All right, time to uncork the bottle
Posted: Sat Dec 06, 2014 8:02 pm
I've been using this finish on the bubinga coffee and side table I've been building over the past few months:
They also have it in a gloss and satin formulation. I went the middle route, though I'm now thinking it might have made more sense to go satin finish on tables. Table tops at least, as these inevitably see wear and tear and scratches, so there isn't much point in putting a high gloss finish on.
It's a very easy to use product. Shake can, and open. Dip brush in can and apply, taking care to brush fairly evenly. Broader horizontal surfaces can tolerate a thicker build up. It dries primarily by oxidation with the air. No VOC's, no toxicity really. If the space is reasonably warm, it will be dry enough to work again in 1~2 hours. If the space is cold, it will be workable in 3~4 hours. It can also be sprayed if you have that kind of equipment.
Being water-based, the first coat will possibly raise the grain. If you planed the wood it will not raise the grain much at all, but if you sanded, and especially if the wood is curly, you will likely have areas of raised grain. it's no big deal.
All you do is deck the dried finish down with a sanding block and #320 paper. You are looking to scuff the surface and remove any dust nibs or rough bits of raised grain. Don't overwork the surface as you will be removing finish unnecessarily. When done, wipe with a tack cloth or blow off with compressed air and then apply another coat. And then repeat to build up, at least 3 coats. I put 4 coats on most parts, and 5 coats on table tops which see a bit more wear.
Enduro Var is slightly amber, unlike many other water-based urethanes, which are pretty much clear. If you want to darken a wood a little bit, it is quite easy. You need to obtain some aniline dye. I found some at my local Woodcraft store, a product by TransTint (see: http://homesteadfinishingproducts.com/t ... quid-dyes/). It wasn't cheap (around $21), but a little goes a very long way. I added 6 drops of #6001 honey amber dye to a quart of Enduro Var and it made a noticeable difference in the bubinga. The nice thing is how tunable it all is. I put a coat of the finish on with the honey amber dye and then realized that it was as dark as I needed it to get, and then simply finished on top of that for the next three coats with un-tinted semi gloss. If I wanted it darker, I could have either added more drops of TransTint, or more coats of tinted finish. It's that easy.
Once you have the number of coats on you desire, you deck the surface down with a sanding block and #320~#400 paper. This finish does not clog sandpaper. Then let it cure a bit more, for 3~4 days at least.
To polish, you could use pumice and rottenstone, however I elected to try Micromesh:
The package of small sheets, from #1500 to #12,000, costs around $22. They last a long time so it is a reasonable deal.
This kind of abrasive was developed to polish aircraft windscreens. It does an incredible job on wood. Probably it does a finer job than required for most pieces of furniture, but you can decide for yourself where to stop in the continuum.
To use Micromesh, you can use it dry, or you can use a cutting lubricant such as water or paraffin oil. I chose this:
You could also use some sort of light vegetable oil I'm sure.
You work you way through the Micromesh grits to the point you wish to go. At #6000 and above the scratches left behind are invisible to the human eye.
When finished with the Micromesh, wipe the piece down with methylated spirits to clean the oil off. Then all you have to do is wax the piece. I've tried various specialty furniture waxes, however in recent years I've settled on Kiwi shoe polish, neutral:
It buffs out without streaks and is relatively inexpensive. It does have some volatile solvents in it though, so use in well-ventilated conditions.
After that, if you like, you can reduce the gloss and even out any unevenness in the wax by rubbing with #0000 steel wool or equivalent 3M abrasive fiber pad.
What I like about Enduro Var is:
-it dries really hard
-it dries fast
-there are no toxic solvents or other VOC's
-doesn't darken the wood unless you want to by adding aniline dye.
-unlike oil finishes, there are not worries about rags catching on fire
-clean up of brushes just requires soap and water.
