Dutch Oil Finish

[MrAudio815]

>>> There's oil in poly? How do they make water based poly?

There two entirely different products called "poly".

The first is an oil based "poly" varnish. All oil based varnish is made by mixing a resin like alkyd and a drying oil like linseed oil. The mixture is then heated until the two combine into a new compound called "varnish". The varnish is then thinned to allow it to be brushed. In the case of "poly", "poly varnish" or "urethane", a urethane resin is added to the mixture to improve abrasion resistance. Bottom line, "poly" is varnish plain and simple.

Waterborne finishes are much more complex. There are many chemicals in the formulation and the technology of how waterborne finishes are made and work is quite detailed. Suffice it to say the primary (and maybe only) resin is acrylic. The resin is mixed with other chemicals and solvents. The function of the water is to keep the resin and solvents apart until the water evaporates. Once the water evaporates the other components can come into contact, coalesce and flow out into a film finish. The water is NOT a thinner. The reason for calling these finishes "waterborne" is because the true finishing chemicals are "borne" in the water, not dissolved in the water. Adding water can cause the finish to fail if the components get too far apart when the water evaporates. Some urethane resin can be mixed in the resin mixture and then you have what marketed as "waterborne poly".

A point to be made is that oil based poly and waterborne poly are really two different finishes. The finishes produced are only similar in that they are both clear. Waterborne "shellacs" and waterborne "lacquers" are not true shellac or lacquer. In the manufacturer's opinion, their products have some characteristics comparable to chemical solvent shellac and lacquer but they are quite different. That's not to say that there is anything wrong with these products. Like any finish, some waterborne products are good, some are bad.

Thanks, Good info. :icon_thum

This post is very informative~! Thanks everyone. :eusa_clap

 

[Howard Acheson]

Pratt & Lambert, Sherwin-Williams and Cabot make some nice, light, oil based non-poly varnishes.

 

[CarvedTones]

Pratt & Lambert, Sherwin-Williams and Cabot make some nice, light, oil based non-poly varnishes.

Are any of those safe to use in an attached garage with no special venting? I know Tried and True is the gold standard; you could pour it over your Wheaties. But IME it is difficult to get it past semi gloss. It did not seem to offer much of an advantage over pure tung oil. Well, maybe it smells better. :rolf:

 

[smitty62]

Are any of those safe to use in an attached garage with no special venting? I know Tried and True is the gold standard; you could pour it over your Wheaties. But IME it is difficult to get it past semi gloss. It did not seem to offer much of an advantage over pure tung oil. Well, maybe it smells better. :rolf:

?? Personally, I like the smell of varnish although I know it's not for everyone. :dontknow: I only use buffed & waxed gloss as semi won't give me the look I want:nah:
Dick

 

[CarvedTones]

Real turps (I get it at the art supply store) is my weakness; I know it is just as bad to breathe it as the modern additives, but I think it smells nice. Tung & terps is what I use when I want to pretend oil penetrates (please don't spoil my delusions ). The alcohol fumes from shellac might have some effect on brain cells, but that ship sailed long ago...

But the kids are out there a lot (definitely do not want to discourage that) and the play room is over the garage, so I do try to be somewhat aware of fumes.

 

[FredP]

Real turps (I get it at the art supply store) is my weakness; I know it is just as bad to breathe it as the modern additives, but I think it smells nice. Tung & terps is what I use when I want to pretend oil penetrates (please don't spoil my delusions ). The alcohol fumes from shellac might have some effect on brain cells, but that ship sailed long ago...

But the kids are out there a lot (definitely do not want to discourage that) and the play room is over the garage, so I do try to be somewhat aware of fumes.

fumes can be strong. what I do is put a fan in the window blowing out. I have 2 computer fans that came from an old mainframe. I mounted then to a piece of particle board with a switch to turn them on and off. The PB is cut to fit the window. I place the unit in the window and close the sash to it.works fairly well for lacquer as well as oil finishes. those 6" fans move a lot of air for their size.

 

[Tom Dunn]

but not so much it looks like plastic./QUOTE]

I'm a big fan of rubbing out the final finish, whether oil, gloss poly or satin poly, with rottenstone to cut that "plastic-ey" look and give the item some lusture........

 

[Howard Acheson]

>>> Are any of those safe to use in an attached garage with no special venting?

I wouldn't spray them without a proper respirator but brushing and wiping is not a problem.

Of course, you need to keep the temperature of the air, the project and the finish above 55-60 degrees to have it dry and cure properly.