joe
12-14-2013, 05:37 PM
Here's my experience using Sikkens.
To the best of my knowledge this is one of the best if not the best UV treatment for raw wood. Any time I have questions about their product a call to their technical department gets quick, concise answers.
Sikkens comes in several versions. I've used three of them. Their SRD comes in several transparent colors. It's best to use a shade lighter than what their samples show. As you know most woods darken with age so I often bleach my panels with two part wood bleach first. That's the bleach flooring contractors use. While the SRD is adequate for interior work, their Log and Siding is what I use for most exterior work. It also comes in several colors and is at least twice as thick as their SRD and about double the cost.
Sikkens does not recommend a surface sealer like shellac or anything else prior to application. That will void their warranty. My practice had been to precoat boards with shellac, there by controlling the depth of color saturation. They want it to go directly down on the wood. So you need to be careful with your color choices. One coat is all that's recommended Several coats will seal off the wood preventing it from breathing. This can causing permanent damage.
Another of their products is Door and Sash. It's like Log and Siding, very thick. I use it for blending. There are few of my signs without some kind of blend. That techniques makes a sign look more custom and is easy to do. You can start out by coating the entire panel with your lighter shade and then open a can of a darker shade and apply it around the edges. These materials take some time to set up so there's plenty of time to blend them with a dry brush technique. I often take old rags in the blending process to move the stain around.
You must have good ventilation and a paint mask is advisable. This stuff will make you sick at your stomach.
To the best of my knowledge this is one of the best if not the best UV treatment for raw wood. Any time I have questions about their product a call to their technical department gets quick, concise answers.
Sikkens comes in several versions. I've used three of them. Their SRD comes in several transparent colors. It's best to use a shade lighter than what their samples show. As you know most woods darken with age so I often bleach my panels with two part wood bleach first. That's the bleach flooring contractors use. While the SRD is adequate for interior work, their Log and Siding is what I use for most exterior work. It also comes in several colors and is at least twice as thick as their SRD and about double the cost.
Sikkens does not recommend a surface sealer like shellac or anything else prior to application. That will void their warranty. My practice had been to precoat boards with shellac, there by controlling the depth of color saturation. They want it to go directly down on the wood. So you need to be careful with your color choices. One coat is all that's recommended Several coats will seal off the wood preventing it from breathing. This can causing permanent damage.
Another of their products is Door and Sash. It's like Log and Siding, very thick. I use it for blending. There are few of my signs without some kind of blend. That techniques makes a sign look more custom and is easy to do. You can start out by coating the entire panel with your lighter shade and then open a can of a darker shade and apply it around the edges. These materials take some time to set up so there's plenty of time to blend them with a dry brush technique. I often take old rags in the blending process to move the stain around.
You must have good ventilation and a paint mask is advisable. This stuff will make you sick at your stomach.