SECRETS OF PAINT AND STAIN CHEMISTRY

(Page 15 of 15)

April/May 1997
By John Vivian 
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To "wipe" make a small pad of soft material, soak so it does not drip with finish, and just spread it on, right from the can. Keep surface evenly shiny, recovering spots that soak in more first-coat finish than others. When one coat is applied and the surface is evenly shiny, go over it again immediately in direction of grain. Let dry for a day between coats. Ten coats (in 10 days) will give you a table top that rivals any you can buy. Twenty coats (in three weeks) will look like glass. Fifty will take a month and a half and rival the finish on a Rolls-Royce.

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Let any varnish cure for a week, then apply a good hard wax.

Discard any leftover finish. No varnish is good for long once the can is opened. Good premixed varnishes cost about $15 a pint, and can be expected to cover 120 (first coat) to 250 (final coats) square feet. Not cheap, so plan the job carefully and buy no more finish than you need.

Applying a wiping varnish correctly is slow going, more appropriate for furniture than a boat or porch railing. But, it is easiest and least vulnerable to amateur mistakes, it gives you the most intimate contact with the materials and is a warmly satisfying way to finish fine woods.

"French Polishing" is a variant of applying wiping varnish. Apply fresh shellac (and shellac only) with a pad, wiping areas of about 4 square feet in circles till the finish dries and makes a fine powder. The powder will work into pores of the wood, to be sealed by following coats. Once the finish is as glasslike as you want, finish off with conventional wiped-on coats.

When the finish wears (which any wiping oil or varnish will in time) remove wax with solvent and sand lightly to take out nicks and deep scratches; then renew with a coat or more of fresh shellac or varnish as applied originally.

SOURCES

Constantine (woodworking tools including shellac flakes and solvent, milk paint, pigments, and aniline colors). 800-223-8087

Darworth Co. (water-based wood filler and applicator), 7405 Production Dr., Mentor OH 44060. 800-6247-767

DETCO (Hi-tech outdoor and marine varnishes), PO Box 1246, Newport Beach, CA 92659-1246. 800-845-0023

Garret Wade Co. (woodworking tools including shellac flakes and solvent, milk paint, pigments, and aniline color). 800-221-2942

REAL GOODS ("Green" living goods including milk paints). 800-762-7325

WOOD-KOTE (full line of finishes and stains,specializing in polyurethanes, including jelled and water base) P.O. Box 17192, Portland, OR 97221. 800-483-7661

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  • Joan 10/24/2007 7:11:20 PM

    my daughter in law, gave birth to twins into her fifth month of
    pregnancy, now at two months , they are gaining, and hopefully will
    not encounter problems with premature delivery, my question is she
    just bought to cribs, evidently they are made in China, she is
    concerned about the lead content in the stain. She contacted the
    store where she placed the order,who in turn contacted the mfg.
    they said the lead is .0000000000006% present, is this dangerous to
    her babies? Thankyou if you can reply to this, as we are concerned!

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