Want a Clear Finish? Use Varnish on Your Furniture!
Stain varnish furniture,lacquer paint furniture,cleaning lacquer furniture
The idea of giving furniture “finishing touches” with the aid of varnish
has been there for centuries, especially in the Orient. It contains oils
and has an amber coloring. The liquid is sold in measurements of gallons
and quarts.
Even today, many people claim that it makes for a better finishing agent
than polyurethane or lacquer. Why? Varnish exhibits a longer durability
as compared to lacquer. It is wonderful for pieces that come in for “strong”
abuse! Also, it came into existence much before polyurethane, and has
a longer fan following among the older generation.
Varnish prefers to take its own sweet time to dry, which can be a good
thing and also not such a good thing! After you have finished varnishing,
do you notice brush marks that should not be there? Well, you have enough
time to repair your mistakes, without going in for a second stripping
of your furniture. But dust and dirt are always looking for places to
settle on, and wet surfaces are more beckoning. So your newly varnished
furniture may find grime on its surface even as it gets a new coat of
varnish! Complete curing can go on even for a month at times! Manufacturers
shy away from varnish as well as opaque oil-based paints for these very
reasons.
You may utilize varnish in its full strength or combined with paint thinner
immediately after your antique piece has been stained. It acts like a
sealer. Though slightly higher-priced, a China bristle brush is a good
investment.
Paint thinner has the advantage of allowing for faster drying plus smoother
application of varnish. This is good if you are a novice in this arena.
After all, you are likely to over-brush in certain areas! And if you have
made the mistake of shaking the varnish bottle instead of stirring the
liquid inside, then you will notice bubbles that will just refuse to go
away. Bubbles on your paintbrush are going to have adverse effects on
your valuable items!
So then, how do you actually apply varnish? Take a small amount on your
brush. Then, using just the tip of it, smoothen it out in the direction
of the grain. Do not keep over-brushing, similar to over-writing! It is
advisable to work on small patches at a time. One square foot at a time
is a good idea; you can overlap the work areas as you move along. And
do remember to be in a well-ventilated and clean room with good lighting.
There is a special type of varnish that is used for wood that stays outdoors
(ships) most of the time—Spar varnish. Even bar tops and other areas which
are targets of moisture and excessive wear are treated with a special
formulation.
