FF Water Base Finishes - Hand Application
Surface Preparation
All surfaces should be clean and free from all dirt and oils.
Sand surface using fine grit sandpaper such as #180-#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.
Hardwood Floors
Use EF High Performance Polyurethane.
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.
EF
Glaze Effects
EF Glaze Effects are translucent water base colors used to
create beautiful faux and decorative finishes. Suitable for
furniture, crafts, cabinets, & walls. Glaze Effects can be
brushed, rolled, ragged or sprayed on. Available in six colors
and a clear base for creating custom colors. Use with EF
Wood Stain, Country Colors, Country Milk Paints,
and Kids Colors to achieve any custom color.
How to Spray EF
PolyAcrylic
Waterbase Finish
We recommend the EagleSpray
HVLP unit available from Joe Kastner at 800-966-5223.
Surface Preparation
All surfaces should be clean and free from
dirt and oil. Sand surface using fine grit sandpaper such as
#180-#220. Water base finishes need a smoother surface than oil
base finishes. Do not use steel wool. Steel wool can leave
behind tiny particles in the wood that can rust after the finish
has been applied. Do not use tack cloths when using water based
finishes! Tack cloths contain oil and will contaminate the
surface.
Soft woods such as Pine and
Aspen absorb stain at an uneven rate and may respond better to
staining if the wood bas been presealed. EF Natural stain can be
applied to raw wood to condition the surface for uniform
penetration of the stain. Presealing will cause the final stain
to be lighter. Always test your color on a hidden part of the
furniture! Allow the EF Natural stain to dry 1 hour before
applying your final stain color.
Note: With hardwoods such
as oak and ash, begin by pre-wetting the wood with a damp cloth
to raise the grain. Allow the dampened wood to dry 30 minutes
before the final sanding. This will provide a smoother final
finish.
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Spraying EF
PolyAcrylic
EF PolyAcrylic is ready to
spray from the container. Thinning is not necessary. However, in
hot climates, EF Extender can be used with the EF PolyAcrylic to
extend the open time.
EF PolyAcrylic can be
sprayed with HVLP systems or conventional sprayers. If you are
using a sprayer that has been used for oil base or lacquers,
clean the unit thoroughly and rinse with warm water before
using. Apply a thin coat first that will dry and harden faster.
Sand this first coat down to a smooth base on which to build
your finish coats. With water base finishes it is better to
spray 2 thin coats rather than 1 heavy coat.
Practice makes perfect! If
you have never sprayed finishes before, take a large piece of
cardboard and practice your technique first. Spray water on the
cardboard to learn how the gun works. Check your fluid settings
and adjust the controls to get comfortable with the spray angles
and to develop your technique.
Keep your gun at a 90*
angle, 6-8" from the surface. On large flat areas, use wet, even
patterns 6 to 8’ wide. Over lap each pass 25% to conceal lines.
For narrow surfaces, reduce the fan pattern to 2-3" to reduce
overspray. Break your work into sections such as dresser top or
drawer fronts. Spraying too large of an area can result in a
textured grainy surface. A correctly sprayed finish should
appear even and glossy. It is important to spray enough material
to allow proper flow and leveling of the finish. If you have not
obtained a good finish check one of the following factors:
Trouble Shooting Guide for Spraying
EF Water Base Finishes
1. Rough, dry surface. This
is called dry spray. You may have sprayed too lightly. Resand
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.
4. Surface is
not 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.
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!
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Instructions for printing the armoire shown above can be
found 