Waterbased Varnish

[maswindell]

I know I'll be stirring the pot but here goes. I have been using Schooner varnish on my runabout and it looks great. However I am thinking of using some waterbased varnish on some furniture I am making from mahogany. What say the experts on waterbased finishes, I have been looking at the Oxford brand from Target Coatings ? I plan on using shellac and then a couple of coats of varnish for protection, some of the furniture will be outdoors on teh patio year round.

Cheers to all
Mike on the left coast

[TimH]

Does it have UV protection?

[Stiletto]

I have used water based varnish in the past on interior trim in a house, because the timber was totara, which is prone to inhibit drying.

I dont think UV is an issue inside. I feel it was ok for where I used it, but would hesitate to use it in areas that get wear and tear. It looked somewhat milky in the can but came out good. It dried quickly and I was able to get 3coats on in an NZ summer afternoon. This was a few years ago and these products have improved steadily over the years.
If you are able to get a small sample, a test could suss it out for you.

[Tom Lathrop]

Water based varnish can be very good for many applicatations. I have used many gallons of Hydracoat polyurethane for interior work in building our house. It is availabe with UV resistance but I have not used that variety.

Pros:

It is much clearer than other varnishes which is good on light grain wood like ash and white cedar.

Contrary to what was said above, is makes an extremely tough finish. I have two flights of spiral stairs that have withstood constant foot trafic for about 14 years. These serve the main entrance to the house from a dirt driveway. They could use some touch-up now but still look good.

I have white cedar paneling finished in water based next to the same wood finished with Deft, which I intentionally wanted to be a different shade. The color difference is so great that most people think the woods are different.

Waer based varnish does not tend to darken or yellow like other varnishes. It will hold the original color much - much longer.

The drying time is so fast that it is possible to put on six or more coats in a single day. The stair treds mentioned above were set up, sprayed, sanded, five more coats added and put away inside on the same day. On some projects, this is a BIG deal.

Cons:

I have yet to find a water based product that satisfies me on darker wood like mahogany or cherry. The deep figure just does not come out like with real varnish or poly. Fine Woodworking had a test article a few years ago that claimed some products work well on darker wood. Maybe so.

In my experience, the light blue-ish tint that is not a problem on light woods makes for a plastic look on darker wood.

Water based finishes are not always compatible with other kinds of finish, so a test is definitely in order if you plan on putting one on top of the other.

The first coat of water based varnish will raise the grain so some sanding (not much) of this first coat is necessary.

Other:

Water based finishes can be sprayed or wiped on (thin) but I have not had really satisfying results with brushing because of bubble problems.

[ 07-09-2004, 09:18 AM: Message edited by: Tom Lathrop ]

[Divine Wind]

I am using blackfriars and rustins and thinning both for max penetration. Had no probs at all but have yet to see wearing factor. This erodes over a year and can then be redone or the teak cleaned again without having to take varnish off.