Issue 569 Archives - Woodworking | Blog | Videos | Plans | How To

Aqua Coat: Eco-friendlier Finishing

Chris Marshall — Tue, 19 Mar 2019 13:00:40 +0000

If the alchemy involved with choosing wood finishes and the uncertainty of using them correctly prevents you from moving outside your “same-old” choices, it might feel like the only reliable options for your projects are the oil-based stains and varnishes you’ve used for years. While dependable, however, they do have downsides: oil-based products dry slowly and contain solvents that are neither healthy for you nor good for the environment. But there are safer, equally easy-to-apply, water-based options, and Brian Barry, president of Aqua Coat, would like to introduce you to several of them.

Aqua Coat was founded more than 20 years ago when, Barry says, there was an “extreme lack of choices” for DIYers and woodworkers who were searching for water-based alternatives to solvent-based wood coatings. To help fill that need in the marketplace, the company has developed water-based grain fillers, stains, blotch barriers, sealers, urethanes and lacquer that all are designed for hobbyists to use successfully.

“We want to make the transition from solvent (to water-based) easy and fun for our customers, with the added bonus of being healthier for woodworkers and their families,” Barry says.

Aqua Coat’s most popular products are its gel-based grain fillers, which come ready to use out of the container in either clear or white options. If you haven’t used grain filler before, it’s intended to level the surface of open-pored woods like mahogany or ash. Barry says the usual options for grain fillers are either too fluid to be easy to control or come in putty form that must be diluted with water. The process is messy and the dried filler is hard to sand.

By contrast, the gel consistency of Aqua Coat grain filler makes it easier to apply because it has enough body not to drip while still flowing smoothly into the grain. It’s ready to use and requires no dilution, which helps to minimize waste. The water base also makes the filler dry quickly and offers quick cleanup.

“We feel Aqua Coat’s grain fillers can reintroduce woodworkers to the immense benefits of using (fillers) on their projects to create smooth, glass-like finishes, Barry says. “Many people have told us they can’t believe they have gone this long without using it and are surprised at the improvements that have been made.”

Aqua Coat manufactures 22 colors of water-based wood stains as well. They are available in pints, quarts or gallon sizes, plus concentrated tinting colors to make custom stains and transparent toners for warming up the look of any Aqua Coat topcoat. Low odor and non-flammability are two big advantages of switching to water-based stains, but they also dry much more quickly than oil-based stains.

“Our stains keep their color for longer periods of time, they provide a richer hue of color and clean up with water,” Barry adds.

One common criticism of water-based stain is its tendency to raise the wood grain during application, which then requires additional sanding. Barry says those annoying grain-raising issues can be minimized by using Aqua Coat’s water-based Blotch Barrier before applying stain. And, as its name implies, Blotch Barrier promotes a more uniform penetration of stain on porous hardwoods and softwoods, such as cherry, maple, poplar and pine.

“We also recommend our X-119 High Build Sanding Sealer,” Barry adds. “It helps you fill and seal the wood before applying your final topcoat.”

But where the “rubber must meet the road” on a wood finishing regimen is how easy-to-apply and durable the final topcoat is. Aqua Coat’s most sought-after topcoat is Aqua Thane — it’s a hybrid blend of acrylic and urethane that builds quickly and dries clear. Barry points out other attributes that woodworkers will appreciate: Aqua Thane can be applied with a synthetic brush, foam applicator or HVLP sprayer; it’s self-sealing and dries fast; and it offers low odor and soap-and-water cleanup.

“Our customers tell us they love using Aqua Thane because it looks soft and sensuous but still creates a protective hardness that is scratch- and mar-resistant and protects against moisture,” Barry says.

For even more durability, Aqua Coat offers a cross-linker that can be mixed into Aqua Thane before application to increase its cured hardness and resistance to chemicals and heat.

And, if you’re a fan of solvent-based lacquer for its ability to level well, cure hard and dry fast, Barry says Aqua Coat’s acrylic Clear Lacquer is a water-based alternative that just might meet or beat the lacquer you currently use. Its non-yellowing chemistry contains coalescing, leveling and de-foaming agents that make it a fully formulated waterborne product. Even better, Aqua Coat Clear Lacquer is an industrial quality top coat that’s DIY friendly: it can be applied with an HVLP system, synthetic brush or foam applicator.

“We usually recommend this product if your project is likely to see a lot of wear and tear, like an entryway bench or a step stool,” Barry explains. “It provides excellent scratch and mar resistance and, just like all other Aqua Coat products, it is ready to use out of the container.”

The lacquer is available in gloss, semi-gloss, satin, low sheen and “rubbed effect.” You can buy it in quart, gallon and five-gallon sizes.

Barry points out that Aqua Coat’s broad product line is keeping step with the industry’s increasing demand for safer, low-VOC water-based finishes. In fact, over 50 percent of all finishes sold in the U.S. these days are waterborne, and that statistic is increasing by one to two percent per year.

The company is fully committed to helping small-shop woodworkers make the switch from solvent- to water-based finishing options by creating quality products and providing the necessary information for hobbyists to use them correctly, Barry says. Aqua Coat also honors its ecological commitment through the use of recyclable packaging. He feels the company’s bigger environmental impact, however, will be on the industrial side of the business, where Aqua Coat is helping to remove chemically laden products from the finishing process.

“Our continued mission to provide environmentally friendly as well as healthier alternatives to woodworkers and their families has been a passion for us since the beginning,” Barry says, “and it will continue to be our mission going forward.”

Learn more about Aqua Coat products by clicking here.

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Why Didn’t Oak Floor Move More?

