Sambo1111
27th June 2018, 10:03 AM
With the rise in popularity over the years of Eucalypt timber (Blackbutt, Wormy Chestnut, Stringybark, Messmate) for use in furniture and bench tops here in Australia, i have run in to a problem in finishing/polishing. A characteristic that many people like in these timbers is the occurance of natural defects such as gum veins, borer holes and surface checks.
A job I did a few years ago was a kitchen with benchtops made from Blackbutt with a clear 30% satin two pack lacquer applied. Tops looked fantastic once installed, fast forward a month or so and i received a call back due to the finish. Upon inspection, around all of the small surface checks (small hairline cracks) the lacquer was lifting/peeling. I asked the client what they were doing to clean the tops and they said all they were doing was wiping over with a damp cloth and then drying straight away with a towel as i instructed them.
To solve the problem i stripped the lacquer finish off, sanded back to the raw timber surface and applied three coats of kitchen bench top oil (Feast Watson i think it was). On top of this i applied a coat of carnauba wax. This came up a treat and i have had no such issues since. I advised the client to clean and apply more wax if the finish ever starts to dull off which hasn't been required.
The conclusion i arrived at was that the moisture from wiping with the damp cloth was getting underneath the finish through the small surface checks and causing the finish to lift/peel. Hence why we haven't had the problem with the oil/wax finish as this tends to penetrate the timber surface rather than sit on top. This experience has left me very cautious to apply a film finish like lacquer to these timbers ever again. Clients are still regularly wanting to use these timbers in their projects and i have been recommending the oil/wax finish.
I am by no means an expert on timber finishing, has anyone run into this problem before? Could there be any other explanation?
I have attached some pics of the lacquer lifting/peeling and some of the surface checking which is present in these timbers.
438202438201438200
438199438198438197438196
A job I did a few years ago was a kitchen with benchtops made from Blackbutt with a clear 30% satin two pack lacquer applied. Tops looked fantastic once installed, fast forward a month or so and i received a call back due to the finish. Upon inspection, around all of the small surface checks (small hairline cracks) the lacquer was lifting/peeling. I asked the client what they were doing to clean the tops and they said all they were doing was wiping over with a damp cloth and then drying straight away with a towel as i instructed them.
To solve the problem i stripped the lacquer finish off, sanded back to the raw timber surface and applied three coats of kitchen bench top oil (Feast Watson i think it was). On top of this i applied a coat of carnauba wax. This came up a treat and i have had no such issues since. I advised the client to clean and apply more wax if the finish ever starts to dull off which hasn't been required.
The conclusion i arrived at was that the moisture from wiping with the damp cloth was getting underneath the finish through the small surface checks and causing the finish to lift/peel. Hence why we haven't had the problem with the oil/wax finish as this tends to penetrate the timber surface rather than sit on top. This experience has left me very cautious to apply a film finish like lacquer to these timbers ever again. Clients are still regularly wanting to use these timbers in their projects and i have been recommending the oil/wax finish.
I am by no means an expert on timber finishing, has anyone run into this problem before? Could there be any other explanation?
I have attached some pics of the lacquer lifting/peeling and some of the surface checking which is present in these timbers.
438202438201438200
438199438198438197438196