Finishes...any suggestions?

[bruce_clark]

ShopBotters:

I am interested in ANY ideas, tips, suggestions,
and shortcuts you have to finish off a wood
"project" made on a Shopbot. I am looking for
ideas such as painting, varnishing, staining,
and other standard and not so standard ways to
give my Shopbot produced items that "finished"
look.

As you all know, cutting the wood is only half
the battle. Any and all suggestions will be
welcome. The more off the wall, the better.
Also, this does not need to relate only to wood,
but I would like to keep it to things that can be
machined on a Shopbot, such as wood, foam and
plastics.

Also, I will try to sum all the suggestions up
and make a quick "how to" list that everybody
will be welcome to have.

Bruce Clark
bwclark@centurytel.net (mailto:bwclark@centurytel.net)

[kenfox]

Bruce,

Are you looking to enhance the appearance of natural wood or overlay a finish such as covering mdf. If you are looking to experiment with trick or "faux" finishes consider a product like Texture-Lac from Abilene Research. I can send you a phone number if you like. This is a heavy bodied material used to spray on a stone like finish. With a little glazing over the top it can be very effective. I use a spray gun with a fine nozzle and low pressure to introduce a veined effect over the top. Ken Fox

[bruce_clark]

Ken,

I am actually looking for both.

As for "faux" finishes, I am familar with the
Formby/Plasti-cote spray "granite". Is this
similar to Texture-Lac that you are talking about?

I would also like to include any tricks for making
lettering stand out (such as engraved lettering
produced with Tesarna Typesetter program by Mr.
Dreiling) from their background. Any suggestions
for adding color, staining, paiting ect.

Bruce Clark
bwclark@centurytel.net (mailto:bwclark@centurytel.net)

[edcoleman]

Bruce:

I've gotten good results using shelf board from Home Depot. It is actually particle board with a simulated wood veneer. If you etch through the veneer and then wipe on a colored stain, the color will stick only to the exposed particle board and not on the simulated wood surface (you need to let the stain sit for a few minutes). This gives a nice effect.

-Ed Coleman

[bruce_clark]

Ed,

Thanks, I will have to try that.

Also, anybody have any good idea for MDF/particle
board. It is pretty ugly by itself. Any good
suggestions for hiding/sprucing it up?

Bruce Clark
bwclark@centurytel.net (mailto:bwclark@centurytel.net)

[kenfox]

Bruce,

Texture-lac is a bit more versitile than the spray can variety texture. It can be layed on in multiple coats and reduced (thinned) to your liking to achieve different effects. A lot of furniture manufacturers use it over MDF, especially in the South West. Usually not used as a finish in itself, it is lacqured or glazed. I'll try to remember to get the number and post it. They will be glad to send literature and suggestions for use. KEn

[chamcook]

Bruce,
A note on "bright" wood finishes in case you are interested in these. I have been using traditional varnishes on boats for many years. Mainly Epifanes and Z-Spar. They give great results if you want a gloss finish but the labour in sanding between coats is considerable.
Lately I have been trying some of the breathable "no-sand" finishes on the market. The one I am using on my current job is Epifanes Woodfinish Gloss. This finish has a similar appearance to varnish (I can tell you more when the job is done)but YOU DONT HAVE TO SAND BETWEEN COATS ! provided that you recoat between 24 and 72 hours. You will of course have to sand at some point in the process to level the surface, remove fuzz, etc. but as far as adhesion of one coat to the other goes, no problem. This is a huge labour saving for me. I generally apply the build up coats with an HVLP turbine gun and the final coat with a brush. This finish is also available in a satin version which is applied as a topcoat over buildup coats of the gloss.
Another breathable finish is Sikkens Cetol. This is available in household and marine versions both of which can be had in satin and gloss. These all have an orangy tinge which you either love or hate. They can be recoated without sanding.
Very similar to Cetol is Armada. Again no-sanding. Less pigmented than Cetol but otherwise very similar. (The developers used to work at Cetol)This is becoming quite popular with the traditional boat crowd because of the reduced pigment, ease of application and durability.
If you are looking for clear finishes you might want to experiment with some of these. A boatbuilding friend has a carved Cedar sign done in Cetol. It looks great after three or four years outside.
Hope this is some help.
Regards, David Needler

[bruce_clark]

David,

Thanks for the suggestions. I will look into
Cetol and Epifanes.

Speaking of sanding, I will add a "trick" that I
use. Instead of a tack cloth, I have had much
better luck with a stiff brush and a small air
gun for getting dust out of cracks and knots
after sanding. Just be sure to do it where you
are NOT going to be varnishing/staining because it
does put all that dust in the air. I usually do
it outside my shop.

Bruce Clark
bwclark@centurytel.net (mailto:bwclark@centurytel.net)

[kenfox]

Texturelac's phone number is (206) 230-5865
Web site (such as it is) texturelac.com

Ken

[jerryh]

Bruce,
We have produced models from MDF that were finished well first by some fine sanding, sealing with shelac and then using a primer with finish color. Not really any short cuts except to be sure the piece is sealed well first and to use quick dry products. The finish machining quality of course affects the amount of sanding needed.

Additionally, COASTAL ENTERPRISES (Kellie Miller-Leon) at 1-800-845-0745 www.precisionboard.com and REVCHEM PLASTICS, INC.(Steve Jones) at 1-800-281-4975 www.revchem.com both have products for finishing wood, foam, MDF, plastics etc.
Regards, Jerry Higginbottom