product reccomendations for platters and tables

[andy Needles]

Hello All,

I have been spraying Target USL, and am pleased with thier products, but it appears that they changed thier products, or at least thier names for them.

What would you spray (HVLP) as a general clear finish over raw wood, or over a light coat of thinned poly?- used to make the figure pop

Im looking for durability (for platters and tables, high use objects) and ease of use and clean up.

Thank you for your responses!!!

[Chris Padilla]

For starters, nothing adheres very well to poly (a type of varnish). It doesn't even adhere very well to itself once cured. That is why you need to scratch the previous coat. Poly all by itself is a very durable finish as is any of the other varnishes like alkyd.

[Jim Becker]

Target's EM6000 is the next evolution from USL. (USL came from PSL...) If you have liked the USL, I see no reason to change to some other type of product.

Chris is correct about the polyurethane varnish you propose to use for grain enhancement. Bag that. Use BLO and a barrier layer of de-waxed shellac. Same (or better) effect; cheap and fast. Most of my finishing starts out that way and it ends with the Target water borne on top.