Non yellowing varnish?

[Calv]

What is the correct thing to look out for when buying a clear varnish that i don't want to give a yellowy tint?

I've just finished something for my kids but when i used the gloss varnish it leaves it a bit yellowy and not totaly clear.

Any suggestions?

Calv.

 

[Chris Knight]

The waterborne gloss finishes are the clearest you can easily get ( I don't recommend the more complicated catalysed finishes at this stage). They are made by just about everyone under the sun these days. I can't really recommend one above the other at the moment. I was pretty happy with the results of a Ronseal I used on ash a while ago.

( Teaching Granny here. You will know the waterborne ones because they always say quick drying - often as little as 30 minutes - and brush cleanup is in water!)

 

[RogerS]

Chris

Is that really kosher re Ronseal?

I used some a few years back (and admittedly it wan't water based) and the result was awful (yellow) and I swore never to touch their products again.

But I rate your advice....

Cheers

Roger

 

[jasonB]

The water based Ronseal will not yellow the wood, but the oil based will do. I prefer Aquacote for big jobs but the ronseal is handy for applying on site.

Jason

 

[Chris Knight]

Roger,

Yes it is kosher or maybe halal. In any case, I was concerned that the finish I used should yellow as little as possible and got a couple of types, the Ronseal and a Dulux that claimed to be crystal clear. I tried both but as I mentioned elsewhere, I was having trouble eliminating brush marks (I usually spray or use a rubber to apply finishes) and the Dulux gave me more trouble than the Ronseal.

I did compare the yellowing I got (and I am speaking of the results shortly after applying the finish, I can't speak for the longer term) and I think the Dulux was slightly better on the test pieces I made, However, I went with the Ronseal because I felt I had a chance to make a better job of applying it.

Now, having learnt how to get the sort of smooth finish I wanted, I would be much less concerned about using the Dulux.

The smallest tins (250 ml) are not too expensive and if in doubt I would get two or three as I did and test them.

The bottom line is that the water-borne stuff is far less yellowing than the oil based kinds - indeed, many people find the colouration too cold for their liking and seek to warm it up. However for a pale wood this was not a problem.

 

[David Devlinski]

I have experienced the same problem. When using the Ronseal Exterior varnish on a white painted wood the white miraculously turns "Yellow" that's fair enough but what really gets me is contrary to the "Trades description Act" when a product openly claims to do"What it says on the tin" i.e. "CLEAR" Varnish, someone is telling "porkies? it isn't Clear at all, it's actually "Yellow?"

 

[yetloh]

As far as I can tell, pretty much all the water borne finishes have a milky appearance in the can and that does translate to some extent to the finished film, so they don't have quite the clarity of something like a pre-catalysed lacquer. They also tend to have a rather cold look which can be mitigated by presealing with a couple of coats of shellac. Depending on the wood species being used, long term, yellowing of the wood itself is likely to be a much more important factor than any yellowing of a water borne lacquer.

Jim

 

[spr0cket]

Another +1 for Ronseal. I think it's diamond satin that we used on interior oak doors.
Fitted and finished them around 3 years ago and aside from the oak darkening a tad as it does.... Not suffered with it looking pine coloured as I found oil based products tended to.

Plus the clean up and drying times are a further bonus in the time constrained times that we all enjoy.