What makes catalyzed varnish do what it does, and how does it work the way we want sometimes or not work the way we want other times? The short answer is chemistry. You don’t need in depth knowledge o... Read More..

Hirshfield’s is now the distributor of the complete line of Valspar Wood coatings, including stains, varnishes, lacquers, topcoats and other finishing products, according to a joint announcement rele... Read More..

Many of us are still holding back on making waterborne finishing part of our repertoire. This is certainly understandable since waterborne finishing materials have acquired a bad reputation in past y... Read More..

What is a “spray to color” stain? A spray to color stain is defined as any semi-transparent color material that is sprayed to the desired color without wiping off with a rag cloth. Read More..

As the down turn in the U.S. economy continues to decline, more woodworking shops are reporting slow sales and decreasing profitability. Yet some companies are still continuing in a growth pattern an... Read More..

Time really flies when you are having fun. I’ve been working in the professional woodworking industry for over 30 years. My focus and enjoyment has revolved around the process of making wood look its... Read More..

Welcome to the world of green finishing. Many large and small shops have taken the leap to convert to water-based finishing in all of their finishing processes. The process to convert to water-based ... Read More..

Wood bleach is commonly used to lighten the color of wood or minimize dark areas such as mineral streaks to provide a more uniform appearance that would otherwise be very difficult or impossible to p... Read More..

Reclaiming has environmental, economic advantages Q: What options are available to manufacturers looking to "green up"their finishing department? Can these options be integrated into an existing fini... Read More..

Pre-catalyzed lacquers are widely used for their ease of use and reparability, while meeting the requirements of most furniture, cabinet and architectural woodwork. We can understand more about why p... Read More..

When you are building furniture for schools, a durable finish that's going to stand up to a fair amount of abuse is important. Wm. Hermann & Sons, an Indianapolis-based case work and church furniture... Read More..

Achieving the proper curing rate with the finishes you use is vital to the appearance and durability of the final finish. Coatings have at least one curing mechanism and some have more than one. Cons... Read More..

You probably know to check the color and sheen of your furniture to make sure it matches what your customer is expecting, but is that all the customer is expecting from the finish? It is important to... Read More..

The relative ease of use and durability of catalyzed varnish has made it popular with wood finishers for decades. Catalyzed varnish holds up to just about any test for interior wood finishes and it i... Read More..

Maintaining and increasing profits from finishing can be accomplished by offering “value added” special finishing looks or by simplifying the current finishing system to have a lower “total cost” of ... Read More..

Customers want their furniture and cabinets to be beautiful and the color of each piece to match. This can be difficult when each species of wood has a variety of color and porosity. Following a few ... Read More..

Which type of finish should you be using? Most finishers use solvent-based finishes, but increasing regulations and some unique benefits of water-based finishes are moving some to evaluate water-base... Read More..

Many coatings produced for wood substrates may be able to withstand many harsh tests, but are you achieving the same results on your finished wood? Even the best finish won’t perform well if improper... Read More..

The variety of water-based coatings available is about as varied as solvent-based coatings. You can choose from lacquer type dry (usually emulsions or dispersions of resin in water), single and two-p... Read More..

Finishers can choose from a large variety of wood finishes available for a wide array of applications. These include pre and post-catalyzed lacquers, single- and two-component polyurethanes, lacquers... Read More..

Catalyzed (or conversion) varnish is well known for its durability and household chemical resistance, which is why it is used on so many kitchen cabinets, office desks and institutional furnishings. ... Read More..

Most finishers are well versed in the use of nitrocellulose lacquer, but are not as familiar with CAB (cellulose acetate butyrate) lacquer. Both nitrocellulose and CAB are film forming resins (see pr... Read More..