hard wearing top coat

[andrew29]

hi everone,

I've made a table from Tas oak and have finished it in black japan followed by a coat of french polish (as the can told me to). NO I want to put a hard wearing mat clear toop coat on it. Any suggestions of what I should use? I have some wattyl interior matt top coat but I want to make sure what I use will be hardwearing enough.

Any suggestions?

[Harry72]

Wattyl 7008(2pack), once hardened dull it down will some EEE polish from our sponsor.

[echnidna]

Don't think 7008 is good over shellac. 7008 supposed to go over bare timber

You need normal Polurethane, (Estapol)
Drop a touch of black oil paint in the poly first as it will help mask the orange tinge of the clear.

[andrew29]

so does that men that the wattyl matt finish etapol I have now isn't really very good?

cheers

[Harry72]

Yeah the normal estapol should be ok, I sugested the 7008 as it is super tough.
Does the table still have the french polish on it? Im unsure if the estapol matt can coat over it, what does it say on the can?

[durwood]

What Harry72 suggested (the estapol) will be OK.

BUT

You have approached this from the wrong direction.

If you want a hard top coat finish you should find one first and then put in place stains etc which are suitable to go underneath it.

What you now have is

*A soft slow drying dark stain
* followed by a sealer which is hopeless if any heat is applied to it
* followed by a strong top coat which is seriously compromised because it is over a dodgy surface.

If you put the hard top coat on it will only be as hard as the softer previous coats and if a hot cup is placed on it or sunlight warms it up the shellac it will not like it and may blister and push up the Estapol.

If you look at the Estapol instructions they will advise you on a suitable dark stain to achieve the black japan look the shellac is unnecessary and the Estapol can then go on top and produce the best outcome for your tassie oak.

You wouldn't decide to put a heavy concrete tile on a frame and foundations which was designed for a lightweigh aluminium roof as it would probably collapse if you want a particular final result check what will work to achieve that before you start.

[andrew29]

thanks guys, I've based my approach on the can of blk japan. it says to seal the BJ with french polish to stop the BJ from leaching into the top coat...

I'll have a look and se what wattyl says about a stain to use

thanks again

[la Huerta]

i just wrote a huge artical here about applying varnish over black japan and the very bad problems you can have, and when i clicked to submit it tthe bloody site gave me some sortt of invalid page error and i lost the lot...

will try again later...

La H

[andrew29]

thanks guys,

if you ever write that article La huerta I'd be very interested in reading it so I know what Im in for.

thanks

[la Huerta]

when did you BJ your table and when do you intend to do the finish...

[andrew29]

I BJed the table a few weeks ago, left it for a week, then french polished it and put 2 coats of matt wattyl estapol on it...

[la Huerta]

well done then mate !!! , you don't need my help.

La H

[andrew29]

yeah hopefully it'll be ok.

the worst ill have to do i spose is start again if it does something wierd.

thanks for your help

[la Huerta]

if it did'nt do someething weird wen you were applying it then it never will...

it's only in the application that there can be problems...so your in the clear mate...

just for the record, i'v stoped using BJ, and discovered the wonder or vandyke crystals, there dissolved in water so that means i don't need the french polish anymore as it's straigh on with the topcoat, and no problems...

the colour is amazing by the way, i put in on quite thick and keep tiping it off with the brush till it is even, once topcoated the colour changes in the light, from almost black at one angle to a rich choc/purple then to walnut brown from another angle, like that XXX gto car, always changing colour in different light...cool

[andrew29]

thanks huerta

I'll give ita few more coats of topcoat to toughen it up.

is a gloss topcoat heaps more durable than a matt? am i better to put coats of gloss on it for toughness then buff off the gloss bck to matt?