Finishing questions (varathane vs hydrocote vs ???, etc.)

[Renata]

The short version (I hope).

Here I thought I could start finishing the kitchen cabinets today in the lovely 65F weather we're having. But, no-oo.

Background: I have this lovely hvlp system raring to go and have now decided it might be prudent to go with a water based product since...

The Deft lacquer I have is apparently ill suited to kitchen use (6 (SIX!) coats?!?!? May turn white w/exposure to moisture.).

And...

I can't count on lovely weather the rest of the month and would really find it distracting if I blew up my house from the fumes. Not to mention it seems like it's a lot less hassle to use water based stuff.

(I've brushed Varathane poly w/success so the issue finding a good product that is amenable to hvlp).

I do a little googling (including the wreck) and come up with contradictory viewpoints on Varathane's water based poly. Some found it hard to spray; others not so.

Hydrocote seems like a good choice. The Resithane product looks like what I need. The local supplier has... - the Danish Oil - and nothing else. So much for trying to get this done by the weekend.

So, unless I find that the Varathane product is sprayable, I'm gonna have to mail order something.

Oh, quick is good too. If I could get 3 coats on in a day or less, I'd be 'right happy. W/out sanding in between would make me delirious. :-)

Suggestions, ideas, etc., please (PLEASE!).

(Gee, this is turning out to be a bigger adventure than I thought. I've built kitchen cabs b4, but I guess I'm venturing into more new territory than I realized with this hvlp stuff. It seems like jumping right in isn't working).

Thanx!

Renata

[Juvenal]

I've been spraying water-based with hvlp for over 15 years now, and am very happy with it, and I now use nitro lacq. only for musical instruments.

Our local Hydrocote supplier (Hood Finishing Products in NJ) has top-notch service and usually gets product to me the day after I order. Unfortunately, my experience with Hydrocote has been less satisfactory. I figure I've sprayed about 100 gallons of it, by the 5 gal pails cluttering the shop. I've found Hydrocote to be widely inconsistant in viscosity: sometimes thick as pudding, other times thin as water. Once the flatting agent was solidified on the bottom of the pail and couldn't be stirred in, another the finish just wouldn't cure, another time it was contaminated with something causing fisheye, another time contaminated with black specs. Most of the time it was fine, of course, and the price is right and as I said, the service excellent. Still, I had to bail on the product because every 5 gal pail was a crap shoot.

Sherwin Williams Sherwood Kem Aqua is more expensive, but always consistent in quality. Really a great product. Unfortunately, the customer service blows (except when it sucks) and it takes 2 -4 weeks for me to get the product after ordering, unless I want to drive 50 miles to the warehouse myself and pick it up. Adding insult to injury, when they get it in they never have any idea what to charge me for it & ask me what I usually pay. I always tell the saleskid 80 bucks for the pail, but they haven't bought that one yet. >8^)

-- Timothy Juvenal

[B A R R Y]

M.L. Campbell Ultrastar is also a great product for those with spray gear. I have a local paint store that sells it to me.

Many independent paint stores deal with professional finishes, but we have to ask, as the stuff usually won't be displayed with the retail product.

[Patriarch]

Renata wrote in news: [e-mail]:

I have little to no personal experience, but there was a test/review in one of the last couple of FWW issues. They did a range of waterbased finishes, including brushing and spraying.

HTH. Good luck on the kitchen. I did prefinished birch ply for the one we're working on, and the face frames, doors & drawers will get a wiping varnish. Because I'm cheap, and my daughter-in-law, whose kitchen it is, will do the bulk of that work anyhow.

Patriarch

[dondone]

[JGS]

Yes to a vote for Target USL. It's great and sprays very well and you get true burn in. These people give good service too. Cheers, JG