Chemical Test Results on EnduroVar and Enduro Clear Poly

[jteneyck]

Recently on another forum someone mentioned that they had called GF and were told that Enduro Clear Poly was more durable than EnduroVar. The poster did not quantify what was meant by "more durable", however. I really, really like Enduro Clear Poly. It sprays as easily as High Performance Poly but is more durable. But was it as resistant to nasty chemicals as EnduroVar which pretty much nothing affected in some testing I did a couple of years ago. So I did a quick round of testing.

On the left is a sample of cherry veneer plywood with EnduroVar Satin. On the right a sample of stained cherry with Enduro Clear Poly Satin. Both specimens are more than 4 months old so they are fully cured. The liquid drops are as follows: Top Left = DNA; Top Right = acetone, Bottom center = Windex.

This is at time zero:



After 1 hour:



After 4 hours the chemicals had either absorbed or evaporated:



I wiped each specimen with a paper towel first wet with water and then a dry one, after which they looked like this:



And more closely, the Enduro Clear Poly:



and the EnduroVar:



None of the chemicals truly damaged either finish, but both the DNA and acetone left a ring or changed the sheen on the Clear Poly specimen. On the EnduroVar specimen they did nothing. Windex, which contains ammonia, is especially nasty on many finishes; however, it did nothing to either specimen.

I don't know what test protocols GF used to conclude that Enduro Clear Poly has superior durability compared the EnduroVar, but my simple testing showed it's not. But it's still very good, far superior to many other finishes I've tested, including oil based polyurethane, and I will continue to use it for many applications including some difficult ones like kitchen cabinets or a bath vanity. Where it really has to count, however, like a dining room table, I'll continue to choose EnduroVar (or Arm-R-Seal), at least until I get a chance to use and test Enduro Conversion Varnish.

John

[Steve Friedman]

Thanks John,

Appreciate the effort to do that and sharing the results.

Steve

[atgcpaul]

That was a real nail biter. Thanks for going through that. I'm glad I got the EnduroVar for my countertops.

[JR1]

Thank John

[woodsman83192]

That was an interesting test. Does it hold up just as well to water and heat?

Thought about using Endurovar on a kitchen table where hot cups and water are present. Know it's chemical resistant, but more likely to have the hot and wet on a table than nail polish remover. Let me know about your experience, thanks!

Jake

[jteneyck]

Poor memories here. I did some ice water tests on Arm-R-Seal and EnduroVar last year.



Arm-R-Seal on the left, EnduroVar on the right; glasses of ice water in a pool of water for 3 hours.





No effect on either finish.

I did some tests with coffee cups heated in an oven on Arm-R-Seal, HP Poly, and Gel Urethane Topcoat several years ago. Arm-R-Seal on the left, HP Poly in the middle, and Gel Urethane Topcoat on the right. I heated the cups up to various temps. and then sat them on the specimens. If I remember correctly, I didn't see any damage up to around 275 F on any of the specimens. The highest temp. I used was around 350 F; again, going on memory.



Arm-R-Seal was the only one of the three completely unaffected:



HP Poly was damaged, I think around 300 F:



Same for the Gel Urethane Topcoat:



I haven't done any heat testing on EnduroVar or Enduro Clear Poly yet, nor any abrasion testing.

Stay tuned. My expectation is that they will do better than HP Poly but maybe not quite as good as Arm-R-Seal. We'll see.

And I agree, Richard, I should call GF and ask about how they did their testing to conclude that Enduro Clear Poly has superior durability to EnduroVar. But I've been misinformed by them before so I'm a little gun shy of whatever they say. A chemist I talked to several years ago said that Enduro Clear Poly has a better UV package in it than HP Poly. A few months ago on another forum a guy posted that he talked with a chemist who told him Clear Poly has no UV package in it and never did. I challenged him on that and he called GF back up, talked to another person, and was told the same thing. How I got such a different story is a mystery.

John

[woodsman83192]

Thanks for posting these, did not catch them the first time around.

Jake

[Richard D.]

Love your tests and completely agree with everything you said. I'd also like to see heat and abrasion testing including Arm-R-Seal (in case you are not busy enough already).

Maybe someone could follow up with GF and ask about their testing procedures.

[Jerry White]

Thanks, John, for doing these tests and posting your results. I think your tests are of great practical use. Your tests of about two years ago were fantastic, and I have been kicking myself for allowing them to expire on WoodNet. This gives me an opportunity to redeem myself.....the webpages for these tests are now saved to my harddrive!

[jteneyck]

Thanks Jerry. I'm glad you found the results helpful.

John