I can get six coats on in three days, wait three more days and polish it out. In one week you are done. It looks great! Seriously, there are no drawbacks to this product as far as I can tell. Give it a try.
They also have it in a gloss and satin formulation. I went the middle route, though I'm now thinking it might have made more sense to go satin finish on tables. Table tops at least, as these inevitably see wear and tear and scratches, so there isn't much point in putting a high gloss finish on.
It's a very easy to use product. Shake can, and open. Dip brush in can and apply, taking care to brush fairly evenly. Broader horizontal surfaces can tolerate a thicker build up. It dries primarily by oxidation with the air. No VOC's, no toxicity really. If the space is reasonably warm, it will be dry enough to work again in 1~2 hours. If the space is cold, it will be workable in 3~4 hours. It can also be sprayed if you have that kind of equipment.
Being water-based, the first coat will possibly raise the grain. If you planed the wood it will not raise the grain much at all, but if you sanded, and especially if the wood is curly, you will likely have areas of raised grain. it's no big deal.
All you do is deck the dried finish down with a sanding block and #320 paper. You are looking to scuff the surface and remove any dust nibs or rough bits of raised grain. Don't overwork the surface as you will be removing finish unnecessarily. When done, wipe with a tack cloth or blow off with compressed air and then apply another coat. And then repeat to build up, at least 3 coats. I put 4 coats on most parts, and 5 coats on table tops which see a bit more wear.
Enduro Var is slightly amber, unlike many other water-based urethanes, which are pretty much clear. If you want to darken a wood a little bit, it is quite easy. You need to obtain some aniline dye. I found some at my local Woodcraft store, a product by TransTint (see: http://homesteadfinishingproducts.com/t ... quid-dyes/). It wasn't cheap (around $21), but a little goes a very long way. I added 6 drops of #6001 honey amber dye to a quart of Enduro Var and it made a noticeable difference in the bubinga. The nice thing is how tunable it all is. I put a coat of the finish on with the honey amber dye and then realized that it was as dark as I needed it to get, and then simply finished on top of that for the next three coats with un-tinted semi gloss. If I wanted it darker, I could have either added more drops of TransTint, or more coats of tinted finish. It's that easy.
Once you have the number of coats on you desire, you deck the surface down with a sanding block and #320~#400 paper. This finish does not clog sandpaper. Then let it cure a bit more, for 3~4 days at least.
To polish, you could use pumice and rottenstone, however I elected to try Micromesh:
The package of small sheets, from #1500 to #12,000, costs around $22. They last a long time so it is a reasonable deal.
This kind of abrasive was developed to polish aircraft windscreens. It does an incredible job on wood. Probably it does a finer job than required for most pieces of furniture, but you can decide for yourself where to stop in the continuum.
To use Micromesh, you can use it dry, or you can use a cutting lubricant such as water or paraffin oil. I chose this:
You could also use some sort of light vegetable oil I'm sure.
You work you way through the Micromesh grits to the point you wish to go. At #6000 and above the scratches left behind are invisible to the human eye.
When finished with the Micromesh, wipe the piece down with methylated spirits to clean the oil off. Then all you have to do is wax the piece. I've tried various specialty furniture waxes, however in recent years I've settled on Kiwi shoe polish, neutral:
It buffs out without streaks and is relatively inexpensive. It does have some volatile solvents in it though, so use in well-ventilated conditions.
After that, if you like, you can reduce the gloss and even out any unevenness in the wax by rubbing with #0000 steel wool or equivalent 3M abrasive fiber pad.
What I like about Enduro Var is:
-it dries really hard
-it dries fast
-there are no toxic solvents or other VOC's
-doesn't darken the wood unless you want to by adding aniline dye.
-unlike oil finishes, there are not worries about rags catching on fire
-clean up of brushes just requires soap and water.
I can get six coats on in three days, wait three more days and polish it out. In one week you are done. It looks great! Seriously, there are no drawbacks to this product as far as I can tell. Give it a try.