Does anyone know if there is a good way to test finishes on wood? This would mostly apply to a pigment type finish (like white cabinets). I don’t know that it would be important to test a penetrating oil type finish, but it would be good to be able to test clear finishes like polyurethane or lacquer.
As I try different finishes I was looking for a way to get a fair assessment of its performance and if it was properly applied. You can read all kinds of reviews where people swear by various finishes but it doesn’t really tell you objectively how good they really are. An experienced painter can probably get good results with almost anything. Myself being a novice painter has me concerned that I the application is the problem versus the product. For example, I recently painted a couple cabinet doors. One had BIN shellac primer under it and the other didn’t. Just doing a fingernail scratch test it was obvious the one with BIN performed better. This was totally unscientific testing, but it was enough to see one was acceptable for hard use while the other was not. But if I didn’t do that test, the bad paint job would not have been exposed and I would have been really unhappy the first time it got scratched.
Maybe I’m overthinking this given my background. I used to qualify powder paint for use on steel and aluminum for indoor use. We started with a specific raw cold rolled steel coupon (about .030 thick which is critical for some of the tests). The tests include the following:
- Impact - specific size, shape and weight dropped from specific heights.
- Scratch/Adhesion - cross hatch then tape pull.
- Thickness
- Gloss
- Color
- Chemical resistance. This can be done with MEK, alcohol or whatever harsh cleaning solution you might think appropriate. We used MEK and it had to endure 10 back an forth rubs with no degradation. (I doubt there is a wood finish that would endure this. Something like 25 rubs with household cleaner would be more appropriate.
Of all those tests, I would say the scratch/adhesion test is the most similar to what you might do on wood. For metal you could use a specific cutting tool that cuts multiple lines at the same time. You cut horizontally, then vertical to make a cross-hatch. You can do this with a exacto-knife as well. You then apply the tape and rip it off and see if all the little squares are still stuck. I think you could do the same with wood, however unlike powder paint, you would have to wait until the paint is cured.
As I try different finishes I was looking for a way to get a fair assessment of its performance and if it was properly applied. You can read all kinds of reviews where people swear by various finishes but it doesn’t really tell you objectively how good they really are. An experienced painter can probably get good results with almost anything. Myself being a novice painter has me concerned that I the application is the problem versus the product. For example, I recently painted a couple cabinet doors. One had BIN shellac primer under it and the other didn’t. Just doing a fingernail scratch test it was obvious the one with BIN performed better. This was totally unscientific testing, but it was enough to see one was acceptable for hard use while the other was not. But if I didn’t do that test, the bad paint job would not have been exposed and I would have been really unhappy the first time it got scratched.
Maybe I’m overthinking this given my background. I used to qualify powder paint for use on steel and aluminum for indoor use. We started with a specific raw cold rolled steel coupon (about .030 thick which is critical for some of the tests). The tests include the following:
- Impact - specific size, shape and weight dropped from specific heights.
- Scratch/Adhesion - cross hatch then tape pull.
- Thickness
- Gloss
- Color
- Chemical resistance. This can be done with MEK, alcohol or whatever harsh cleaning solution you might think appropriate. We used MEK and it had to endure 10 back an forth rubs with no degradation. (I doubt there is a wood finish that would endure this. Something like 25 rubs with household cleaner would be more appropriate.
Of all those tests, I would say the scratch/adhesion test is the most similar to what you might do on wood. For metal you could use a specific cutting tool that cuts multiple lines at the same time. You cut horizontally, then vertical to make a cross-hatch. You can do this with a exacto-knife as well. You then apply the tape and rip it off and see if all the little squares are still stuck. I think you could do the same with wood, however unlike powder paint, you would have to wait until the paint is cured.
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