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DIY Forum >> Carpentry Questions >> Which Finish???
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Message started by Sandy on Sep 1st, 2014, 9:54pm

Title: Which Finish???
Post by Sandy on Sep 1st, 2014, 9:54pm

Hi all,

Does anyone have any experience with both Liberon Hard Wax Oil and Liberon Finishing Oil used when finishing a piece of internal furniture please?

I'm making a chest of drawers for the first addition to my family (which will incorporate a nappy changing area on top). Construct - S or BB grade Birch ply, with a good finish to prevent stains of various types, but also a finish that's child-safe.

I've used the Finishing Oil in the past and contrary to the few reviews I can find, I didn't rate it too high. Having never used, but interested in the Hard Wax Oil, I'm looking for thoughts and opinions on the look and feel once it's been applied. Is it thick and "clacky", or does it apply easily? Does it dry hard, or seem to just stick to the surface and appear to have a skin for weeks. Does it really work for furniture or is it really aimed more towards flooring and worktops?

Thanks in advance.

Sandy

Title: Re: Which Finish???
Post by woodsmith on Sep 2nd, 2014, 8:57am

I haven't use Liberon hard wax oil, I always use Osmo Polyx hard wax oil which is certainly better than Fiddes hard wax oil. Finishing plywood is a bit different than finishing solid timber and I wouldn't recommend using a finishing oil. The HWOils should be applied very sparingly and for furniture you rub it off to the point it is more or less dry so there should be no problems with it having a skin. It is child safe too so no problem there.

To be sure I would try a sample first but you should be ok with Polyx.

Title: Re: Which Finish???
Post by Sandy on Sep 2nd, 2014, 11:40am

Thanks Woodsmith.

How many coats do you find you're typically applying to get a good water/liquid resistant finish? Do you find you have to "water down" the first couple of coats before applying a full concentration coating?

Thanks again.

Title: Re: Which Finish???
Post by woodsmith on Sep 3rd, 2014, 8:16am

You should find 2-3 coats enough, it depends how thickly you apply it; the thinner the better with this as when finishing ply there is nowhere for the finish to soak in so don't try to thin it at all.

Title: Re: Which Finish???
Post by Sandy on Nov 17th, 2014, 8:15pm

Thanks for the advice everyone.

One of the two pieces is done and finished with one coat and looks great already. Looking forward to getting the second coat on.

Sanded down through grades and did the last coat with a fine Mirka pad. Applied the first coat of Osmo Polyx wax with a brush, let it dry and rubbed it down with a Mirka Ultra fine pad. As they say, "Job's a gud 'un".


Next question - Anyone any experience with using 2-part epoxy resin as a ultra high gloss/mirror finish for a piece of work? I want to make an item that needs a really high gloss finish, like some of the black, high gloss Japanese furniture. I've seen videos on TouYube, but they're all American vids (no offence meant to any 'Merkins in here) and I've never seen 2-part epoxy resin in such large quantities in the UK. Is it even available here?

Thanks in advance.

Sandy.

Title: Re: Which Finish???
Post by londonman on Nov 18th, 2014, 8:18am


Sandy wrote on Nov 17th, 2014, 8:15pm:
....
Next question - Anyone any experience with using 2-part epoxy resin as a ultra high gloss/mirror finish for a piece of work? I want to make an item that needs a really high gloss finish, like some of the black, high gloss Japanese furniture. I've seen videos on TouYube, but they're all American vids (no offence meant to any 'Merkins in here) and I've never seen 2-part epoxy resin in such large quantities in the UK. Is it even available here?

Thanks in advance.

Sandy.


Speak to these guys http://www.ecfibreglasssupplies.co.uk/c-479-west-system-epoxy.aspx    

Title: Re: Which Finish???h
Post by woodsmith on Nov 18th, 2014, 1:51pm

You can use it,  but perhaps clear epoxy paints available from ships chandlers would probably work better. I've used iepoxy and the problem I had was bubbles forming in the finish. The way to remove them is to run a blow lamp over the wet finish (carefully ;D) this works as long as you don't set it on fire! Like I did!

Title: Re: Which Finish???
Post by Sandy on Apr 17th, 2015, 9:23am

Yeah, I've seen quite a few videos on TouYube of people applying and finishing the finish in this way. Looks a bit dangerous to me. That amount and surface area of flammable paint could be a huge issue.

Title: Re: Which Finish???
Post by woodsmith on Apr 18th, 2015, 6:37pm

Another option is to put the mixed a poxy into a vacuum chamber once the epoxy is in a vacuum it bubbles out like mad so that when you apply it is pretty much bubble free.

Title: Re: Which Finish???
Post by Sandy on Apr 20th, 2015, 12:03pm

Nice idea, but where on Earth would I find a vacuum chamber for mixing something like this?

But, wouldn't you also generate bubbles during the application of the finish? I'm not a huge fan of brushed on finishes as I always end up with bubbles forming on the surface. Although, I'm prepared to admit it's probably my cr4p technique.

Title: Re: Which Finish???
Post by woodsmith on Apr 20th, 2015, 10:46pm

I think if you just apply epoxy then you get bubbles no matter what technique you use. If you look for a video on YouTube about vacuum chambers you will see just how much air they get out of mixed epoxy and then it's clear to see why, without using one of these chambers, there are always bubbles in the finish.

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