GF Extender is Good Stuff

I have never been able to spray SW's Kem Aqua Plus to my satisfaction. Hated the stuff actually. But I had a gallon of it and wanted to use it on something where it wouldn't matter much if the result wasn't perfect. I built 4 large Baltic birch drawers this week and decided that was a good place to use some of it. And I also remember Trang's comment a while back that he added GF Extender to Kem Aqua Plus White and got very good results, and the photos he posted certainly supported that claim. So I got a bottle on my last trip to Rockler. I added 3% to the KA Plus and it sprayed like a dream; like a completely different product. W/O it I struggled to get a smooth film. It would be rough if I didn't spray a heavy enough coat or orange peel and run on vertical surfaces if I sprayed just a little heavier. With the Extender I can spray a 3 mil film that flows out to a smooth film w/o orange peel. I'd say it sprays as well now as my favorite all around product, GF's Enduro Clear Poly.

I've found a new problem solver.

John

Woot! Thanks for that tip, John. I have a bit of "that stuff" left over, too, and have been reluctant to try and use it up. I'll have to get a little of that extender and see if I can get the same result as you did. As you may remember, that product was a total disaster for a recent project I had...it just wouldn't lay down.

I think you'll be impressed with how well it behaves with the Extender added. It doesn't help the cure rate, however, nor would I expect it to. That's something I still hate about KA Plus. It takes days/weeks to get hard.

John

Yes, the cure time is long...and for that reason, I'm glad that my customer for the "kitchen continent" top didn't need to actually use it for several weeks after it was completed. There were a lot of coats of KA Plus on there (sanded back to level multiple times) before I finished it with the EM8000cv to get a level surface. It's like a "rock" now, however.

Seems I was wrong about it not curing faster after adding Extender. I went down to the shop this morning and was surprised to find that the finish was definitely harder than I remember after only 12 hours. It easily sanded without corning on the paper. Of course, most GF products sand to powder in only an hour or two, but it was still better than w/o Extender. I think with the Extender added I'm able to apply a thinner coat (the 3 mils was a guess; I'll have to really measure it now) and still get it to flow out. As a result it dries and cures faster.

John

SW Kem Aqua is my go to finish and I always add GF extender to it. I spray 3 mil with it and measure with a wet mil gauge. Recoat in 30 minutes. I've read it takes about a month to fully cure but I've never checked. I just spray, let dry for a day after final coat and install. The Kem Aqua surfacer (primer) can be sanded to a powder within half an hour as well if sprayed at 3 mil.

Thanks Hoang. How much Extender do you add?

John

Hey John, I believe I add around 5%. I really just eye ball it. From what I understand, the purpose of the GF extender is to prolong the dry time of the paint so it has time to level out before drying.

Thanks Hoang.

John

An update on using GF's Extender with GF Enduro White Poly. Another winner! I added 3% to the Enduro White Poly I was using to spray a frame and panel cabinet; maple and maple ply. I used BIN white pigmented shellac based primer underneath. This is the best result I've ever gotten with Enduro White Poly. Very smooth and no roughness from over spray. Just about perfect.

I'm quickly becoming sold on this stuff.

John

I use ~10% extender consistently since it is so dry here in CO. It really helps with leveling and also with keep a wet edge when brushing. i also find that the finish cures as fast. I ahve ben told by GF that at least the HP Poly takes 7-10 days to fully cure. i think it applies to the other products but I'm not sure.