Waterborne finishes and sealers

I'll second Mark's suggestion about Flexner's book a great source of info and very easy to read. A good second would be the one by Jeff Jewitt. Pretty much the same info but arranged a little differently. I'll offer my opinions on your questions, tho.
1: the only time I use a sealer is if I want to put a barrier coat between 2 things, and dewaxed shellac is the best for that regardless of what those 2 things are. I do use filler on open grained woods, but as often as not that's the finish I'm using (typically oil based varnish) though I have used Pore'O Pak.

2:If I'm using dye to tint, then I seal it from whatever follows. You have t be careful with dyes, they are typically dissolved in water or DNA, so topping them with shellac or a waterborne will make a mess (redissolves the dye). Top coats need to be sprayed. Most oil based stains have a binder, so they can be top coated after they cure without that streaking problem.

3: Again, Mark's suggestion is along what i think. The box store stuff is just not as good as the Target Coatings, GF, or some of the others. You might find the GF stuff locally, and it comes in quarts (Target only sells gallons). With some of them, there is a tint designed to mimic the oil based amber coloring you want, so you might not even need the pre step of coloring. Check the label, for example the GF HP product is water clear, but the Enduro Var has the tint.

Did I mention: buy one of the books, both those guys are finishing consultants to the industry and I think one (or both) should be required in any shop.

General Finishes waterbournes, including EnduroVar, an ambering product, are fantastic products and often easier to find than Target. In fact, is so good, I can finish a frame like yours with a foam brush, I don't even have to bother with my spray gear.

A few year's back, I switched from ML Campbell, which I'd used since 2003 or 4, to GF, due to local availability and have been extremely impressed. Several of my local paint stores, as well as Woodcraft sell the General Finishes line. Both ambering and non-ambering products are available.

I don't use sealers under the GF products, unless I need a barrier between stains. I've applied it over boiled linseed oil and oil based stains as long as they are fully dry. My favorite dye is Behlen Solar Lux, as it's non-grain raising, but I often use TransTint products to tint my clear coats when spraying. I prefer NGR dye stains on veneers, as I'd prefer sanding as little as possible to avoid sanding through the veneer.

Relating specifically to General Finishes EnduroVar, the manufacturer specifically states that they don't guarantee compatibility over shellac, but I've used it over Seal Coat on several small personal projects and it's worked well.

Add me to the choir on the Flexner book… Years ago, my finish rep gave copies away as a textbook. ;^)

Once more thing about WB fiinishes… Once you get it on, LEAVE IT ALONE! Waterbourne can look really scary as it coalesces. Don't touch it, you didn't ruin it. ;^) As an example, with a foam brush, I'll quickly apply a full, wet coat with minimal brushing, then just go away for 20-30 minutes. From ~ 5-10 minutes after application to ~ 20, it will look scary! Try it on prepared, sanded and dyed scrap to see what I mean.

Thank you for the responses. Looks like I've got some studying to do. Got the 3 Flexner ebooks from a friend. The reason I was asking about Pro Finisher is because in this forum the luthiers seem to prefer it over the Target making me think it is comparable.

Especially see post # 392
https://www.talkbass.com/threads/using-water-based-products-for-instrument-finishing-target-coatings-9000-6000-and-varathane-wb.1116168/page-20

Turns out I have a pint of GF semi that I got months ago from Rockler. The can is 1/3 empty but I can't remember what I used it on.

So, it seems the consensus is to skip the sealer, use shellac instead, then apply my finish, be it GF or Wbased?

I'm just trying to get to something that looks and feels good and is repeatable with some minor variation depending on wood type.

General Finishes waterbournes, including EnduroVar, an ambering product, are fantastic products and often easier to find than Target. In fact, is so good, I can finish a frame like yours with a foam brush, I don t even have to bother with my spray gear. I don't use sealers under the GF products, unless I need a barrier between stains.
- OggieOglethorpe

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This I like.

So, it seems the consensus is to skip the sealer, use shellac instead, then apply my finish, be it GF or Wbased?

A.) The General Finishes products I'm using ARE waterbased.

