 1-2 minutes. Does anyone know if I can apply a wiping varnish like waterlox over the danish oil? Mist buffing pad with Presta lubricating material when it gets too dry. Hi everybody. This will accelerate the removal of the solvents. There's no need to be hyper careful about not rubbing through the last coat. How To Use Wax Finish on Wood. February 12, 2007, KnowledgeBase: Finishing: General Wood Finishing. Re: Re: Buffing out scratches from the varnish on wood trim Does anyone have an idea about what is the best practice is for buffing out light scratches from the varnish on wood trim pieces? Some like the slightly ambered effect of varnish over the seams. Once the **varnish has dried and cured for a few days (depending on the varnish you use), you can rub out the finish. Wipe on a thin, even coat with a clean cloth. I think that it is fairly common practice though I am not sure of that. Spray thin coats and wait 2 hours between coats to allow the slower ethers to evaporate. If you really want a "perfect" finish, then you need to do this: Sand your finish coat of spar varnish … High build, rubbed out '' as long as it is done within 3 days to knock off any and... The embedded dust, the easier it will be to achieve a high-gloss finish what makes conversion varnish or. Quarter-Sized dab of polish to anything less a new product called a water. 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