Glossing over paint

[unitedcases]

I've been doing a lot of research of how to gloss a painted piece. I have read that lacquer is too aggressive. So what is the best stuff to use for interior painted pieces?

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[lawrence]

Are you saying you want to add a glossed effect to latex paint? If so, I have had good success with spray shellac which is glossy but yellows things a bit. My new favorite finish (I LOVE THIS STUFF) is spraying this on with my HVLP

http://www.amazon.com/General-Finishes-Enduro-Var-Gloss-Quart/dp/B003KZWVTK/ref=sr_1_1?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1348869211&sr=1-1&keywords=enduro+gloss

You don't need much (it's pricy) but it doesn't yellow and looks amazing. I used it on my recent ribbon racks project over latex and it worked really well.
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u313/ldr_klr/Carvewright/ribbons/P11207491024x768.jpg

Lawrence

[unitedcases]

That sounds good. I have had good success with latex however for some of my other stuff i use enamels that have metallic finishes. They are cheap and go a long way.

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[lawrence]

waterbased will go over enamels just fine too - this waterbased is MUCH nicer than the cheaper minwax/big box waterbased polys. Make sure you try a high quality poly before you give up on them...they have come a long way in the last year or so.

Lawrence

[unitedcases]

What about spar urethane?

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[lawrence]

As I understand it, spar urethane is just regular oil-based poly with a higher level of oils added to make the finish a little more flexible (to allow for wood expansion) as well as some UV blockers. I've had success putting oil based polys over latex paints but it is certainly not recommended- especially if the latex is not well cured. It also takes a lot longer to dry. One of the very nice things about shellac and waterbased poly is that it drys VERY quickly which allows for multiple coats in a single day.

I think a spar urethane would work, but is probably not the most appropriate finish for interior surfaces. The negatives it presents (long dry time being the main one as well as cleaning oil based polys out of a spray gun is only second to lacquer in the "pain in the *&^ level" for finishes. Outdoor pieces are an entirely different story....

Just my .02 and I'm by no means a professional finisher so take my advice with that in mind!

Lawrence

[unitedcases]

The only spray mix I do is paints. I do all my lacquer and poly from cans. Mainly because I use so little.

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[lawrence]

For wipe on finishes, I do like oil based mixes. I make my own from a mixture of 1/3 oil based poly, 1/3 mineral spirits, and 1/3 genuine tung oil (get it from a specialist store like rockler) I usually put on a basecoat of shellac and follow it up with several flooded on wipe on coats (with a rag) which I let soak in and then wipe off. There is zero streaking or brush marks in this method and I like it a lot as it really "pops" the grain of the wood.

My life really did change when I started using a HVLP though.... I have the earlex 5000 and use a 1mm needle for waterbased finishes and LOVE IT.

Lawrence

[unitedcases]

Appreciate the help. I will find a water based spray and go with that for now. I have started doing pilots wings using the metallic type paints and they come out super sweet. However when I hit them with lacquer they go to worse. So...I will try water based poly. I'm not worried about drying times as I do most of my spraying in the garage and I usually account for a couple days of drying anyways.

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[lawrence]

awesome, let us know how it turns out. Get ready for your drying time for the top coat to go from days down to hours... it's really nice

Lawrence

[badbert]

+1 for water based poly.
http://www.homedepot.com/Paint-Interior-Paint-Stain/h_d1/N-25ecodZ5yc1vZ25ecodZbbbp/R-202521739/h_d2/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&keyword=polyurethane&storeId=10051#.UGZamLVDZ5Y

T (http://www.homedepot.com/Paint-Interior-Paint-Stain/h_d1/N-25ecodZ5yc1vZ25ecodZbbbp/R-202521739/h_d2/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&keyword=polyurethane&storeId=10051#.UGZamLVDZ5Y)his is the stuff I use. I bought 23 gallons from a guy on Craiglist. For $300!! LOL Re-did all the floors in my house, 16 coats deep! LOL I figured someday my grandson will have to redo them! I rolled it on the floor with a micro-fiber roller. Came out smooth as glass. I still have 6 gallons left. I use it on everything! I've wiped it, brushed it, and rolled it. Every time it as smooth as glass. I have used it over amber shellac (not de-waxed), after 72 hours. I have used it over danish oil. I have used it over oil and water stains. If you don't use a stain or other sealer. It will raise the grain a little bit. I find that if I spray a very light "dust" coat, and let it set for an hour, I usually don't have to re-sand. Unless it is pine... Oh yeah, it sprays great as well!! I don't have a true HVLP system. But I do have this gun
http://www.harborfreight.com/20-oz-high-volume-low-pressure-gravity-feed-spray-gun-47016.html
I (http://www.harborfreight.com/20-oz-high-volume-low-pressure-gravity-feed-spray-gun-47016.html) use it right out of the bottle into the gun, and it sprays just fine for me. And it dries so fast, if I put it on lightly it will dry in 20 minutes. It has great chemical adhesion too, you can recoat within an hour without sanding between coats.

I have tried spar urethane, the minwax is a good, the rustoleum is better (their spray can is the best in the business!) but both are very yellowing. And take forever to dry... meanwhile every speck of dust that floats buy gets to settle in. The poly dries so fast, dust doesn't get time to settle! I am not sure what the difference between indoor and outdoor finishes are. If the UV blocking is done by the amber color (think of yellow shooting glasses). Then I don't think the trade off is worth it. I think the indoor floor poly might be suitable for exterior use. But only if allowing adequate dry time. For example the first few days of finishing our floor, any water spilled on them, left a temporary white haze. It would vanish within an hour. Now, that floor could be hosed off! Winter boots piled on a wet rug, didn't leave a trace of a mark. There is no noticeable fading anywhere on the floor. And our house has lots of huge windows. water borne or oil borne, Polyurethane is polyurethane. It does not dissolve in water. But it does dissolve in glycol ethers. And glycol ethers dissolve in water. But once the glycol ethers and the water are adequately evaporated... you are left with polyurethane. The same with oil based. Once the oil evaporates you are left with polyurethane.

[unitedcases]

I just remembered I have a paint gun. But before I dive into that I picked up a can of polycrylic to get my technique down, so to speak.

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[unitedcases]

So...I just sprayed some polycrylic over some metallic enamel paint and it still evaporated some of the paint. Apparently I am doing something wrong.

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