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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: I installed a new mahogany tongue and groove exterior porch floor five months ago. Is there an exterior clear or semi-transparent product that I can use on the floor?
A: Unless there is some compelling reason not to do so, I would treat open porches like decks and use a good deck coating, since the requirements made of the finish are the same; good flexibility to tolerate wood movement due to humidity range, and the ability to look good even though it is trod upon with outdoor shoes. If the porch is covered, one advantage you will notice is that the deck coating lasts a good bit longer than on an open deck, which means you won’t have to recoat nearly as often. |  | |
| Q: I’m about to finish a guitar and see that nitrocellulose lacquer is the favored finish. What is the difference between it and any other lacquer I would find in a home improvement center? Is there a good alternative without all the fumes that still produces a nice gloss finish?
A: Technically speaking, the term lacquer means a finish that dries strictly by solvent evaporation. What you may find in a home improvement center varies considerably from area to area, so instead of dealing with that, I will instead be more specific about the types of lacquer commonly available. Whether your home improvement center carries any or all of them is something you will have to check out.
Nitrocellulose lacquer contains cellulose nitrate resin and a lot of hydrocarbon solvents. Acrylic lacquer contains acrylic resin, and is sold both in solvent form, which contains about the same amount of solvent as nitrocellulose, and in waterbased forms, which have vastly less solvent. While it is possible to get a good gloss finish with waterbased lacquer, it is admittedly more difficult. For that reason, most small guitar makers still prefer solvent based lacquer, though I certainly know of several who use waterbased and are quite happy with the results. | | |
| Q: I understand Zinsser SealCoat is dewaxed shellac. Is the regular Zinsser Shellac also dewaxed?
A: Nope. The cans that say Zinsser Shellac on them contain the original wax. The cans that say Zinsser SealCoat contain shellac without wax. It is fine to use shellac as a final finish, but if you are using it as a sealer under another finish, use the SealCoat instead. | | |
| Q: The only thing I’ve found that will clean up my spray gun from the lacquer I am using is acetone. I don’t know what would be an appropriate thinner.
A: Usually, lacquer thinner, but not all lacquers require the same type of thinner. Lacquer thinner is a general term for a mixture of solvents. What goes into the mix, and in what proportions, can vary from one lacquer to another, so it is best to get your thinner from your lacquer supplier. |
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