best clear coat finish for shelving unit
I am about to finish a large maple bookshelf for a customer. What is the best product to use for a great clear finish?
I am about to finish a large maple bookshelf for a customer. What is the best product to use for a great clear finish?
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Replies
Any reason clear poly wouldn't work?
I don't have much experience with maple...
You might try that question over in the Knots forum.
-Rich
Is this finish to match other maple in the room? If so, then try to find out what was used. If not, my preference for maple is clear, water based poly. Go to a good paint store and ask for something that's "water white". Maple really tends to yellow after time with a conventional oil poly. If thats ok with HO then use it, its the best protection. But , that creamy white color of maple will last longer with water based.
good luck
Are you going to use a brush-on finish?
Any oil based poly will have a slight ambering effect -- which is what most people are accustomed to, and many feel it is a "warmer" finish.
A water based poly will maintain a whiter appearance -- some like it, others think it looks too "sterile."
If you do use the latter, you should do a first coat with a product called SealCoat (Zinsser), which is a dewaxed shellac. This will keep the grain from raising, and will give you a much better finish.
http://www.zinsser.com/product_detail.asp?ProductID=72
It is available in any paint store, but many home centers are starting to carry it.
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I swear by endruo. It has been recently bought out by general finishes. Dont know where you live. It is a SoCal product. But you can purchase it at
http://www.homesteadfinishes.com
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