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| Leave it to the pro. Michael Dresdner, a nationally known wood finishing and woodworking expert, has answered hundreds of common wood finishing questions in Varathane’s Q&A library to help you successfully complete your project. Click on a link to the left for help and solid advice. |
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| Q: You mention using a touch-up spray gun for small projects. Can you tell me some that you recommend? What needle size do you suggest for spraying poly and lacquer?
A: I use a DeVilbiss EGA touch up gun, and to the best of my knowledge, it only comes with one tip size, a 1.0 mm, which is just fine for spraying anything. Bear in mind that a small gun and small aperture mean you may have to thin some thicker materials substantially. |  | |
| Q: I am looking at making some rustic furniture or Mexican style furniture out of pine and it looks like the furniture pieces in this style are finished with some sort of wax. I have heard it referred to as Mexican furniture wax. Is this the same as a regular furniture wax?
A: It’s what we call paste wax, which is generally sold in flat round tins at just about any home store or hardware store. Don’t confuse paste wax with automotive waxes, or with furniture or floor polishes, some of which are wax and some of which are not. The first four tins on this page are examples of paste wax, and any are fine to use, along with several other brands. You will note that some companies sell paste wax in a variety of colors, which you can utilize to either enhance the stain you applied or add contrast. | | |
| Q: I have an unopened quart of ten year old oil based Varathane. Is it still good?
A: I wouldn’t bet money on it. That’s way past its shelf life. I would not trust it. Get rid of it and buy fresh material. | | |
| Q: Can I apply a coat of oil based Varathane over a coat of recently applied waterbased Varathane?
A: Yes, strictly speaking, you can, but I must say it is not a good idea to switch product types in mid job for a wide range of reasons. Rather than go into all of them, I’ll just suggest that you don’t do that. If you really feel you don’t like the waterbased, remove it and start over with oil based. If it was just applied, you can usually scrub it off with lacquer thinner on nylon abrasive pads, or use paint remover if you prefer. |
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