Shopsmith Forums

I'm trying to finish up a project and had a question come to mine. I've started finishing these pieces, mostly red oak, with Deft lacquer sanding sealer. While reading the instructions, they specifically say to not use varnish as a topcoat. What they don't say is why.

So my question is why not?

I'm not positive with the Delft sanding sealer but most Lacquers don't do well with oil based finishes. The solvents in most oil based finishes will soften the lacquer and cause it to ball up or melt.

reddog5362 wrote:I'm not positive with the Delft sanding sealer but most Lacquers don't do well with oil based finishes. The solvents in most oil based finishes will soften the lacquer and cause it to ball up or melt.

So what would be recommended for a topcoat? Lacquer, obviously, but what about any other clear water-based finish such as a water-based poly?

I think the danger is that perhaps the varnish may have a solvent that would soften the lacquer sanding sealer.
There is a website with extensive finishing methods explained in great detail. One method the author says he recommends is varnish over Deft sanding sealer. http://cnew.org/tips_techniques/finishing_secrets.htm
See point 8

To simplify the matter and eliminate the problem use a shellac sanding sealer. It dries nearly as a fast as lacquer. Just make sure it is dewawaxed shellac sanding sealer.

Ed in Tampa wrote: http://cnew.org/tips_techniques/finishing_secrets.htm

This is an excellent article but quite lengthy. I often convert such things to Word documents so I can have them for easy reference in a notebook. If anyone would like a copy PM me and I'll email it. It is 34 pages long.

fiatben wrote:So what would be recommended for a topcoat? Lacquer, obviously, but what about any other clear water-based finish such as a water-based poly?

I think anything water based would be fine. Shellac would probably be ok also since it's alcohol based. Lacquers cut with petroleum based solvents so I'm guessing that anything non petroleum based would be OK as long as the lacquer based sanding sealer was completely dry.

I just finished building a bar for the dining room. Actually, I copied, and adjusted to my needs, an 18th C. hutch with a granite top the separates the bottom from the hutch/cupboard above. In any event, I built it out of quarter sawn oak. The wife wanted it to match the old antique oak pieces she has in the dining room, all golden oak. I hunted around and settled on a finish system sold by General Finishes http://www.generalfinishes.com/sites/de ... rbased.pdf.

I ordered Seal-A-Cell, and Arm-R-Seal oil & urethane topcoat, plus a stain from Rockler. Man, I loved it. Nicest finished I've worked with in a long time. If I knew how to post pics here, I would post one of the hutch.

WmZiggy wrote: If I knew how to post pics here, I would post one of the hutch.

Please Post Pics, we'd love to see it.
http://shopsmith.net/forums/showthread.htm?t=114

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Ok, here goes a first and thanks for the link on how to post pics.

[ATTACH]20754[/ATTACH]

This pic includes my wife's grandmother's dining room table about 100 years old. The hutch I started in November and finished in February. I installed LED lights, to include colored lights in the hutch area. I used glass shelves in the cupboard, and backed the upper cupboard with mirrors. There is alot of SS in this cabinet.