waterborne varnish

[Kenneth W. Burton]

	Tim,
	Varathane also has a water borne formulation. I bought a can of it
yesterday for use on some aok baseboards we are installing. Nice to use
and looks great. There are three choices of sheen--high gloss, semi-gloss
or satin.

	Ken Burton "Doctor Piano" Calgary Alberta

On Mon, 20 Apr 1998, Tim Keenan & Rebecca Counts wrote:

> 
> Kevin R. Aldrich wrote:
> > 
> > Dear List,
> > 
> > How do people feel about finishing soundboards with water-based
> > polyurethane?  Is it advisable to apply *water* to a bare soundboard?  Does
> > anyone out there have experience in this area?
> > 
> 
> Kevin and List:
> 
> The only water-soluble polyurethane product I have used on a soundboard 
> is Flecto's Diamond Coat.  It gave very good results.  I don't think that 
> there is actually very much water in it.  It is just formulated in such a 
> way that it is miscible in water, so that water can be used in cleanup.  
> I have used it in many other applications, and have no complaints at all 
> about it.  I find it a delight to work with. It is much, much easier to 
> work with than Varathane, and dries much faster, and is crystal clear 
> when cured (although it looks like skim milk in the can)--it imparts no 
> colour of its own, unlike varnishes and Varathane. In a shop with the 
> humidity controlled around 45%, it is very easy to work with a brush 
> without leaving brush marks, and dries to the touch in about ten minutes, 
> and can be recoated in about 30 minutes.  It does not raise grain, which 
> is one reason I think there can't be a whole lot of water in it.  The 
> manufacturer does warn about using steel wool on surfaces to be treated 
> with it, though, so there is probably enough water to cause steel dust to 
> discolour the finish. Make sure to use a high-quality synthetic brush (I 
> like nylon with flagged bristles).  Natural bristles will swell.  I can't 
> comment on any other manufacturer's formulations.  I read a piece in (I 
> think) Consumer Reports comparing various products, and Flecto's was the 
> one that scored the best.  Some of the others had complaints about 
> foaming and brushability.
> 
> That's my take, anyway--I love the stuff.  And it doesn't make me sick.
> 
> Tim Keenan
> Noteworthy Piano Service
> Terrace, BC
>