I have had to add new door to the clan’s abode. All of the doors are 6-panel (pine). The last time I did this I used a water-based varnish, which has held up quite well on the other doors.
BUT….. the low viscosity stuff slid under the panels and glued them to the framing. Needless to say, by now with a few winters under their belts, the panels have cracked.
HOW DO I KEEP THE
#
#
panels from sticking to the frame? (“
#” mine, not Taunton’s)
Replies
1. don't brush it on so heavy, especially in the corners. an extra coat that is even is better than flooding it on in 2 coats
2. spray it
BarryE: I am guessing that you have not used the water-based stuff. The material pours like milk, and soaks into the wood. You have to put multiple coats on to get a buildup, but that is not too bad as the next coat can be put in in about 30 minutes.
Problem is that very first coat seems to creep into the thin crevices where the panels meet the frames.
And, typically the maker does not recommend spraying.
Maybe if the first coat was put on real thin around those areas? If that first coat seals and doesn't soak into that joint the coats afterward should just build on top of it.
I've heard of cabinet makers finishing panels before they assemble frames around them. That way they know the panel is going to float and when they shrink the finish still looks good. "There are three kinds of men: The one that learns by reading, the few who learn by observation and the rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves."Will Rogers
Hmm! That can't hurt. I will try it.
Regarding prefinishing panels: I have done it myself. But this is a Jeld-Wen prehung door; can't take it apart (Well, not true, but reassembling it might be "interesting").
you're guessing wrong. :)which maker? Can't even use a HVLP or qt pot? I've brushed & sprayed clear water based finishes of many types since the late 70's You have to dry brush a little more around the edges. And I would do it flat instead of standing up
Barry E-Remodeler
My apologies for saying it cannot be sprayed. I stand corrected.The last time I did this, I looked into spraying, and the technology for water-based was much more limited. In fact I was told that it could not be done unless you used really specialized equipment (Translation: $$$$).Maybe this is the time to buy a spray gun. Any suggestions? Keep in mind that it will be used limited times.
I have a PC, got it new on ebay for cheap.
Works well, I'd recommend it if I could remember the model.
Joe H
John,
I spray Minwax waterbased poly with a Porter Cable HVLP gun and it works GREAT. Very light coats and you can recoat every thirty minutes. The film is so thin that there is no way it will run into the panel joint. I wrap the nose of the gun with a wet rag between coats.
If this is an interior door, check out Zar Ultra Max. It's the thickest water-based polyurethane I've used. My favorite feature is that you need about 1/2 as many coats as regular water-based poly.
How about a wipe-on finish, instead of brushing? I don't know if you can wipe on Polycrylic, but there are oil-based polyurethanes that you can wipe on. Might help control the run-off, but you'll have to wipe on a few coats to be sure.In the alternative, what if you apply the poly normally, and then go in an very carefully score around the outline of each panel with an x-acto knife once it's cured? That might be enough to break the contact and let the panel move.
<score around the outline of each panel with an x-acto knife >
That is too obvious! And, if I combine this with some of the other suggestions like a very light coat around the panels, hopefully this will solve the problems.
Glad I thought of it.