The desk I'm refinishing has a console with tight cubby-holes for envelopes and in-out files that are too tight to use even a brush in, and if I tried to spray, I would end up getting more blow-back than what would end up in the holes.
Can the shellac which was suggested in an earlier post be thinned and wiped like a wipe on poly, or should I just go with the wipe on poly in there? The problem with that, is that some of this is open to the front, so breaking off from poly to sprayed with SWP pre-cat for the final coats becomes difficult.
Keith this is just an idea without any experience but could you use an airbrush to spray those areas? I don't even know if it's possible but I wouldn't think it would cause the blow back a standard gun would. Could this work???
No I don't think so. They are 2", 3", and 3 1/2" tall x 12" W x 12"D. I can't even get my hand in there with my fingers folded into a fist, or to grip a tool.
Usually when I'm spraying inside a drawer, I've found that I screw the fan off in the gun so I'm using the round pattern, but work from further away. I guess I'll try that, and not worry if it doesn't go all the way to the back.
Maybe I'm thinking in reverse. Maybe I can go in after sealing with shellac followed by the pre-cat. Then reach inside the tight holes with a sanding block followed by wipe on poly if I need more back in the back. How does that sound?
Shellac is very friendly. You could dip a rag in it—old t-shirt or something— and run the rag into the cubby with a putty knife or improvised coathanger thingy. Or whatever...
Even full strength Zinsser might be appropriate. While I was told by the Zinsser guru that Zinsser shellac is formulated with just alcohol I have found that its slow drying is in fact a result of a slow evaporating ketone in the solvent. If you are going to thin it use ethanol or isopropanol. The "alcohol" sold in paint department is half methanol and what you gain in dilution you loose in evaporation time.
What is the state of what you are finishing- how big and what is surface condition? It is risky offering advice without more knowledge of the exact situation and expected end result.
If so narrow you can't get a brush in there how did you strip it, and for that matter, why? If bare wood, or even sanded, the shellac is going to result in grain raise and the result will be like 80 grit sand paper. Not a problem if you can lightly sand the result. What is the hoped for end result? Dabbing a rag soaked with shellac on the end of a stick into a slot is not going to result in a smooth result, but it will seal the wood. A foam brush of composition that does not disintegrate in alcohol could be the tool or choice. Or one of the fluffy "make up" brushes the ladies use. The requirement to get shellac to build to a smooth finish is maintaining a wet edge and that requires a "brush" that holds a lot of finish. But if the need is simply sealing then a wad of cloth may do.
Wiping varnish is going to stink in a confined space, forever. Not advised in a drawer. A slot? don't know.
got dimension for above. What I would use with Zinsser shellac, undiluted. I would do it with a foam brush on a handle extender. The only foam that holds up to shellac solvent are the brushes from Woodwokers Supply. Alternative, a high capacity bristle brush with a handle extender. Apply shellac, dry overnight, sand 400 grit, recoat, done.
You could spray the larger opening with diluted finish and lower pressure, narrow fan and low feed. probably not the 2".
You could brush the conversion varnish if thinned with slow evaporation xylene and you worked quickly.
Keith, any way to remove the back? That would give you access to both sides and allow for air flow and better spraying. Can you remove the console part and do it as a separate unit?
These are part natural bristle (sable) and part synthetic (Taklon?). I think the S52 is the long handled version, but I can't find that info on the Amazon page. If the handle is too short, or you can't remove the back, you can extend the handle with "duct tape or better"
I also like Barry's idea of removing the back if possible.
I can't remove the back. It fits in a groove on all 4 sides, so was trapped when the dovetail corners were glued up.
With the console laying on its back, I started with a brush down in the bottom / inside back, which went well. But then tried brushing up the sides, which went fair until I got to the front edges. From there things started going downhill. I got a few sags over the edge, which is the top. I think I may need to clean all of the stain off and start over on the outside.
I gave up on the brush and switched to the spray gun, with the fan turned off. That worked better than I thought it would. It really requires quick trigger / motion coordination, more than just spraying something flat where I start the gun motion before hitting the trigger.
But now, it doesn't sand as well as I expected. The stain went on Friday, with a fan blowing across everything while I was gone over the weekend. Now about 5 hrs after applying shellac, it wants to load the paper pretty quick. I'm wishing I had just gone on with the pre-cat vinyl sealer now. After reading the fine print, they suggest using synthetic abrasives. l guess that is Scotchbright, so I went out and bought some.
Tomorrow I'll be spraying it all with a coat of vinyl sealer, followed by two of precat lacquer. I think I can manage my spray better than I did that brush.
Oh, I mentioned getting a little run over on the top while it was laying on it's back.
I was wondering what tricks some of you may have for flattening out runs or drips. I take a single edge razor blade, then roll the edge over to one side so I can use it like a scraper. By pushing in the middle with my thumb, between my index and middle finger, I can bend it enough that the corners never touch. Plus I don't roll the bur all the way to the ends. By canting the blade, I also get a skewing action which keeps the softer finish from just wadding up. Even lubricant helps. With care, I can work down the high flaw without rubbing through on either side of it.
Oh yes, I should have mentioned this earlier. To roll the edge over, I lay the burnishing rod on a smooth surface. I start with the blade tilted about 45º and let the burnishing rod roll back and forth while bringing the angle up to about 90º. The blade is still sharp enough to shave after the edge is rolled over. Give it a try, It will shave in hard to reach places on bare hardwood as well.
Keith, no one commented about my suggestion of wax, and I will emphasise this use in similar situations. Oils are a not recommended for within drawers or inside compartments as they leech off a chemical smell for a long time. No grain raising, as will shellac, and no runs to deal with. A wax finish is often enough, and especially if the wood surface is smooth.
One other wax - and made for this application - is Howard Feed-N-Wax Wood Polish. This is durable and slick to the touch.
But now, it doesn't sand as well as I expected. The stain went on Friday, with a fan blowing across everything while I was gone over the weekend. Now about 5 hrs after applying shellac, it wants to load the paper pretty quick.
Once the solvent was gone the fan did nothing positive for curing the stain. Presuming an oil based stain. It cures (cross links) by chemical reaction just like varnish. The reaction has a huge temperature coefficient. Hours at 90 F equals days at 70 F if damp.
Either the stain was not cured or the shellac insufficiently thick, like really thin, or not sufficient time to dry shellac. A full coat of shellac over cured oil stain sands as easily as any sanding sealer, once cured. If you are using Zinsser 5 hr is too quick. Needs overnight before sanding. Cured it just crumbles under sand paper. Most delightful "sanding sealer" I have ever used.
I spray post cat conversion varnish, Sherwin Williams "M". Quit using vinyl sealer years ago. Unnecessary. I thin first coat 1 part xylene or toluene depending on temperature to 2 parts varnish. Sand 400 grit. Recoat full strength. done, for a close to the wood appearance. Two top coats for more protection.
Unsure the brushing problems with the sides. Shellac has "no" viscosity so a dainty touch is needed when brushing. Load the brush and apply with the lightest pressure you can muster. It needs to flow out of the brush and not be squooze out.
