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Natural Wood Finishing TipsEF Water Base Finishes - Hand ApplicationSurface Preparation All surfaces should be clean and free from all dirt and oils. Sand raw wood in the direction of the grain starting with a coarser grit sand paper such #120, and finish the final sanding with a finer grit sandpaper such as #220. Water base finishes need a smoother surface than oil base finishes. Do not use tack cloths when using water based finish. Tack cloths contain oil and will contaminate the surface. On certain woods such as oak and ash, pre-wet the wood with a damp cloth to raise the grain before final sanding. Allow the dampened wood to dry 30 minutes before the final sanding. This will provide a smoother final finish. Temperature and humidity Water base finishes must be applied at temperatures above 65 F. Cooler temperatures will adversely affect how the finish will level and harden, causing fish-eyes or craters. If it is cold enough to wear a sweater it is too cold to apply a water base finish. The surface of the wood must also be warm. If you turn the heat on when you enter your shop in the morning, the air heats up quickly but your furniture will still be cold for some time. Check the surface to see if it is warm. Also, check the temperature of the finish. Warming cold finish by setting the can next to a heater or setting the container in some hot water for 5 minutes will improve the ease of application. In hot temperatures (85F – 100F) the finish may dry too fast. Use EF Extender to open (increase) the dry time. Finishes that dry too fast may not completely level out before all the water evaporates from the finish. This can result in a poor appearance. High humidity can cause the finishes to take longer to dry but will not harm the final finish. Maintenance and care Water base finishes take 7 days before they are ready for daily use. To maintain the finish clean surface with a damp washcloth and wipe dry. Cleaners such as Pledge and Murphy’s Oil Soap are not recommended because they leave a dull residue on the finish. Polishes such as lemon oil or orange oil work well for routine maintenance. Restoring an old surface Top coats may be recoated at any time in the future. Simply wipe down the surface with mineral spirits to remove any grease or dirt, lightly sand with #320 or finer, and then apply another coat. Mixing and Tinting Mix Gloss and satin together to get a Semi-gloss top coat. Tinting may be accomplished by adding 10 to 20% EF Stain to an EF Top Coat. Prelude Oil Base Application Guide1. Surface Preparation All surfaces should be clean and free from all dirt and oils. Fill all nail holes with putty before sanding. Sand surface using #150-#180 grade fine-grit sandpaper. If you are finishing a piece made of closed grained hardwood, such as Maple or Birch, use #120 grade sandpaper. The coarser paper will open up the hard surface to more easily accept stain. Remove all the dust by vacuuming or wiping with a lint-free cloth or tack cloths. 2. Drying Information Prelude Stains and Top Coats can dry in 6-8 hours under ideal conditions (70% - 75% humidity). Cooler temperatures or higher humidity may extend the time needed for drying up to 12-24 hours or longer. Basements, even with a furnace, fireplace, and dehumidifier, are the worst environments for drying. Provide good ventilation and air movement with a fan to greatly improve dry time. If a stain coat is dry, you should be able to wipe your hand across the surface without feeling any tackiness. If your top coat is dry, sanding will produce a white powder. 3. Staining Stains can be applied using a foam brush, bristle brush, paint pad applicator, or a lint-free cloth. Wipe or brush on stain with your applicator. Then remove excess stain by wiping with a clean cloth. It is important to wipe off the stain thoroughly and consistently (in the direction of the grain) to get an evenly stained surface. A second coat, applied after the first one is dry, will give you a darker and deeper color. No more than two coats are recommended. Do not sand a stain coat, only top coats. Note: The white colorant in White Mist is titanium dioxide, which penetrates far less than the earth clay pigments found in all other stain colors. White stain is often called pickling stain as it lets much of the wood color show through. It is not paint and will not cover like paint. Apply White Mist as directed above. Be sure to wipe off the excess well to prevent lifting during the application of the top coat. A second coat will add a little more color. Let White Mist dry for 24 hours before a second coat or top coats. 4. Applying Top Coats Prelude's Top Coats are made with the highest quality pure urethane resin. They are as durable as polyurethane, but because of their thinner viscosity, urethanes are much easier to apply. Apply the top coat with a lint-free cloth, foam brush, or paint pad applicator, moving with the direction of the grain. For large surfaces, apply a liberal coat as quickly as possible, evening out surface with long, smooth strokes. When evening out the top coat, keep your applicator wet to provide lubrication. A dry applicator can drag on the surface and cause skid streaks. (These streaks may be easily removed after the surface has dried by buffing well and recoating). Buff between top coats with '0000' steel wool or #320 or finer grade sandpaper to produce a smooth surface. A minimum of 3 top coats is recommended. 