finishing compatibility


rodger.

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Odd suggestion... My favorite oil / ambering wipe under waterbase!

Mix BLO 33/33/33 with Sealcoat shellac and REAL pine turpentine (not mineral spirits, "turps", or anything else that is "like" turpentine) in a squeeze bottle. Continuously shake it during application. Wipe on, wait 5 minutes, wipe off... wipe again 30 minutes later. Treat the rags as would any fire hazard oil soaked rag.

I overcoat this with water base ML Campbell Ultrastar "lacquer" is as few as four hours, but to be safe, wait overnight. It never hurts to give one last wipe before the overcoat.

Pine turpentine has unique chemical properties that make it compatible with both the BLO and shellac. In use, the mix will soak in, dry quickly, and seal the surface. Not enough BLO will penetrate to cause slow drying or future bleeding from pores. As a bonus, the shellac seals the wood, minimizing grain raising from the water based product. Of course, carefully scuff future coats, as you don't want to sand through the shellac. On many woods, I also add one drop of Transtint Honey Amber dye to each 8 oz. of Ultrastar.

Here's a bad photo of the results of this process on quartersawn white oak:

6772727975_92d87ac2ac.jpg

Try it for yourself on prepared scrap. You'll be glad you did.

Think this is totally off the wall? Investigate how shellac and oil are used together to French Polish. The two have a long, harmonious relationship.

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One other water base compatibility tip...

I drip a few drops of finish into a paper towel to make a tack rag for cleaning up after scuffing. Many water based finishes do not like commercially sold tack rags, and can cause fisheyes and other awful defects. Blow or vacuum the dust, wipe with a soft, clean cloth, finish with the tack rag.

I was pushed into water base 7-8 years ago, as I don't have a fire-safe place to spray solvents. Once you learn to work with the stuff, it's a teriffic way to go.

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Interesting dripping a water-based finish into a paper towel. Doesn't it dry to fast on the paper towel to do any good? Just a thought?

True! The stuff does dry fast.

I should clarify that you do this right before you wipe, don't make them ahead of time. Just a sprinkle... Less finish is better than more until you get the feel for how much. Too much finish on the towel can cause other problems.

The finish stays tacky enough to attract dust, especially out of pores, corners, and moulding profiles for 10-15 minutes, maybe a tad longer. I find myself getting far more dust than with dry rags, or rags damped with water or SLX, and nothing is left behind to mess with the finish chemistry.

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True! The stuff does dry fast.

I should clarify that you do this right before you wipe, don't make them ahead of time. Just a sprinkle... Less finish is better than more until you get the feel for how much. Too much finish on the towel can cause other problems.

The finish stays tacky enough to attract dust, especially out of pores, corners, and moulding profiles for 10-15 minutes, maybe a tad longer. I find myself getting far more dust than with dry rags, or rags damped with water or SLX, and nothing is left behind to mess with the finish chemistry.

My other thought...the finish could actually stick the dust down to the wood like glue? What is SLX?

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