Which finish is this
#5
The person we bought the house from installed some wainscoting and I'm trying to decide what finish he put on. He is no longer around to ask.
It looks like a colorless finish.
What tests with solvents, etc can I do? Any other ideas?
I long for the days when Coke was a soft drink, and Black and Decker was a quality tool.
Happiness is a snipe free planer
Reply
#6
Unfortunately the only finish hat you can definitively identify is shellac. Put a few drops of alcohol¹ some where inconspicuous, if after 15 minutes the finish softens then it is shellac. The other tests for lacquer and waterborne finishes are o longer valid. Today lacquer thinner is mostly acetone and that will damage many finishes including varnish (but not conversion) and some waterborne finishes. There are several waterborne which are not affected by acetone (see the Thread in this form for John's recent tests). Waterborne used to be polyurethane or acrylic but now can be pretty much anything including: polyester, epoxy, conversion varnish etc.

¹ No need to go buy DNA to test for shellac, any alcohol will work—vodka, rum, tequila… just so long as it's at least 100 proof.
homo homini lupus
"The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity." Yeats
Si vis pacem, para bellum
Quodcumque potest manus tua facere instaner opere Ecclesiastes
Reply
#7
"Google" What finish is this?
Howie.........
Reply
#8
I did and my remarks above still stand. Xylene will not reliably dissolve waterbased/waterborne finishes, lacquer thinner (acetone) will dissolve many varnishes as well and not touch some waterborne finishes.
homo homini lupus
"The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity." Yeats
Si vis pacem, para bellum
Quodcumque potest manus tua facere instaner opere Ecclesiastes
Reply


Forum Jump:


Users browsing this thread: 2 Guest(s)

Product Recommendations

Here are some supplies and tools we find essential in our everyday work around the shop. We may receive a commission from sales referred by our links; however, we have carefully selected these products for their usefulness and quality.