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Enduro-Var it's easy to spray and has a slight amber tint. Readily available from Woodcraft and most lumber lards in pints. Normally I'd say shellac but converting it to matte it tedious at best.
homo homini lupus
"The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity." Yeats
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Quodcumque potest manus tua facere instaner opere Ecclesiastes
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GF's Enduro Clear Poly would be my choice. Sprays great and you can get it in Flat (10), Satin (30), SG (50), and Gloss (80).
John
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Most resinous finishes, if not all, are naturally glossy. The glossy quality of a finish is simply the result of a resinous finish laying flat and reflecting light from its surface.
Speaking directly about nitrocellulose lacquer, (which I'm most familiar with) flatting agent can be added. The role of flatting agent is to disrupt the material's ability to form a smooth surface along its top.
Imagine an ice rink at a hockey game. After the players have skated, the ice is dull. Countless tiny scratches, all over the ice, forbid a fidelity of reflected light. It appears dull because the reflected light is dispersed. After the man grooms the ice with the zamboni machine, the ice is glossy and "bright." The smooth ice allows fidelity of the reflected light. The ice is the same in both cases; H2O @ 32* F, or less. The "two" "different" things you see are, in fact, the same thing.
That's how flatting agent works. Flatting agent inhibits the lacquer's ability to form a smooth top surface.
See if you can get flatting agent for your chosen finish, whatever that might be. Make sure that it is compatible. Your vendor can point you the right way with that. In the case of lacquer, remember, flatting agent is a contaminant. It does not contribute to the strength of the coating material; it detracts. Use in limited quantities per manufacturer's recommendation.
As a side note, I offer the following:
Some (psychos) choose dead flat material to obtain the best, truest gloss. Remember, I said flat and gloss aren't two separate finishes, but the same finish with a different surface quality. The reasoning is, "I will rub to a gloss. The flat finish will tell me where I haven't achieved gloss, and the gloss will tell me where I'm done." I don't share their views.
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I will check out the products that were suggested.
While looking at the euro site I noticed sanding sealer. Would this not leave a matte finish if left un-sanded?
As I first stated,I don't need added strength, just a little protection from moisture in the air and maybe a little UV protection.Would sanding sealer provide this?
Carl
Hard headed Cajun
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Don't use sanding sealer.
If you want UV protection use GF's High Performance Poly. Sprays or brushes great, has a very good UV package, and is beautiful. It's the only consumer clear coat I know of that has one.
John