Disclaimer

This information HAS errors and is made available WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY OF ANY KIND and without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. It is not permissible to be read by anyone who has ever met a lawyer or attorney. Use is confined to Engineers with more than 370 course hours of engineering.

Paint hardness

Type of coatings	Pencil Hardness
Catalyzed polyester	9H
Catalyzed polyurethane	9H
Catalyzed Modified Acrylic polyurethane	4H
Catalyzed Acrylic polyurethane	2H
Water-based polyurethane	3H
Water-based urethane/ Isocyanate Catalyst	2H
Conversion varnish	4H
Low VOC Catalyzed laquer [24 hrs]	2H
Low VOC laquer	3H
Urethane/Nitrocellulose laquer [24 hrs}	F
Water reducible laquer	2H
Tung oil/polyurethane wipe-on finish	2H
Water-based polyurethane wipe-on finish	HB-F
Aerosol precat	3B
Aerosol water clear acrylic	3B
Aerosol clear shellac	3B
Aerosol nitrocellulose/ polyurethane	HB
Aerosol nitrocellulose	3B
Amber (orange) Shellac 1 lb. cut	3B

Paint Primers

Types of primers

Oil based - the best takes 24 hours to dry, smells, cleans up with paint thinner, penetrates wood and paper, and will last a life time.

Shellac - alcohol solvent primmer - drys fast, seals well - cheaper than the best oil based.

latex and other compromise primers - "If it doesn't stink, it won't sink!" If you think cleaning up with water saves you time - you are correct - each and every time you will paint - and you will scrape and paint often. It sits on top of the wood or paper and comes off. Don't use latex primers - especially for out side work.

Varnish vs Lacquer vs Shellac

In the USA, varnish refers to an oil-based solvent finish with a variety of dissolved resins.

The term lacquer comes from the lac insect (Laccifer lacca) whose secretion, called lac, are a polymer that is soluble in alcohol. Shellac is a brittle or flaky secretion of the lac insect. (In the UK however, the term lacquer has a different meaning; if you spray it, it's lacquer - if you brush it, it's varnish!) In America today the word lacquer refers to nitrocellulose dissolved in alcohol or a different solvent.

Shelac is a different 'lac'; a brittle or flaky secretion of a different lac insect, Coccus lacca.

Top Page

wiki Index