Durability and uses... - Woodworking Talk

dpmcreations · 02-25-2008, 08:54 PM

Ok all.. WE all use different finishes for different things... Just checking on how many people use Poly versus Urethane and what do you like about each one...

jerry · 02-26-2008, 10:55 AM

They are the same thing and I never use polyurethane varnish on furniture.

Jerry

mmwood_1 · 02-26-2008, 11:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dpmcreations

Ok all.. WE all use different finishes for different things... Just checking on how many people use Poly versus Urethane and what do you like about each one...

Duane,
I'm not sure I understand your meaning. Polyurethane is what poly stands for. But as far as it goes, any cabinets I make for bathrooms or kitchens where they will be exposed to moisture, I use polyurethane. But, like Jerry, not on furniture. On furniture, I will use any of several rub-on oil finishes, from Watco, to Tung oil, to home mixed formulas. Then I usually finish them with paste wax. The exception might be a dining table that will see hard use (folks with kids) where the owners want a durable finish. I've used a WB poly-crylic mixture on my own table when I was raising 5 kids. I didn't care for the results over time, but it was durable.

jerry · 02-27-2008, 11:05 AM

Polyurethane is varnish with urethane as the resin. It is no more water resistant than any other varnish. It is slightly more abrasion resistant.
Shellac offers more protection to water vapor than varnish,but won't take standing water or the usual household cleaning products.The waterborne acrylic that is called water borne poly doesn't handle many of the usual household cleaners either.
Thank God the makers of finishing products always tell us the exact truth and never mislead us just to sell their products. SURE!

Jerry

Nancy Laird · 02-27-2008, 12:07 PM

We use lacquer on just about everything - kitchen and bathroom cabinets, furniture. It is so durable, quite water resistant, and if it gets scratched, is easily repaired without a bunch of trouble or time. I have kitchen cabinets finished in lacquer that have been up for 6 years, and they still look as good as the day they were hung. I have a display cabinet that LOML built about 20 years ago, finished in lacquer, that shows no reduction in quality of the finish.

Nancy