Chris Marshall — Tue, 19 Mar 2019 12:45:24 +0000

In our previous home, we installed solid oak flooring, in which the width of the boards covered a room that was 14 feet wide. I always wondered why solid wood this wide didn’t move across the grain more than it did. My only guess is that the forces that cause the expansion are less than the retention the oak had to the plywood subfloor. Any other thoughts? – Roger Mickelson

Tim Inman: There are several possibilities for your floor conundrum. If the oak flooring was rift-cut or quartersawn, then the swell and shrink — the movement — is in the up and down perspective (through the thickness and not across the board width). Here’s another possibility: most hardwood floors are laid with a significant gap between floor and wall all around the perimeter of the room. This gap is hidden under quarter round molding and the base shoe molding that finishes the job. The horizontal swell and shrink that occurs with flatsawn flooring moves in this space unseen. Still another possible answer — which is the worst case — is that the flooring was actually buckling a little when it swelled, and you just weren’t noticing it. True, as you point out, the swelling and shrinking is minimized by having the wood indoors in a controlled heat and humidity environment, but it will still move a little.

Old-time porch flooring was always quartersawn. This allowed the porch floor to move up and down when it got wet, instead of moving horizontally and causing buckling troubles. I’ll bet your flooring was probably riftsawn, and the swelling and shrinking was happening more vertically than horizontally.

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RIKON® 14-in. Smart Band Saw

Chris Marshall — Tue, 19 Mar 2019 12:30:06 +0000

RIKON’s current 10-326 model of 14-in. band saw has just been enhanced with a state-of-the-art Striatech smart switched reluctance motor and is now offered as the company’s new model 10-326DVR. When RIKON announced their intention to integrate DVR motor technology into their band saws last year, the Weekly covered that news, and you can read the interview by clicking here.

This band saw’s new motor receives its electronic commands from a touchscreen control box with a user-friendly interface. DVR offers many end-user conveniences and broadens the band saw’s functionality to a much wider range of cutting options. For one, the 1.75HP motor has an infinitely variable speed range, between 100 and 2,375 RPM. You can select the exact blade speed you like, or click on one of 15 preset optimal blade speeds to cut wood, ferrous or nonferrous metals and plastics. Or, set the motor to a one-touch custom speed of your choice. The Striatech motor also offers continuous torque output at any speed, which should deliver smoother cutting results with less effort from the user. Computer monitoring enables this motor’s controller to sense load spikes that are often indications of an emergency situation. Its electronic brake can then stop the motor quickly, which adds a margin of safety that conventional induction motors lack.

Aside from the motor, the saw itself is appointed with the same features as the 10-326 model. It offers 13 in. of resaw capacity and accepts 111-in. blades ranging from 3/16 to 3/4 in. wide. A 6-in. tall aluminum resaw/rip fence and 15-3/4- x 21-1/2-in. cast-iron table deliver ample support for general cutting. The saw has a quick-release blade tensioner and spring-loaded upper and lower ball-bearing blade guides that can be adjusted without tools. One 4-in. dust port channels dust away from the machine for cleaner cutting. The motor’s belt drive is also easy to adjust or de-tension with a hand crank on the bottom of the saw.

Among many accessories that are sold separately, this saw can be outfitted with an LED gooseneck worklight or a mobility kit. RIKON offers 10 blade choices in various widths to suit the machine’s cutting capabilities and material options.

The 15-amp DVR motor operates on either 110- or 220-volt power, depending on how the power cord is wired. RIKON warrants the motor for two years and the band saw for five years. The new RIKON 14-in. Deluxe Bandsaw with Smart Motor DVR Control (model 10-326DVR) is available through RIKON’s dealer network now and has a suggested retail price of $1,699.99.

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Making a Ball-and-Dowel Push Stick

Reader Submitted — Tue, 19 Mar 2019 11:43:25 +0000

Sometimes typical push sticks don’t work for certain cuts, particularly when I’m feeding thin workpieces along the router table fence or making narrow rip cuts at my band saw. In these situations, I’ll often reach for a dowel-style push stick instead. Mine are simple to make and comfortable in hand: I drill a hole into a large wooden ball you can find at craft stores and glue a length of dowel into it.

– Dan Martin
Galena, Ohio

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A Simple Brad Nailer Guide

Reader Submitted — Tue, 19 Mar 2019 11:30:45 +0000

Here’s a guide for your brad or pin nailer that can help you drive nails in a straight line — and you’ve probably already got it in your desk drawer. Just attach a large paper binder clip to the bottom edge of your nail gun’s magazine. You can slide and position it anywhere along the bottom of the magazine to allow for various nailing distances. It’s got more than enough tension to stay in place and, while it does interfere with loading nail clips, it can be quickly and easily removed and repositioned.

– Jim Wilson
San Marcos, Texas

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Woodworking Friends and Loans

Reader Submitted — Tue, 19 Mar 2019 11:03:51 +0000

In the last issue, Rob pondered on a full circle cycle of some Douglas fir that he lost … and then regained from a woodworking friend. – Editor

“Years ago, I made a thickness sander that would take a 28-in. wide board at a time. It took me two years to perfect it. When I moved, I gave it to a friend, whom I am sure (if he still has it) would loan it back or let me borrow it. The only problem is I have since moved twice and he once. We are now 14 hours and 27 minutes apart (according to Google maps.) Sometimes it just don’t work out.” – Riley Grotts

“In the words of Joni Mitchell: ‘You Don’t Know What You Got Till It’s Gone.’” – Le Ohmart

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VIDEO: How to Set Up and Use a Hand Plane

Ian Kirby and Lili Jackson — Fri, 21 Dec 2018 16:27:11 +0000

Learn how to set up and and use a hand plane from master woodworker, Ian Kirby. This is a free preview episode from The Way to Woodwork: Essential Starters series.