How to get a durable, clear finish

Hi all,

I am looking to make some furniture with dyed baltic faces like ColorFin, but I can't seem to get any of that material delivered to me cost-effectively since they are up north. So I tried to make my own and got very close.
Attachment 437744

It's smooth and looks great BUT if I dig in with a fingernail it leaves a permanent scratch, something I am unable to do with ColorFin.

To achieve this first test finish, I simply dyed water-based Varathane with powered pigment to get the color I wanted and then covered with 5 coats of un-dyed Varathane. Everything was sprayed with HVLP.

So my question is - how can I get a super hard finish that won't scratch?

Thanks!

I don't see any film on the specimen in your photo. Is that one that you finished? If so, your coats must be way too thin because 6 coats of Varathane should give you a very substantial film if applied at 3 - 5 mils per coat.

Spray some scrap and measure the wet film thickness. 3 coats at 3 - 5 mils should give you a non porous film. Once you are satisfied you have a good film let it cure for at least a week and then do your fingernail scratch test. If it fails then you need a more scratch resistant finish than Varathane. General Finishes Enduro Clear Poly might be a good choice.

John

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Originally Posted by John TenEyck

I don't see any film on the specimen in your photo. Is that one that you finished? If so, your coats must be way too thin because 6 coats of Varathane should give you a very substantial film if applied at 3 - 5 mils per coat.

Spray some scrap and measure the wet film thickness. 3 coats at 3 - 5 mils should give you a non porous film. Once you are satisfied you have a good film let it cure for at least a week and then do your fingernail scratch test. If it fails then you need a more scratch resistant finish than Varathane. General Finishes Enduro Clear Poly might be a good choice.

John

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6 coats of anything applied at 3-5mil probably also "violates" the maximum coating thickness recommendation of the manufacturer. If it really is that thick my guess is that it hasn't cured by the time of the fingernail test. It's going to take a long time. Weeks as John mentions, for all that water and glycol ether to escape the layers.

Of the BORG sold products, I've found the WB Varathane brands I've tried to be pretty good. Not spectacular, but good enough for causal use and good price point. Especially when re-examining them after about 3 weeks (21 days). Plenty durable by then. Even the exterior stuff. And that lasted almost 2 years on a sunny SW facing deck before it gave up (exterior stuff should be softer and more pliable than interior stuff though).