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?


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

On Jan 28, 5:00*pm, 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?

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

Have you thought of checking marine supply websites, Boatersworld.com
and WestMarine.com come to mind. They are probably the best source
for quality marine grade finishes. As for poly, you might want to
consider looking at more of a varnish for your application. Boaters
World sells Pettit Z-Spar Flagship Varnish, which is what you will
find a number of boat minded folks (OK, I am one of them, I have a 24'
Sea Ray) using on their teak for max protection. I've never tried
this on acrylic paint, so I can't attest to what it will do, but the
staff at either of these stores would be the best source of
information. I believe Boaters World has a livechat on their website
for a quick answer.

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

On Jan 28, 10:11 pm, JoanD'arcRoast wrote:
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?

You provided a brief description of how it is going to be exposed, but
what it actually is could help in determining a finish. Some of the
epoxy resin coats might be what your looking for such as this one
http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?FamilyID=4140
On the other hand, if you are creating some time of "stepping stone",
this wouldn't work. Also, some poly's will begin flaking, turning
yellow, and fading in direct sunlight.
It might help if you give us an Idea of what use it will be seeing.

JD