Which clear finish has the best adhesion properties

What are you covering?

Barry

Wood Print Veneer. I have a piece of furniture made of particle board covered in that wood print veneer that I want to protect with some sort of clear coat, but poly just peeled right off with my fingernail.

Thanks, Harry

P.S. If anyone knows what the official name is for that fake wood print veneer, please let me know. It's the kind of veneer you'd find on Walmart furniture for example.

What are you coating? Why can't you sand it? And, why does it need protection?

shellac. if it won't stick you are outta luck now that it's got poly that's peeling, the shellac hasn't got a chance either. shoudda done the shellac first.

dave

Harry Muscle wrote:

yes that's the key. shellac or a clear acrylic may do it. is it really clean?

Plastic?

Poly or varnish won't stick to it. Lacquer will probably craze it.

Barry

Fortunately I only put poly on a test piece section.

Harry

Wood Print Veneer. I have a piece of furniture made of particle board covered in that wood print veneer that I want to protect with some sort of clear coat, but poly just peeled right off with my fingernail. I can't sand it cause I'll ruin the existing veneer, and I need to protect it because I will have a fish tank sitting on it.

Thanks, Harry

On Mon, 12 Jan 2004 06:56:36 -0500, "Harry Muscle"

That surface is pretty much waterproof as it is. You only have to be concerned with the edges, where water spills can get under the veneer and degrade the particle board.

Try using a small brush to put poly along all of the edges and seams, you'll be good to go.

Barry

If it's bare wood you're spraying, poly will harden over more time than a couple of days. It's still soft.

If you're spraying over another surface, you MUST scuff it up for anything to stick to it. Once the window for a chemical bond is over, scuffing it gives you a mechanical bond.

Actually it's not waterproof, maybe we're thinking of a slightly different veneer. I tried leaving a puddle of water on a test piece (away from the edges, in the middle of the piece), and after 1 hour the water had already caused the wood fibers under the veneer to expand and make the surface bubbly.

I don't know if anyone has ever bought furniture from Walmart or the like, but it's the kind of veneer you'd find on their furniture.

Thanks, Harry

OK, so you want to protect the termite puke from the fish-splash.

How about a sheet of 1/8" plexiglass cut to size at the local hardware store/lumberyard? It will just flex under the weight (if necessary) and it is absolutely waterproof.

-Steve

it isn't wood... wood finishes aren't going to perform well on it. you might consider something like heavy clear shelf paper or vinyl wrapped around the edges and tacked on the bottom. Bridger

:) had I known it was vinyl I wouldn't have mentioned shellac! How about an acrylic sheet? or tempered glass?

dave

Harry Muscle wrote:

Harry, tell them the rest of the story. That you want a clear coat that will stick to the slick paper veneer of some press board.

It's not vinyl. It's particle board covered in wood print veneer. It's more paper like than anything else.

Harry

I guess I should have explained everything from the start ... but I just didn't want a really long post.

I'm trying to protect Wood Print Veneer. I have a piece of furniture made of particle board covered in that wood print veneer that I want to protect with some sort of clear coat, but poly just peeled right off with my fingernail. I can't sand it cause I'll ruin the existing veneer, and I need to protect it because I will have a fish tank sitting on it.

Thanks, Harry

Couple of questions. If the shellac will hold (I'm gonna try tonight), could I apply something a little more protective over the shellac. My main worry is water damage, and I've read that shellac doesn't stand up to water too good. Do I have to use dewaxed shellac in order to apply something over it ... or does that only apply when you're covering it with poly?

Also, would clear acrylic be water, oil, mineral based?

Thanks, Harry