Replies

1. 
   chuckkeller | May 28, 2005 04:19am | #1

   It took me a while to catch on. The fact is, Water based, urethanes can stand up to the environments,as well as abuse on high, traffic areas. I have seen it in my own home and in commercial use. When useing urethane varnish on areas that will be subjected to abbration, I use Hi Gloss. Less pigment, more resistant, harder, to abbrasion

    

   If, at first, you fricascee, fry, fry a hen!

2. 
   nikkiwood | May 28, 2005 09:12am | #2

   If by "urethane" you mean "regular" polyurethane, I use it all the time.

   Far and away, I think it is the toughest of all the brush-on products, and I like the ambering quality it imparts to the wood.

   Water based products, including polyurethane, have improved dramatically -- even over the last five years or so. But I am still stuck on the idea, right or wrong, that the oil based polys are more resistent to abrasion of different sorts.

   After a lot of experimentation with various brands, my favorite combination is Zar QUICK DRY POLY (because it is ready to recoat in 2-3 hours) for the first two coats, and Ben Moore POLYURETHANE LOW LUSTRE for the final coat. I'm not saying necessarily that these are the very best products on the market, but they work well for me, and I am intimately familiar with their characteristics. Knowing how much to brush a product, and when to tip it off is important in getting a good result.

   ********************************************************
   "I tend to live in the past because most of my life is there."
   -- Herb Caen (1916-1997)

3. 
   GRW | May 28, 2005 05:54pm | #3

   Mark,

   I use a fast drying spray polyurethane on most of my work. It's the toughest finish that I know.

    

4. 
   ring | May 28, 2005 08:50pm | #4

   Mark,

   Over a year ago our shop moved to water-based polyurethane as the standard finish for kitchen cabinets.   We go through about 5 gallons a week.  The results are excellent, but like everything else it has pros and cons.

   On the up side - very clear, very user-friendly, very easy to clean up, and good resistance to abrasion and chemicals.  We use an additive in the final coat to improve abrasion resistance.

   On the down side - slower drying time, higher cost.

   The commercial names probably wouldn't be any help since we get them directly from the manufacturer in Italy (Sayerlac division of Arch Coatings), but if you want I can give specifics.

   DR

1. 
   MarkRD | May 29, 2005 01:00am | #5

   Thanks Ring,
   I used to use Parks water based urethane it was quite hard but left bubbles in crevices (good for flat surfaces and floors)...I liked it mostly but they took it off the market (they do sell a floor version that is pretty expensive).Mark

   Measure it with a micrometer, mark it with chalk, cut it with an ax.

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