B.) Dewaxed shellac IS a sealer… but it's also a universal barrier. If I'm going over bare wood, I skip it. If I'm preventing an earlier product from being disturbed by the next product's solvents, or sealing in grease, silicones, oils, or anything not compatible with the next product, I use it. It can also minimize grain raising on some woods by waterbourne products. With some systems, product family sealers can do the same. Many finishing system sanding sealers sand far better than shellac, if you're not staining.

c.) Test your entire process the first time, including dyes, pigment stains, glazes, paints, and sanding grits on scrap to verify compatibility and make sure you're happy with the final feel.

I'm a bass player too, and there is just as much finishing folklore, maybe more, on Talkbass and guitar forums as on any woodworking site.

Never apply a finishing schedule you read on the internet to a project you're not willing to toss in the trash without testing it yourself.

Once more thing about WB fiinishes… Once you get it on, LEAVE IT ALONE! Waterbourne can look really scary as it coalesces. Don t touch it, you didn t ruin it. ;^)
- OggieOglethorpe

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So, Happy NY.

I applied Varathane, GF water base and GF oil based alone and over shellac. I applied shellac first and let it dry then the finishes. My first impression was that the oil had that characteristic "amber" tint but I liked the GF wb over shellac also. It wasn't the same as the oil but the shellac under it seemed to make up for it. Interestingly enough the oil based GF over the shellac seemed to actually have less amber than the oil only as if the shellac blocked the oil from interacting with the wood. Then, a half hour later the GF wb over shellac was the clear winner as the oil wasn't as obviously more amber. My least favorite was the 2 wb finishes without shellac. Bare wood at the top. Plus I was able to add 2 more coats and sand following Mr. Flexner's instrucions while the oil was still tacky.

Try adding a drop of TransTint Honey Amber dye to each 8 oz. of the waterbased finishes… It doesn't sound like much, but it makes a difference. It's fantastic on white oak….

Fred made a good point about shelf life. I usually buy gallons and three empty quart cans. The first time I open the gallon, I stir completely, stir even more if it's not gloss, then completely fill the three quarts. For non-gloss products, I usually fill the quarts half way, stir more and verify all flatting agent is suspended, then fill the quarts the rest of the way. This keeps the sheen consistent. I've never had issues with the full quarts, but once a decent amount of air gets into the can, you have to pay attention.

All of my WB products get a strip of blue tape on the lid. On this tape, I write any tint information, and the dates of the first time I remove finish from the can, and each subsequent date gets a note with the date and remaining quantity. For example, 4 drops TT Honey Amber / Open - 12/15/15 / 3/4 - 1/18/16 / 1/3 - 2/4/16

Don't forget to always strain WB as you remove it from the can, and don't pour leftovers back into the can. I like 125 mesh strainers, any good paint store will have them. You can wash them and keep using the same one for a few sessions.

2 drops of trans-tint Honey Amber in 8oz of GF Enduro-var, no shellac. Like before, applying shellac first seemed to seal the wood and not let the finish penetrate as well. I like it! Thanks again to everyone for the advice.

You've gotten some excellent advice already, and throw my 2c in. I use Target products, in large part because I don't have GF or anything but BBS available locally, and they are the only one with the linseed oil emulsion WR4000 type product. The main thing would be - don't get in a hurry. There are a lot of techniques in finishing, and you wouldn't want to finish wood as gorgeous as what you have in a way that looks good, but later you use a technique that makes it look fabulous. If you can, take several weeks to try out different things (if you have enough sample wood).

WB finishes tend to leave the wood lifeless. I use dewaxed shellac under all the WB finishes to provide chatoyance, that glow from light at a raking angle. The WR4000 provides some, but shellac adds to it. If dyeing the wood, shellac seals the dye from lifting into the finish. Even WR4000 can lift some. If bare wood, it just pops it all the more. With color, some woods will blotch. Here's some info on controlling it. I buy gloss EM8000 and EM6000, and keep some of the flattening agent on hand to adjust sheen, and Use Transtint honey amber to get the oil look as necessary. Welcome to the wonderful world of finishing and good luck.