5. Maintenance and Care It's important to let your final coat cure for a period of 14 days to reach optimum hardness. You may use you project sooner, just treat it with special care during the curing period. To maintain the finish use Prelude's Orange Oil, Lemon Oil, or Creme Polish or just a damp cloth. Paste wax is not recommended, because it builds up and yellows, thus becoming a maintenance problem. Note To rejuvenate an old dull finish, simply clean surface well with mineral sprits and '0000' steel wool and apply one of Prelude's Top Coats. Milk Paints and Glaze Effects EF Country Milk Paints Classic interior/exterior paints for use with furniture, crafts, cabinets and outdoor furniture. Uniquely engineered from the latest paint technology, Milk Paints can be used directly from the can to produce a high quality satin sheen. Milk Paint can applied directly to raw wood, but the use of primer is recommended on heavy grained woods such as Oak, Parawood, or Pine, or if you’re covering a dark wood with a light color. Primer also seals the wood providing a good base for paint to adhere to and may save you an extra paint coat. Use Red Primer under darker colors and White Primer under lighter colors. A. Before applying primer, sand raw wood in the direction of the grain starting with a coarser grit sand paper such #120, and finish the final sanding with a finer grit sandpaper such as #220. Remove dust with air or a damp cloth. Do not use sticky tack cloths. Stir primer thoroughly. Apply evenly following grain with a Handipainter pad or foam brush. Milk Paints and Primer can also be sprayed. Refer to product label for instructions. Dry time 2-4 hours. B. Stir Milk Paint thoroughly. Apply over bare wood or over primed surface (see previous paragraph for sanding and primer information) with Handipainter pad or foam brush. Normal dry time is 2-4 hours. Heavy coats, high humidity, and cooler temperatures may lengthen dry time for up to 8-10 hours. C. Buff between coats using #320 -#400 grit paper or #320/superfine sanding pads. Two to three coats of Milk Paint are recommended. Apply PolyAcrylic, High Performance, or Pro Series topcoats for added durability or to increase sheen. Trouble Shooting Guide for Spraying EF Water Base Finishes1. Rough, dry surface. This is called dry spray. You may have sprayed too lightly. Re-sand the finish with #320 paper and apply a heavier coat. Keep your gun at 6-8" from the surface. 2. Dimples in the finish. This is called orange peel, caused by spraying in temperatures that are too cool. Cooler temperatures will adversely affect how the finish will level and harden. Water base finishes must be applied at temperatures above 65 F. If it is cold enough to wear a sweater it is too cold to apply a water base finish. The surface of the wood must also be warm. If you turn the heat on when you enter your shop in the morning, the air heats up quickly but your furniture will still be cold for some time. Check the surface to see if it is warm. Also, check the temperature of the finish. Warming cold finish by setting the can next to a heater or setting the container in some hot water for 5 minutes will improve the ease of application. Note: Larger dimples are called "fish-eyes" or "craters". Cool temperatures can cause these, but the more likely source is contamination of the finish with either wax or silicone. 3. Blush. Blush is the term for a cloudy, milky appearance in the finish, has two causes. The most common reason is incompatible stain. For example, using a water base top coat over a heavy oil base stain. When the top coat is applied, the oil in the stain seeps up through the finish and reacts with the acrylic causing a chemical blush. To prevent this, use a quick drying water based stain. If you choose to use oil base stain, seal the stain with a coat of shellac or lacquer sealer. This will provide a barrier between the oil and the acrylic. Proper drying time between the oil stain and finish coats is essential! The other cause for blushing is high humidity. Spraying water base finish in humidities of over 75% may cause blushing because moisture becomes trapped beneath the finish and cannot evaporate. You can prevent this condition by increasing air movement in the finishing area with a fan. All water needs to evaporate is sufficient air movement. You can also improve drying conditions by increasing the temperature in the drying area.
Note: High humidity can cause the finishes to take longer to dry but will not harm the final finish. EF Stains and Top Coats are perfect for children’s toys and furniture All EF Stains and EF Top Coats are non-toxic after drying! Store Location |
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4. Surface isnot leveling out. In hot temperatures (85F – 100F) the finish may dry too fast. Use EF Extender to open (increase) the dry time. Finishes that dry too fast may not completely level out before all the water evaporates from the finish.