wipe on urethane

[Larry R. Tysinger]

Has anyone tried wiping on Behlen Rockhard Table top Urethane. I have other varnishes and seem to get that smoother than brushing.

 

[danmart77]

Has anyone tried wiping on Behlen Rockhard Table top Urethane. I have other varnishes and seem to get that smoother than brushing.

I built the first one of these trestle table/desks a couple years ago with some curly maple scraps for the breadboard ends and runner strips around the long edge of a piece of birch ply. I veneered the top with curly veneer and built the under-carriage with SYP I got for a song. Painted the bottom and finished the table top with a hard protective finish. I built it for my grandkids and they are tough on tables.

I happened to be up in Winston Salem at the woodworking shop there and saw the Rockhard in a quart can and decided on a whim... time to try water based varnish. Yes I am familiar with all the ups and downs of water based vs solvent based. For quick and out the door work the water based poly is good stuff.

No need for all the additional equipment to spray it safely and you can brush it on with a foam brush and sand a little between coats and I think you will be happy. Clean up is a joy. In my shop there is no shortage of dust. The kind you can see and the kind you cuss after it falls on your slow drying solvent varnish. You get the idea. Rockhard is good.

Note: I tested two name brand water based poly varnishes in a head to head test against the RH. Here's how I did the test and you draw your conclusion.

I know from experience, the best semi gloss or satin finish on bare wood is achieved by applying a gloss coat as your first coat then putting down you shine softener. The adhesion of the gloss with no silica in the solution makes it better for toughness and adhesion. I have scraped and sanded both gloss and the clouded varnishes to test this claim and found it to be true. No shine dulling additives in the varnish makes for the best base coat. So is Behlen selling the same apple for more money? No Se.

That's how I started out. For the table below I used RH Semi Gloss for the top coats. For the next 2 tables I used the water based varnish from HD. I could not tell any difference except the cost. All of the varnishes flowed out the same. All of the varnishes gave the same tone of subtle gloss and they all dried very quickly.

Application: I foam brushed one and sprayed the other with a HVLP gun. I used an El Cheapo Husky gun with the water based varnish and cleaned it with water in no time. I like that.

So.. do I endorse RH answer good stuff. Is it better than the others.. not really. So now you have to wonder... what's in your wallet?

good luck

Amber shellac sealer

water based RH​

 

[golfdad]

Good news there Dan. I have been using waterbase finish for about 10 yrs. I also love the quick clean up