Updated March 2025 A candy coat wood finish can be achieved on many types of projects, and this article will focus specifically on how to achieve it even when you are working with darker colors or low-sheen colors. Why am I highlighting “darker colors and low-sheen?” When using darker, pigmented colors in a 1K paint […]
How to Create a Candy Coat Wood Finish Read More »
Many woodworkers consider woods with a high oil and rosin content to be among the most beautiful materials available, but finishing oily woods has historically been a challenge to accomplish properly and safely. While the correct surface preparation of the selected wood species is important, the methods of preparation come from various schools of thought.
Pro Advice for Finishing Oily Woods Read More »
Updated: January 2025 Any time there’s a stretch of cold weather, we usually receive a fresh batch of calls and emails about concerns related to cold-weather applications. So, now is a great time to remind everyone that water-based coatings are typically more sensitive to cold weather than oil- or solvent-based coatings and extra attention should
Working with Water Based Wood Finishes in Cold Weather Months Read More »
This is going to be a strange opening sentence for this post, but to be perfectly honest, I often steer away from using ANY kind of wood stain if I don’t have to; this includes water-based wood stains. Let me explain: See, I love the look of natural wood in all its variations, and for
The Simple, Safe and Stunning Way to Use Water-Based Wood Stains Read More »
As a follow-up to my article on using CL100 Crosslinker, now is a great time to answer a related question, namely: What is the best way for you and/or your customers to SAFELY clean spills, grease, dirt, etc., from a Target Coatings-finished project? It’s a related question because, even though CL100 Crosslinker increases our coatings’
How to Safely Clean Projects Finished with Target Coatings Read More »
My last article explored the value and purpose for using Target Coatings SA5 Brush and Spray Retarder, especially in warm and/or dry weather environments. For this post, I’ll explain how and when you might want to use the other additive Target Coatings offers, CL100 water-based crosslinker. Part 1: What is a Crosslinker (vs. a Catalyst)
How to Use a Crosslinker with Water-Based Finishes Read More »
Updated: July 2024 Varnish – it’s a word that has seen a lot of mileage over the centuries. It is perhaps the oldest type of coating chemistry man has kept in his artisan quiver of tools to protect a wide array of objects and surfaces. Can a water-based varnish exist in modern times? Varnish is
Is There Such a Thing as Water-Based Varnish? Read More »
As we transition into the dog days of summer, now is a good time to talk about the potential challenges of wood finishing in warm weather. As we have discussed in a previous article about wood finishing in cold temperatures, wood coatings can be sensitive to environmental conditions and therefore different techniques for application may
Wood Finishing in Warm Weather Read More »
Have you ever wondered why, for example, when you order EM2000… The product that arrives is also labeled EM2382? Or why Emtech® products have different label colors? Or what the 6- to 7-digit lot number means? Even long-time Target Coatings customers are sometimes confused by our labeling system, which I’ll explain below. First, it is
Prime, Paint, or Topcoat? Let Our Labels Guide You Read More »
Updated: May 2024 My earlier post about water based varnish generated some questions about water based lacquer, so I’ll address those today. Just so you know, anywhere from three to four times a day my phone rings and a customer asks, “Does [this product] create a lacquer type finish?” When the word “lacquer” enters the
A Water Based Lacquer? Making Sense of the Confusion Read More »
