I am about to apply finish on a walnut dresser I made. I have used Shelac before and the result wasgood. This time I would like to try something new, just to get myself familiar with different finishing products and techniques. I went to Lowes yesterday and saw DEFT brushing Lacquer. My question is if it is a good choice for walnut and if it is wasy to apply. Thanks.
My experience has been that Deft is softer than Shelac or regular spray on lacquer. If you want to use lacquer, spray it on if you have the capability. BTW, the Deft is easy to apply & levels well. I have brushed and sprayed Deft (even though Deft isn't recommended for spraying, it worked well). Deft contains a retarder which slows drying time & I personnaly think that is what causes it's relative softness. Spray lacquer is available from professional paint stores in individual spray cans as well in bulk. Wal-Mart carries a spray lacquer in a can under the Krylon brand name (I believe). I've used it on smaller things with great success, although it is pricier in the spray cans, but more convenient as I don't have to clean out my spray pot each time. Good luck Phil
I just used the Deft "brushing lacquer" through my spray gun (yes, I know it says not to spray it) on an oak entertainment center with really good results. True, it's probably not as hard as regular lacquer and definitely not as hard as urethane but it dries fairly quickly and 3 coats with light sanding between the 1st two coats is usually sufficient. I've also sprayed Varathane water-based floor urethane with good results (another product that says not to spray it... is there a conspiracy here?). Another lacquer I've used is Rudd, bought here in the Pacific Northwest at Columbia Paint. Overall, I like it but on larger projects, I've had trouble with hazing from the overspray as the lacquer dries real fast. The paint store sold me some retarder at $28 a gallon to slow down the drying but I have the same results, if not better, with a $10 can of thinner. The thinner seems to help it flow and prevent the hazing.
I've used both Watco Oil and Deft in the spray can on walnut jewelry boxes (not both on the same jewelry box) and liked the results on both but I prefer the Deft so using the kind in the gallon can would most likely be good. You might get a small can of Minwax Polycrylic and experiment on a small piece of walnut as well. I haven't tried that yet myself but I talked to another woodworker recently that really likes it. There are plenty of products out there to experiment with, with everyone having their favorite. I like Deft and the waterbased urethane. You might like something else. One of the fun things about woodwerkin is experimenting with different finishes. Just depends on the wood and the desired result. Just practice on scrap pieces of the same wood as the project until you get the result you like. Good luck and have fun.
Will
Might also consider one of the wipe-on poly's. I was an avid oiler (Watco and various tung oils) and still use them occasionally. However, I started using the wiping poly's a couple of years ago with good results. It takes several coats to work up a good finish but the cycle time between coats is fairly short (3-4 hours with normal humidity and temp.) If your surface is stained or sealed you can end up with a very smooth and attractive luster. Normal between-coat sanding processes apply.
Also, if you do get a minor scratch or ding it is pretty easy to repair. Just clean off the area with mineral spirits and wipe a very light coat over the blemish.
RonB
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