In article
,
wrote:

Hi,

I recently painted a design in acrylic paint on a piece of maple wood
that will eventually be subject to elements such as UV, weather, foot
traffic, etc. I've heard that marine polyurethane is the way to go to
protect this sort of project, but I'm having a heard time finding one
that is water-based and would not smear my acrylic paint.
Is any water-based polyurethane (I've found some with UV protectant)
going to do the job?


Also, what are the benefits/features/differences of matte, satin, and
gloss?

As a rule of thumb, Gloss in any finish is the toughest film; offers
the most durable protection. To get satin and matte finishes
manufacturers add materials {IIRC silica and such} to interfere with
the inherently glossy surface of the cured film, making the paint or
varnish coating somewhat weaker. [This was at least true in the
eighties, not sure if science has marched on...]

-j




I've found quite a few water-based polyurethanes at this site:

http://paint-and-supplies.hardwarest...r-finish-polyu...


Any other suggestions for this project are greatly appreciated.


Cheers,
A