What's the infatuation with polyurethane?

[robert raess]

I started using oil poly in the 80's on wood floors.80-90% of my fellow floor finishers were doing the same thing.A very small % were using acid cure products,wax or lacquer.Now today,we have a choice of either H2O or oil based Ply's..and I have to say that more of us are using water-borne.Why? Smell,dry time,durablity, low VOC, water clean-up.The really good stuff, few people outside of the trade have ever handled.It's pricey $110 gal!It flows like oil poly. I have rubbed out Water-borne poly within 4 hrs. of dry.On my cabinets i use lacquer.On my turned pc's i use shellac or lacquer.When i don't want the appearance of a film build, i will use a wipe on poly from minwax with great results.Go with what you are comfortable with, and slowly expose yourself to new products and skills and you will be ready to try a new finish. Rob

[sheldon pettit]

do you have product name for the delta lab 2k stuff?

clear acrylic urethane - # 's 53Co32423, 95C000307, keep in mind you need to use their urethane reducer with it ok? Also ask for the TDS [tech data sheets] for mixing and all else. They also have a sanding sealer but i don't have the number, as others said it is expensive but depending on how you cut it [reduce it] it will give a look of varnish or lacquer as to build, used out of the can it will be way to thick, for a simulated oil look i used a reduced coating of 9 parts U reducer to 1 part mixed urethane. Urethane is toxic so use all safety when handling and spraying!!! any other questions contact me direct on pm.

[Jim Becker]

I believe the single major contributing factor to how many folks use polyurethane finishes is...availability...particularly when their source needs to be the local home centers. Some popular manufacturer names don't make anything any more that isn't based on polyurethane resin. There is nothing "wrong" about using it for woodworking projects, but it certainly isn't the most optimum choice if one is willing and able to broaden their horizons...and supply chain.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I believe the single major contributing factor to how many folks use polyurethane finishes is...availability...particularly when their source needs to be the local home centers. Some popular manufacturer names don't make anything any more that isn't based on polyurethane resin. There is nothing "wrong" about using it for woodworking projects, but it certainly isn't the most optimum choice if one is willing and able to broaden their horizons...and supply chain.

Give the man a cigar!

[sheldon pettit]

Actually there is a whole world of products out there if you take the time to research them. for instance SW carries a large range of pro finishes that are all available to you if you ask your local SW store to order them in for you. This includes acrylics, nitro's, urethanes and alkyd finishes, vinyls, and many more. go online and search SW industrial finishes and go to the sight and see what you may order in at your local store ok? Mowhawk is another good source for finishes.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Sheldon......while there may be a lot products on the market....they are not available locally for me. Thus like a lot of woodworkers, I use what is readily available locally.

[David Hawxhurst]

Sheldon......while there may be a lot products on the market....they are not available locally for me. Thus like a lot of woodworkers, I use what is readily available locally.

personally i order most of my finishing supplies.

[John TenEyck]

Actually there is a whole world of products out there if you take the time to research them. for instance SW carries a large range of pro finishes that are all available to you if you ask your local SW store to order them in for you. This includes acrylics, nitro's, urethanes and alkyd finishes, vinyls, and many more. go online and search SW industrial finishes and go to the sight and see what you may order in at your local store ok? Mowhawk is another good source for finishes.

I've really wanted to try a couple of SW's pro products, but they are available only in 5 gal or 55 gal drums. That's sort of a problem for many of us.

John

[David Hawxhurst]

I've really wanted to try a couple of SW's pro products, but they are available only in 5 gal or 55 gal drums. That's sort of a problem for many of us.

John

they have quite a few of there wood top coats in gallons. a lot of the catalyzed stuff is available in gallons.

[John TenEyck]

they have quite a few of there wood top coats in gallons. a lot of the catalyzed stuff is available in gallons.

This seems to be limited to their solvent based products, which I can't/won't use. The two Kem Aqua products I looked at are available only in 5 gal pails, or 55 gal drums. Clearly they arn't interested in selling to low volume users, even on an order only basis.


John

[sheldon pettit]

Well...... i agree, if you don't want to use solvent based finishes then you limit yourself to the many choices available. That said, i wish you best of luck with your waterbased local choices. as david states many of thier most popular clear and pigmented finishes from SW come in gallon cans, It's not that they don't want to sell gallons, it's just many owners don't want to hassle with it. look up SW industrial stores and email them tell them what you want and see if they will ship to your local store - betcha they will. Mohawk will also gladly ship you in gallons of all thier products. Glue products plus will laso ship delta products in small quantities.

[David Hawxhurst]

most sw stores will order the stuff. sometimes you have to do all the leg work because they have no idea what your getting, or how to use it. you may have to provide them with everything like part numbers. most the industrial type sw will be will to help you decide which products to order and provide all the info, they may even be will to ship to the local sw store. i'm lucky that i have a industrial sw in richmond, va that deals with the local sw store. the local store didn't even know about most the wood top coatings.

[John TenEyck]

Sheldon and Dave, I'm sure you both meant well, but the SW WB products are not made in anything less than 5 gal pails, and Mohawk only makes one WB product, a wiping poly varnish, as far as I can tell from the website. Target Coatings, on the other hand, does make a bunch of WB products in 1 gal cans, which aren't available to me locally, but at least I can order them.

John

[Scott Holmes]

I use their Kem Aqua Plus all the time I buy it by the 5 gallon pail. It is NOT sold through the Sherwin Williams retail paint stores. Don't ask me why; cause I don't know.

I was told with my commercial account, I could buy it through SW Chemical Coatings. They usually ship it, no charge, to my shop; 5 gallons at a time. FYI it retails for $105 gallon.