Forum topic by Tony1212 | posted 10-16-2019 01:23 PM | 474 views | 0 times favorited | 12 replies | ![]() |
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10-16-2019 01:23 PM |
Topic tags/keywords: morris chair finish poly varnish finishing arts and crafts cherry walnut I’m currently building a morris chair using walnut and cherry similar to this. What would be the best finish for something like this? I imagine the armrests will be getting a lot of use and would need some kind of film building finish. Knowing my wife, there will be coffee cups and iced tea glasses getting rested on them. Waterlox? Arm-R-Seal? Wipe on Poly? Something better? -- Tony, SW Chicago Suburbs |
12 replies so far
#1 posted 10-16-2019 02:37 PM |
Oil base poly is the most durable and is what I would use. -- Bondo Gaposis |
#2 posted 10-16-2019 06:51 PM |
I love the look of that chair. Bondo has it, waterborne finishes have come a long way, but It still seems to me the oil based ones hold an edge in durability. I’d use a good oil based varnish of your choice. The only thing better would be one of the catalyzed finishes which generally aren’t available for use to us mere mortals. -- Our village hasn't lost it's idiot, he was elected to congress. |
#3 posted 10-16-2019 08:23 PM |
Regular solvent poly. It can be thinned 1:1 and applied like an oil finish (wiped off) or build a film. |
#4 posted 10-17-2019 12:18 PM |
I start with a 50/50 mix of Watco and oil based poly as a wipe on for the first of four coats. Succeeding coats get 25% more poly. Final (5th) coat is sprayed straight poly. 2 of my Morris chairs have been in use for 6 years with no cup/ glass ring damsge. -- Gene 'The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.' G. K. Chesterton |
#5 posted 10-17-2019 12:58 PM |
From what I understand (and I could be completely wrong) all three of the options listed, Waterlox, Arm R Seal an Minwax Wipe On Poly are all oil based poly, right? -- Tony, SW Chicago Suburbs |
#6 posted 10-17-2019 01:01 PM |
Yeah, it’s a beautiful chair. It has taken me most of this year to get to a point where I’m seriously looking at finishing options. All of those curves make for very difficult mortise and tenons. -- Tony, SW Chicago Suburbs |
#7 posted 10-17-2019 01:03 PM |
Regular solvent poly? Is Waterlox or Arm R Seal a regular solvent poly? Sorry for my cluelessness, this is my first foray into nice furniture builds. -- Tony, SW Chicago Suburbs |
#8 posted 10-17-2019 01:04 PM |
Why the Watco mix rather than just a regular oil based poly? -- Tony, SW Chicago Suburbs |
#9 posted 10-17-2019 01:04 PM |
Waterlox is not a urethane finish, at least the Waterlox original isn’t. It’s a phenolic resin varnish, the other 2 are urethane. The Waterlox will have a much darker color than the others as well. -- Our village hasn't lost it's idiot, he was elected to congress. |
#10 posted 10-17-2019 01:11 PM |
I should have been more specific. I am looking at the Waterlox Original Sealer/Finish. Any guesses as to what finish is used in the picture in the OP? -- Tony, SW Chicago Suburbs |
#11 posted 10-17-2019 03:28 PM |
If that photo is of a commercially available chair, it’s almost certainly some 2-part (catalyzed) finish the industry uses. Regardless of the source, I find it impossible to guess at what the finish might be in a photo. -- Our village hasn't lost it's idiot, he was elected to congress. |
#12 posted 10-17-2019 03:31 PM |
Waterlox has several formulations, including one with urethane. ARS, Minwax, and several other brands are oil based poly, I call them solvent (petrol based solvents are used) vs water based. Finish Mfr’s are intentionally many times vague about just what a finish is. Search for Bob Flexner finish types to get a better understang, and I have some links in my blog here |
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