I’m putting in some temporary kitchen countertops made from MDF with about 5 coats of poly.
So I started finishing them with a can of Varathane that was probably at least 40 years old. The cap had a lady figure skating on with “So hard you can ice skate on it!” below the drawing. The can proudly said on the side “Liquid Plastic”. At least they didn’t about it back then! I thinned it a bit, and used it on bathroom vanity as well. The finish came out great, no runs, streaks, puddling, etc. It leveled great and any bubbles from the roller took care of themselves. I was using a crappy foam roller to apply it.
Anyhow, I finished the can and ran out to HomeyD to get more poly. The only thing they carry is Miniwax, so I ended up with the “high build” oil-based poly. I thinned a small batch of it to complete the first coats, and it went on very poorly. I tried applying it with the roller, a foam brush, and a painters pad and nothing worked. It was streaky and didn’t behave anywhere as nicely as the Varathane I had. I tried a last coat of it uncut and was even more unimpressed by it.
So was the old-skool Varathane made with some super carcinogen that made using it really easy? Or is the Minwax just
? And can someone recommend a good poly as I still have to do all my kitchen cabs and I don’t want to be constantly worrying about the finish.
Thanks,
Z
Replies
I'm no expert but typically build and spray a few sets of cabinets a year along with with other work. Usual finish is 1 coat sealer and 1 or 2 coats poly [depending on the budget]. Minwax seems to be always about 1 coat build behind the pittsburg that I now use and the pitts they now have drys about as fast. Usually can get 2 coats on in a day without cutting corners. Bottom line Pittsburg way better than minwax, cost is a bit less for me too. I'm looking forward to other opinions on this myself, this is just the best system for me I've used to date.
What kind of sealer do you use? The first coat of thinned Varathane I put on took forever to dry and the MDF absorbed it like a sponge. But once it dried, I didn't have any problem with the MDF wicking the finish too quickly. Curious as I'm going to build cabinet carcasses from MDF and will poly them, but I'm looking for ways and materials to cut down the finish time. I'm tempted to get a cheap HVLP gun from HF, but I have to spray outside in my backyard and I'm not sure how well that will work. Thanks,
Zack
Have you considered water-borne polyurethane?View Image
I figured on MDF that was a big no-no as it would raise the 'grain'. But I don't know much about finishing, so I'm all ears...Z
Yeah, can't say either about any issues with MDF. Someone will be along....................View Image
seal it with de waxed shellac aka zinsser seal coat. Then apply waterborne poly.If you do a search there are extensive posts by HootOwl on his methods of using shellac as a sealer for waterborne poly. His posts helped me alot.Harbor Freights 43430 HVLP did a good job of spraying shellac and poly for my helper. He used to work in a body shop and makes it look easier than it probably is. One of these days I am going to get some training from him.The waterborne dries really fast. You can spray a coat every hour but it my take more coats spraying it vs rolling/brushing to get a desired film thickness.Karl
That's great information Karl! Since I'm just doing the carcasses, I don't need too many coats, I just want to protect them from any spills. I'm reading through all the finishing tips in those threads from HootOwl and Sphere and it looks like I might take a trip to HF this weekend for a HVLP gun to shoot a coat of shellac then a WB poly.What Pittsburgh polyurethane do you use? I can't find any poly on their website. They don't have any dealers close to me, so I'd like to see if there is an equivalent BenMoore product. Thanks again,
Z
Glad to hear you found those threads.I didn't use Pittsburgh poly. I used the Exterior waterborne "diamond" varathane poly. If I recall correctly that was what hootowl was recommending.I did have to do some light sanding after the shellac and after the first coat of poly but that was very quick and easy.Karl
The sanding sealer I currently use is Pittsburg 77-30 followed by Pittsburg polyurethane 77-89. I've never used it on mdf, just on solid wood or plywood. It's the best system I've found for my needs so far but am still looking..
I never have found an oil based poly I was happy with. So for me, it's all Lacquer or waterbased Hydrocote. Poly just ain't what it once was, but in certain apps, I HAVE used Minwax mixed with Spar varn and Turps or minspirts and BLO..my own special wiping mix. More or less Spar depending on how soft I want the final to be.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
"If Brains was lard, you couldn't grease much of a pan"Jed Clampitt
View Image
My experience thinks that some new oil polys are way ahead of the old ones, faster drying and better build. I had to use some customer supplied minwax a while back and thought it was not improved over 8 years, but that is my perception not science. I have liked the older water base products except for the low build [more labor and material] but haven't tried any in a long time partly on account of cost. Lacquer has mostly stayed on my to try list, can't say why except maybe inertia. The new catalyzed oil polys sound tempting and I hope to try that but it is special order. Meantime thanks for your perspective..