Finishing Hardness

[ramiro@ramiro]

Hello, I've trying to achieve a hard finish for a long time, I tryed many lacquers and varnishes and yet I haven't get close to the type of hardness that I am looking for.

The following two are the ones that worked better for me but are not as hard as I want:

Polyurethane varnish the one used to laminate floors, and I actually liked it. It gets really hard, but for some reason it is hard to polish and I don't think it is because it is too hard.

Car Acrylic Laquer, it got good sanding and polishing but it doesn't seem to get hard enough.

I was now thinking of trying 2 part Polyurethane, but I got tired of spending money just to try a finish and then end up with a Liter of paint that I won't use which made me decide to ask to you guys for your opinions.

So if I am looking for a really hard finish yet sandable and relatively easy to polish,

Is it 2 part polyurethane what I am looking for? If not, then which one should I try?

Thank You,

Ramiro.

[Acousticraft]

Generally the two pack laquers and urethanes achieve greater hardness than single pack ones. Ive only used the single pack laquer and am pleased at the hardness. It probably takes months maybe years to achieve maximum hardness.

[Drak]

Buy the book 'Understanding Wood Finishes' by Bob Flexner (Rodale Press I believe)

Best book in the business for understanding why you can't find what you're looking for.

The long story short is this: the harder a finish is, the harder it is to buff out. A super rock hard finish (usually a catalyzed or crosslinking finish) will usually need total professional equipment to buff it out to a high gloss which explains why you're having difficulty buffing the hard ones.

The softer finishes out there are usually film finishes (not always tho), and can usually be buffed out with amateur equipment.

This is why you keep getting 'caught in the middle'.

The reasons behind this are fully explained in the book. That book is worth purchasing and reading before you buy anything else materials-wise.

2-part finishes will also ruin your guns if you don't clean them after every single shoot, and they can be extremely harmful to your health if you don't wear the proper gear when applying.

[kingfisher]

Two pack melamine clear is what I use.

http://www.shipleypaint.co.uk/applications.php?area=shopFit

Of course I don;t know where you are, so I don't know if this info is much use.

Edited November 1, 2007 by kingfisher