Finishing suggestions

[jussi]

I'm making a martial belt display made of maple. What do you guys suggest as a finish? I'd like to keep it as simple as possible and want a clear finish. I read a polycrylic might be a good choice. Like the one below. Suggestions?

http://www.minwax.com/products/prote...polycrylic.cfm


After I get the DVD on hand planes I really need one on finishes

[SARGE..g-47]

That will leave it clear but a bit "cloudy" IMO unless they have changed the formula in the last 6 years. If you want to keep it simple I suggest 3 wipe on coats of shellac or several wipe on coats of salad bowl finish. You don't need any real heavy protection on the intended IMO.

Good luck..

[cabinetman]

You may want to start with a "wood conditioner" if the stock you have is prone to look blotchy (check a sample). Using sealers could effectively prohibit stains/dyes from coloring.

Out of the dozen or so different brands I've tried, they all dry clear. They may look milky in the can after stirring (do not shake the can). I find they work best when sprayed and in thin coats. I would recommend to use as much light on the subject so you can see a glare to watch for "wetness". This is especially true if using HVLP.

I also recommend spraying subject materials in a vertical position (if possible), like doors, panels, shelves. That helps in preventing loading up or puddling the finish. Waterbase polyurethanes are a fast dry, very forgiving and easy to use. Polycrylic can provide a very nice finish.
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[LCHIEN]

i used water based polycrylic on maple, it looks nice. cloudy in the can but dries to a clear finish - with no yellowing or amber like the oil based version. Makes the maple real bright if you want to retain its color.

[drumpriest]

The key to these acrylic finishes is the curing temp. They will blush (cloud) if they dry in too cold of an environment. They really want to cure at around 75 degrees. Polyacrlyic is ok, but probably the worst of them.

General finishes Arm-R-Seal is my fav of the wipe on finishes, but Minwax wipe on poly is pretty good too.

As of late I've been spraying a water based acrylic "lacquer" from Target coatings, and like it quite a lot for fast dry time and a nice finish. Used to be called USL, now called EPL. (Emtech production lacquer). I started with this stuff mainly due to having a kid, and not wanting the prolonged high VOC flashing in the house anymore. I have always used a fan to blow the air out, but with a 4-6 hour dry time, it can cost some $$$... Also this spray lacquer has a 30 min dry to recoat time, so I get the finish done in 1 day, with better results than the wipe on work that usually takes roughly a week.