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Want a Clear Coat ... like glass!

I was recently at a trade show (of sorts...Canadian National Exhibition)and I visited the "Crafts" building. There was a fellow there who does similar works as I do, however, he used a clear coat of something on his pieces (coffee tables and wall plaques...beautiful work by the way!)that looked like thick glass! I was so impressed! I've never found anything suitable...and he wasn't willing to share any information. The coating was crystal clear and washable if spilled on. Can you suggest any ideas or procedures? I'm working with wood products and stone. I make hiking sticks and the coating I'm looking for would need to be user friendly (not leave a sticky residue on sweaty hands while hiking...that sort of thing).

Yours truly, Tom Cruise (not the movie star but the original!)

Tom Cruise
Wilderness items and crafts... - Orillia, Ontario, Canada
2003

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2003

Hi Tom!

Re the coatings ... for table tops don't people use some sort of polyester mix? But that's for flat indoor surfaces.

You have I think perhaps two options. l. Clear acrylic (what the denturists use) two component cement, what you'd call Plexiglass 2) Two component Urethane.

Probably, possibly Urethane is your best bet. Expensive. Superlative smooth coating. Hard. Abrasion resistant. Sourcing? Monsanto made a 2 component urethane back in the mid 60's. But it, like any 2 component plastic (polyesters, epoxies etc) has a horrible shrink factor, about l0%. Anyhow I painted this bathroom door on the inside. Superb professional (to my jaundiced eye) job. Perfect smooth paint job! But the door wouldn't close due to warpage ... so I had to paint the outside of the door and then it closed!

Suggestion: Approach a fabricator in Urethanes for some advice. They use additives for flexibility as this material is fantastically abrasion resistant (eg. skateboard wheels) but it won't be as good as acrylics in UV so they should be able to give you some helpful suggestions, especially as you are NOT a competitor of theirs. I hope that this info is of some help to you.

Freeman Newton [deceased]
(It is our sad duty to advise that Freeman passed away
April 21, 2012. R.I.P. old friend).

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Try Envirotex Lite [affil links] pour on high gloss finish

(from the box) ...one coat equals up to 50 coats of varnish. Beautiful, professional results are easy. A clear glass-like finish, perfect for coating bar and table tops, plaques, photographs, certificates, diplomas and clocks....

Available at Micheals Crafts stores (there's one is Caimbridge and another in Burlington if you don't have one) or Environmental Technology, Inc. Fields Landing, California

This stuff is heat and alcohol resistant and waterproof. It says no polishing required. But it's not cheap. About 20$ Canadian to cover 4 sq. ft.

Hope this works, and I could always use a thank-you walking stick...

Matthew Hilts
- Guelph, On, Canada
2005

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Hi, Tom. letter 17560 shows a dozen bottle cap tables constructed by readers and includes good information from them how they did it, including what clear coat products they used. Good luck.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
October 2009

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System Three, mirror coat would be ideal for your application.

Suhail Rimawi
- Jeusalem, Palestine
December 13, 2011