Replies

1. 
   SteveSchoene | Jan 29, 2008 04:29am | #1

   It's look for McCloskey Heirloom (or possibly it's new branding as Cabot Varnish, though so far I've not yet seen it in stores, only Cabot Polyurethane, which isn't the same thing) or  Pratt & Lambert 38.  Both are good varnishes  with very little yellow to begin and because of the soya oil ingredient instead of linseed or tung less yellowing down the road.     

1. 
   xmike | Jan 29, 2008 04:53am | #2

   Hi Steve,

   Cabot now says "Do not apply over lacquer or shellac", but no reason given.

   I've read that Pratt & Lambert 38 is distinctly yellow.  Is that your experience?

   I'm hoping to find a nearly crystal clear oil varnish (I hate water based finishes) that doesn't impart a yellow sheen and doesn't yellow over time.  Is this a hopeless requirement?

   Mike

1. 
   SteveSchoene | Jan 29, 2008 05:38am | #3

   The last Pratt & Lambert 38 I used was not at all yellow, if anything it was almost pink in the can, though just had the typical "wetting out" look on bare wood. 

   I did see that admonition against applying over lacquer or shellac in the Cabot oil varnish technical data sheet that is on-line.  I'm not sure they have their act together quite yet in trying to deal with a new, (for them) non-polyurethane product.  For example one page says not to use over stearates, such as sanding sealer, yet on the other sanding sealer is recommended. 

   But as far as crystal clear and totally non-yellowing you won't find this in oil based finishes since both alkyd and phenolic resins will yellow.  I believe there are clear solvent based finishes, but these are spray only, typically catalyzed, and need safe spray facilities for use.  They aren't things I know about in any detail. 

   The light shellacs have very little yellow in them and do not yellow over time. 

   Of course, it is all a bit like tilting at windmills, since the light colored woods tend to yellow in and of themselves independent of the finish.   

   Edited 1/28/2008 9:42 pm ET by SteveSchoene

1. 
   xmike | Jan 29, 2008 04:43pm | #4

   Thanks for taking the time to answer so thoroughly.

   I personally like the warmer tones that oils and most varnishes lend to woods, but my wife really likes "white maple".  I understand that this is actually accomplished by using a white wash coat before applying the final finish. 

   Here we come to our difficulty - I'm not putting months into building a beautiful cabinet using some really gorgeous curly maple only to hide the figure under a wash coat - but I am willing to make it as light as possible given the inherent properties of the wood and available finishing materials.

   I may just try the Pratt & Lambert - I think that a little red in a finish is appealing.  In fact I recently had to re-do a small project that I had just finished using only brown stain because it came out looking, well, simply brown.  But by sanding it lightly, adding a reddish jell stain as a glaze, and re top coating it, I was able to finally bring it into the realm of nice to look at.

   Mike D

1. 
   user-83153 | Jan 30, 2008 03:41am | #5

   Mike,

   Here is a picture of a table top with curly maple banding finished with Zinnser sealcoat and McCloskey Heirloom varnish to give you an idea of what maple looks like with an soya oil based, alkyd resin varnish on it. This curly maple veneer was pretty old when I used it and had already begun to take on the color of aged maple.

                       Rob

   
2. 
   Gretchen | Jan 30, 2008 07:21am | #6

   I am often interested in someone's assessment of "very white" for wood, as i think was requested above. When wood is prepared it can look "very light/white" but when any liquid is rubbed on it, it may take that color with a clear finish. There are some things that wood controls far over what we can control with whatever finish--or "look"-- is wanted.Gretchen

3. 
   xmike | Jan 31, 2008 04:09am | #7

   That's a really nice looking piece of furniture.  Thanks for the picture.

   Mike D