Water Base Lacquer.

[pebbles]

To those who have used it and those that might know. Does water base lacquer have as good as a finish as regular lacquer?  Is it as durable and does look as good? I am an old fire inspector so I know about the differences in flammability and to also to the enviorment. The one I have seen is Generel finishes.
















t

[jteneyck]

To those who have used it and those that might know. Does water base lacquer have as good as a finish as regular lacquer?  Is it as durable and does look as good? I am an old fire inspector so I know about the differences in flammability and to also to the enviorment. The one I have seen is Generel finishes.

I've only used part of a gallon of GF's PreCat lacquer.  I am not impressed.  It did not flow out nearly as well as other GF waterborne products.  I can't recommend you try it.  And I can't recommend Sherwin William's Kem Aqua Plus either.  It was even less impressive. 

Dave Diaman has really good things to say about Target Coatings EM-6000.  I just got a gallon of it in yesterday, but haven't tried it yet.  

GF's Enduro Clear Poly is not lacquer (WB lacquers aren't really lacquer either, they are acrylic.), it's an acrylic/polyurethane blend, but it is my favorite all around finish.  It sprays like a dream and is as clear as a water, and is very hard and durable.  If you can't spray, then look at GF's High Performance Poly (or EM-6000).  You can brush both of those products.  The HP Poly looks just like Enduro Clear Poly to me, sprays equally well, plus you can brush it on.  It also has a UV stabilizer package in it, but it's not as chemically durable as Clear Poly.  

OK, are WB products as good looking as solvent borne lacquer?  Yes, some of them, at least to me.  Enduro Clear Poly is gorgeous.  Are they as durable?  Same answer.  In fact, some are far more durable than regular NC lacquer, and on par with pre-cat lacquer.  

Hope that helps.

John

[Dave Diaman]

As John said it depends. Some of the waterborne lacquers I have used are horriable others are fantastic. One question you need to ask yourself is exactly how chemical resistant do I need the finish to be. If I’m finishing a wardrobe cabinet for a bedroom I’m not as concerned about durability as I would be with a kitchen table or bathroom cabinets. My go to waterborne lacquer in the Target EM6000. It sprays really well and when I buy 5 gallons at a time it is very affordable. Actually about half the cost of GF enduro Poly. It however isn’t as chemical resistant as enduro poly. For table tops I still use a solvent borne conversion varnish. I don’t want call backs for repairs and have not had good luck with any waterborne finish on a heavy use surface like a tabletop. Endurovar is supposed to be as tough as solvent borne finishes but cost and a really bad experience with the product when it first came out has soured me on using it again

[Cooler]

My (then new) car from Toyota had a waterborne finish applied.  It took nearly a year after I had it for the finish to harden.  I could easily scratch the finish with  my thumbnail and brushing against a bush that outgrew its confines left a series of scratches.  That was the first year for Toyota with the waterborne finish.  That was back in 2004.  

My 2006 version had a satisfactory finish.

Recommendation:  Use the second generation of any of these finishes.  The first generation were valiant efforts with a timetable forcing too-early-to-market-timetables.