What the heck is varnish and which one should you use?

when I took eighth grade shop class we were only taught one word for finishing the teacher would reluctantly put down his magazine they look over his glasses that whatever hunk of crap you're trying to pass off as a project and he'd say good enough go varnish it then you'd head to the varnishing room it slap on your thick coat of sticky varnish and after your varnish dried you take your varnish project home to mother what the heck is varnish is it a specific type of finish or a generic term that's overused like scotch tape well believe it or not this is a subject that can cause some argument try it sometime your local woodworking guild you'll have some fun ask folks if they prefer varnish or lacquer you're gonna get all sorts of debate about the differences in application and drying time and the durability of varnish versus lacquer someone will say they use polyurethane and he'll get mocked because no varnish looks better or lacquer looks better but the thing is it's all varnish varnish isn't a product it's a term that refers to covering something with a clear protective coating it's an ancient word that literally means odorous resin in modern times a varnish has come to refer to a resinous finish that's built up on top of a surface lacquer shellac polyurethane they're all varnishes the Egyptians mix pine sap and turpentine and that was varnished too of course this argument will get you thrown out of your woodworkers guild and a handful of you are already typing angry comments below so let's dispense with the semantics and put a finer point on the issue with a quick rundown of the types of varnish you're most likely to use in your woodworking shop shellac is bug poop more specifically it's the secretion of Lac insects which is a whole class of bugs that leave piles of nasty droppings on trees that people go behind and harvest and make flakes out of so you can dissolve them in alcohol and apply them to wood it's not a terribly durable or water-resistant finish it's certainly not alcohol resistant so it's not a good finish for tabletops but it's easy to apply it dries quickly and it can give a project a nice traditional look it's also easy to repair because new shellac dissolves old shellac which is another reason why it makes a great finish shellac is also sometimes chemically d waxed so it can be applied beneath another type of finish as a primer or a sanding sealer lacquers are quick drying solvent-based varnish --is interestingly like the word varnish the term lacquer is also often generically applied to pretty much all spray finishes so there isn't just one type of lacquer there are many with different types of polymers or resins dissolved in a mix of solvents that's referred to as lacquer thinner lacquers are often sprayed on though you can brush them on and they dry quickly so if you're comfortable with spray finishing and you have the right equipment you may find them really easy to apply you can build up many thin layers for a durable finish that looks really good but lacquers are flammable and a proper respirator is a must because they contain high levels of VOCs which can destroy your liver in your brain if you inhaled too much of it and so many areas are cracking down on their sale and use I believe in time we may not even be able to buy lacquers in regular stores anymore the finishing industry has been developing acrylic and water-based lacquers for that reason but if it's not dissolved by lacquer thinner can you really call it a lacquer at the risk of oversimplifying which I suppose I've been learning throughout this video polyurethane is plastic in an oil or water-based solvent just as with any plastic there are different grades and different qualities that's why some poly based finishes are expensive like armored seal while others are cheap like Minwax water-based Poly's dry quicker but they're generally less durable and they tend to look more plasticky because they sit on the surface of the wood more than the oil-based poly oil-based Poly's can be rock-hard once they're fully cured and unlike shellac or lacquer it cannot be Reda's olve with the solvent once it's dry this means that one coat of poly will not meld with the coat beneath it you to scuff each coat with sandpaper to achieve on the Kanekalon we could talk all day about the pros and cons of polyurethane but the bottom line is it's very durable but finicky to apply and cheaper Poly's can look terrible spar or marine varnish was developed for the shipbuilding industry thus the name spar and marine they needed something that was flexible and water resistant so that it could move with ship and get wet nowadays the name is applied to many finishes that are intended for outdoor use and provide a high level of protection from water and often UV rays there are of course other types of finishes that can be considered varnishes but these are the most common in modern woodworking shops in our next video we'll discuss oils like Biello tung oil and Danish oils some of which are technically varnishes which further illustrates how confusing the whole finishing industry has become well I hope these videos clear some of that up for you see you next time it's just a couple of cuts yours will be fine right it would be if you had your ISO Tunes Bluetooth earbuds in because you'd already have your EPA certified hearing protection on while you're listening to your favorite music and podcasts and you'd be supporting a small family business at the same time please use the link below this video to learn more and to show them that you support what we do as well wait don't go yet if you're new here please subscribe and remember to ring the bell I would really appreciate that give us a thumbs up or better yet leave us a comment I always read them and be sure to check out the latest issue of stumpy nubs woodworking journal it's always packed with tips tricks and tutorials designed to make you a better woodworker

Channel: Stumpy Nubs

Views: 77,344

Rating: 4.952549 out of 5

Keywords: woodworking, stumpy nubs, tips, workbench, table saw, scroll saw, drill press, quick tip, band saw, bandsaw, lumber, hack, hand plane, sharpening, tormek, worksharp, diamond stone, water stone, wood turning, bowls, lathe, varnish, shellac, laquer, spar urethane, polyeurthane

Id: v43GCh--jO0

Length: 6min 6sec (366 seconds)

Published: Wed Aug 21 2019