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Looking for foolproof finish with limited products available - FalmerTW - 09-26-2018
Greetings from Taiwan!
I run a small business in hospitality, here in Taipei. Our customers are young, and often not very careful with their furniture. I am looking for a basic, waterproof, foolproof finish for our wooden surfaces and furniture. Surfaces can be shelves, desks... They can be painted or stained.
It needs to be a fairly basic solution since not that many products are available here in Taiwan (they really do not have a tradition of woodworking), and since the language barrier makes finding niche products really hard.
I am currently using Polyurethane glue (used here to waterproof roofing). I am looking for strength and ease of application rather than perfect final results. I would appreciate a finish that is not too shiny.
Would you have any better suggestion?
RE: Looking for foolproof finish with limited products available - FS7 - 09-26-2018
(09-26-2018, 08:20 AM)FalmerTW Wrote: Greetings from Taiwan!
I run a small business in hospitality, here in Taipei. Our customers are young, and often not very careful with their furniture. I am looking for a basic, waterproof, foolproof finish for our wooden surfaces and furniture. Surfaces can be shelves, desks... They can be painted or stained.
It needs to be a fairly basic solution since not that many products are available here in Taiwan (they really do not have a tradition of woodworking), and since the language barrier makes finding niche products really hard.
I am currently using Polyurethane glue (used here to waterproof roofing). I am looking for strength and ease of application rather than perfect final results. I would appreciate a finish that is not too shiny.
Would you have any better suggestion?
Spar varnish or spar urethane, if available, would be good. If you don't really care about perfect results, it can be brushed on heavily. You'll get brush strokes and bubbles, but if you're looking for water resistance and protection, it works.
For what it's worth, the single best option (usually used for outdoor furniture) is oil-based paint. It is increasingly difficult to find, but untinted oil-based paint will dry clear and will protect as well as anything. I imagine it might actually be easier to find in Taiwan - paint is common.
RE: Looking for foolproof finish with limited products available - hbmcc - 09-26-2018
First, welcome to the forum!
As noted by FS7, spar and standard urethane varnishes (mostly clear) work well. These are usually oil based and require mineral spirits for cleanup. Often marking pens and rag wipe-on will touch up nicks and scratches. Rags must be thoroughly air dried or stored in metal--they are prone to self combustion.
Another option are the polyurethanes. These are a tougher version of urethanes, and come in both water-based and oil-based. Clean up is the same as other oil and water based paints.
RE: Looking for foolproof finish with limited products available - Mark A Smith - 09-26-2018
(09-26-2018, 08:20 AM)FalmerTW Wrote: Greetings from Taiwan!
I run a small business in hospitality, here in Taipei. Our customers are young, and often not very careful with their furniture. I am looking for a basic, waterproof, foolproof finish for our wooden surfaces and furniture. Surfaces can be shelves, desks... They can be painted or stained.
It needs to be a fairly basic solution since not that many products are available here in Taiwan (they really do not have a tradition of woodworking), and since the language barrier makes finding niche products really hard.
I am currently using Polyurethane glue (used here to waterproof roofing). I am looking for strength and ease of application rather than perfect final results. I would appreciate a finish that is not too shiny.
Would you have any better suggestion?
A good waterproof wood glue (Titebond III is available here) is a lot less messy than polyurethane glue and just as strong. There must be something like that in Taiwan.
Spar varnish has no value over regular polyurethane varnish for indoor use. Outdoor use? Yes. It is a bit more flexible and has ultraviolet inhibitors that help with the sun and with expansion and contraction to a small degree. Neither of these are properties are needed for indoor furniture. (You may know that boat owners are constantly doing maintenance on their boats. Nothing lasts forever.)
There is no foolproof finish. Period. Nor is there a waterproof finish unless you coat your furniture in plastic, which isn't something you are likely to try. Polyurethane is a good as you will find. It is waterproof, but remember, all finishes get cracks in them due to movement (expansion and contraction) of the wood they cover. Thus, over time, water can get in if left on the surface.
Multiple coats of polyurethane are better than a single coat, but even then the finish will not be foolproof or waterproof. You will have to keep up with maintenance and occasionally put a new top coat on or start fresh by stripping the furniture.
The other option is to put Formica tops on every piece of furniture. That is fully waterproof, but can be chipped and broken, so is not foolproof..
RE: Looking for foolproof finish with limited products available - Hank Knight - 09-26-2018
If you're having trouble finding spar varnish or polyurethane finish, go to your nearest marina or yacht basin. Find the repair guys and ask them what they are using for marine wood finish and where you can buy it locally. They probably have several choices they'll sell you.
RE: Looking for foolproof finish with limited products available - FalmerTW - 09-28-2018
Thank you so much for all the answers and explanations!
Spar varnish is proving to be a no-no in Chinese (the Nippon paint shop attendant I showed that to looked at me dumbfoundedly), but I seem to be getting results on transparent oil paint (as Alkyd resin). Apparently it is sold as a product for boats here.
I am attracted to the idea of oil paint as I imagine this could be used with a paint gun (we have a compressor and a HVLP gun, but I am still learning how to use this). Is this a waste of time?
Also, would there be any way to get a finish that is matte, or at least not too shiny?
RE: Looking for foolproof finish with limited products available - FS7 - 09-28-2018
(09-28-2018, 06:00 AM)FalmerTW Wrote: Thank you so much for all the answers and explanations!
Spar varnish is proving to be a no-no in Chinese (the Nippon paint shop attendant I showed that to looked at me dumbfoundedly), but I seem to be getting results on transparent oil paint (as Alkyd resin). Apparently it is sold as a product for boats here.
I am attracted to the idea of oil paint as I imagine this could be used with a paint gun (we have a compressor and a HVLP gun, but I am still learning how to use this). Is this a waste of time?
Also, would there be any way to get a finish that is matte, or at least not too shiny?
Using a paint gun is fine, but you may need a bigger tip since oil-based paint is thicker. Alternately, you can thin it.
You should be able to find untinted alkyd enamel in various sheens, including flat. If not, you can always knock the sheen down with steel wool or a scouring pad.
RE: Looking for foolproof finish with limited products available - jteneyck - 09-28-2018
If you have any commercial furniture or cabinet companies in the area go to them and see what they use and where they buy it. Perhaps you can buy what you need from one of them.
To change the sheen you add "flatters", assuming you can't buy low gloss products directly. There are flatters for both solvent based and water based products.
For what it's worth, I wouldn't spray oil based varnish; the overspray will make a huge mess of anything it lands on.
John
RE: Looking for foolproof finish with limited products available - FalmerTW - 10-04-2018
Thank you, everyone, for the very useful answers. Now I got to get my hands dirty and test all of this.