A warning about that 'fast dry' water based lacquer from last year

I sprayed a set of maple doors with it in April, and by August the finish had gone from a hard, clear coat to a soft, cloudy film you could mark with a fingernail. The change happened over about four months in a normal, air conditioned house. I think the issue was the reformulation to meet new VOC rules, which made it cure fast but not last. Has anyone else had a finish fail that quickly with a newer product?

3 comments

3 Comments

kai9421mo ago

Yeah, that tracks with what I've seen. The new formulas dry fast for the shop but don't build real long-term hardness. It's like they traded durability for speed.

haydenj901mo ago

Switched to an oil-modified water-based poly after a similar issue... it cures slower but actually gets hard. @kai942 is right about the trade-off. I used it on a maple table and it's held up for two years now with no clouding or soft spots. The extra dry time is worth it for a finish that lasts.

laura_green821mo ago

So is that oil-modified stuff basically a hybrid? I've been fighting with a regular water-based poly on some shelves and it just feels gummy forever. Sounds like taking the extra few days for it to really cure is the move. I might have to give that a try next time.