LumberJocks Woodworking Forum banner

Finishing for CA softwoods in a small apartment

2K views 8 replies 6 participants last post by  crank49 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
Hi folks,

Complete novice here. I just started making small projects out of low cost pine and redwood and am overwhelmed with the information online. I'm sure this has been asked before, but I have an additional constraint where I don't have a dedicated workshop or garage and am concerned about fumes, toxicity, ventilation etc.

I was wondering if you all have recommendations for a simple, easy, non-toxic, apartment friendly finish for small pine/softwood projects. I'd like to preserve and enhance the look/grain of the wood so I'm guessing I prefer a clear finish.

Thanks!
 
#2 ·
Shellac. The solvent is alcohol, and that will cause some fumes, but shellac dries very quickly, and doesn't out-gas. It's non-toxic (it's used to coat pills and apples), and it looks great on pine. You can wipe it on. Pick up some premixed Bullseye Seal Coat shellac from the hardware store and a can of denatured alcohol.
 
#3 ·
some of the water based finishes have less potent odor than the typical solvent based finishes, and they clean up with soap and water. It's hard to mess up finishing pine! Pick up a few small cans of finish and try on some scrap.
 
#8 ·
Shellac is non-toxic. Citation. Denatured alcohol is, but it is the solvent and will evaporate quickly (most of it within 20 minutes).

Polyurethane is similarly non-toxic when cured. Waterborne poly has much fewer VOCs than oil-based poly, but still outgasses. E.g. see the summary here. I've never used a waterborne finish that didn't have odor.

Both would work. Shellac will cure faster, which means less time with the windows open, but Clint is right that cleanup is easier with waterborne finishes.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top