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I finished a dining table with Endurovar. From everything I read it is durable finish, however after just 3 months of use it seems to be really susceptible to heat. My wife's laptop left a big white spot after sitting there for just two hours. After that experience and looking closer I can see faint white spots where the plates would sit. Needless to say this is quite disappointing not just for the work involved but because I really liked the topcoat - the color and ease of application.
I'm a little confused because everything I've read says what a durable finish this is and I've noticed it scratches really really easily. I'm almost wondering if I didn't get a bad batch. We're not hard on our furniture. I finished my previous kitchen table (new house, new table) with an oil based GF product and never had any abrasion issues in 5 years - and certainly nowhere near the number of scratches in this after just 3 months.
So to summarize:
1. Is Endurovar just not recommended for tabletop use?
2. Anybody have any suggestions on how to get the white spots out?
3. Is this just a problem with a water based finish?
Thanks for your help!
(If you remember my previous finishing thread, you can see that I'm not having very good luck at all with switching to water based products!)
-Marc
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No matter how you slice it, waterborne is a compromise. They appear to have made progress in the making it work, but at the end of the day, it is still a compromise. At some point we will likely not have a choice, but I will continue to use the "good stuff" while it is still available.
"Mongo only pawn in game of life." Mongo
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I would start by contacting GF by phone and see what they have to say about it. If you think you may have had a bad batch, stripping it and starting over may be the only solution that works for the long term.
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Something is wrong. Either you got bad product, you applied it over something it wasn't compatible with, or the conditions were outside the window when you applied it to the table. What was the temperature when you applied the finish? If it was less than 65° (I think) it won't cure properly and then it's not the same product. What did you apply the EnduroVar over, anything, or bare wood?
FWIW, I've never had bad product from GF, and I've used at least 20 gallons of EnduroVar over the past 5 years. It's the most durable WB product I've used, and tested better than OB poly in some testing I posted here a couple of years ago. Water can sit on it for days w/o damage.
John
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John,
I'm certainly no expert but I can't imagine I applied it wrong. I applied with a brush per their directions. I put it over GF water based medium brown stain. Although I can't state the exact temperature my shop stays pretty consistent between 65-75. It dried pretty quick, in probably 45 minutes I'd guess. Again I can't be certain because at the time I didn't think anything was wrong.
I too have never had a problem with anything I've used from GF.
So in your experience moderate heat shouldn't have caused a cloudy white spot to appear? I emphasize moderate, how how can a laptop get?? There are 3 coats of endurovar on the top btw.
Thanks for the help. I meant to call the mfg yesterday but got involved in something else.
-Marc
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Marc, I would never expect a computer to generate enough heat to damage EnduroVar. I did some testing with coffee cups heated to 350F in the oven. They didn't do anything to EnduroVar, but they sure wrecked HP Poly. But even with that product the damage was from the cup sticking to the finish; not a white ring. White rings is usually a sign of water damage.
As long as the WB stain had dried completely EnduroVar should have been fine over the top of it. If you are sure the temp. was OK for at least 72 hours, then I'm left with bad product as the only reasonable explanation for the problem.
John
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Is the wood air dried by any chance? Could the heat be pulling moisture out of the wood to the surface under the finish? I can't say I have ever seen this happen but John is right. The white rings indicate water damage of some kind.
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I can't speak for Endurovar but with lacquer, white rings or "blushing" is indicative of trapped moisture. The fix for lacquer is to release it with "reopening" or reactivating the finish with a longer than normal drying time. Lacquer retarder is used for lacquer. I know WB lacquer has an extender or retarder but can't recall the chemical. You may be able to spritz some of the extender or retarder onto the finish and see if it will reactivate it (make it wet again) and allow the moisture to dissipate before hardening again. That is the fix with lacquer but Endurovar is a completely different finish. This may be a question for GF's tech people.
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Sadly, I don't think that will work. WB products cure, whereas lacquer just dries and will redissolve in it's carrier - lacquer thinner. Once WB products cure, they won't redissolve, except in something that will kill them.
John
