Danish oil and lacquer

[Grain Guy]

I have some cherry cabinets almost ready for finish. My original plan was to seal several coats of shellac to get a little amber color and clear coat with lacquer. Now that I'm in a little bit of a time crunch, I'm thinking I can get the same effect using Danish oil then lacquer.

Are there any comparability issues with Danish oil and lacquer?

[toddclippinger]

Whooooa! I do this professionally and there is a couple of issues here. Danish Oil (which I actually use where appropriate and like) has a very long dry time if you are going to put a topcoat of lacquer on it. I wait no less than 2 weeks from application of Danish Oil to put a topcoat of film finish on to reduce any liability issues.

If you want to get the color and get it fast like I do, use either Sherwin BAC wiping stains or ML Campbell wiping stains since they can be be top coated with lacquer products 30 - 45 minutes after application (I think that rating is at 70° so add a little more time if the shop is cooler.) As a pro I don't wait around for Minwax stains to dry 24 hours, I need to get it done and out! Caution notice: The wiping stains of either brand have to dry 24 hours before top coating with any other dissimilar finish such as with an oil or water base, they are intended for 30 minute dry times when used with lacquer products only!

There is no sin in using a stain that imparts a warmth to the wood. It looks great and will look better than loading up several coats of shellac and then finishing off with lacquer. My goal is to achieve the look with as few products, coats of product, and steps as possible. This speeds production and reduces liability issues.

A great benefit of using the wiping stains is that since they dry so fast, they do not absorb the same way most other stains do and you will have less issues with blotching. It is not eliminated entirely, but is minimized.

Regular lacquer will not hold up if the the cabinets are for a wet area such as a kitchen, bath, or utility room. My favorite single product is the pre-cat MagnaMax by ML Campbell. It is rated for kitchen and bath cabinets and is super easy to apply and very durable. It blows away any of the pre-cats I was using from Sherwin.

The pre-cat that I was using from Sherwin has held up OK on cabinets that I have made but it needed a vinyl sealer under it for the kitchen and bath cabinet rating. I want to use just ONE product when finishing. There are less steps and labor that way and so MagnaMax was the answer.

MagnaMax also had superior results when I did some side-by-side testing on sample boards for heat, water, acid, and chemical resistance.

I have used the post-cat varnishes and lacquers from both Sherwin and ML Campbell and they perform equally as well in my experience, they may be a good solution for you. Pre-cats have a convenience advantage and so I just leave it loaded up in my pressure pot all of the time.

These solvent and catalyzed finishes have a great advantage, since they dry so fast you do not need a hermetically sealed room to get a great looking finish. They have a very short open time and this reduces the amount of contaminants that gets lodged into the wet finish.

There is also much less sanding involved between coats. If the finish has a rough area I will "wipe" it with a worn out 150 or 180 sanding sponge, but there is no real "sanding" action as most would define. The finish layers burn into the previous coat which means no sanding to create the bond.

You will have to look up the local dealer for ML Campbell and Sherwin. The products I am talking about can be purchased by anyone, they are simply not marketed to the homeowner or woodworker.

I consistently get top-notch results with my finishing and it does not look "plasticy" but rather FANTASTIC!

I have to get to a job site but if you need more help do not hesitate to ask.

Todd A. Clippinger

www.AmericanCraftsmanWorkshop.com

[Grain Guy]

Todd, your the dude.

Boy did u save my butt.

I know a place that has that magna max, it's kinda out ofthe way and I really like spending my money my my regular vendors. They have a product called ultralaq precat. Have you heard of it?They also have some lacquer base stains.

Any color suggestions off the top your head?

[toddclippinger]

The lacquer based stains are the wiping stains that I am referring to.

I need to warn you of the faulty information that is given out about shellac, it is NOT compatible for use under pre-cat and post-cat finishes. ML Campbell makes a vinyl sealer that takes the place of shellac.

Believe it or not, golden oak adds warmth. Other than that, I have the color chart in my head but not the names of the stain colors. The color I have in mind imparts an amber warmth when applied and wiped off.

The BAC wiping stains from Sherwin are compatible with the MagnaMax. I will go out of my way to get the MagnaMax but the Sherwin Pro store is much easier for me to access so I get most of my stain from them as needed for my jobs.

I have not used the UltraLaq. I have used Krystal. It sprays out wonderfully & is extremely durable.