Deft has a proprietary solvent per a finishing guru several years ago.
I commented on the amazing self leveling attributes and his comment
was lacquer thinner could be used for spraying but not brushing, get
the real stuff for that.

On 29 Dec 2004 10:25:11 -0800, "the_tool_man"
wrote:

Hi Glenna:

I recently bought a 1 gallon can of Deft at Lowe's, so it's still made.
It's clear laquer, so if some of it has evaporated, laquer thinner
might bring it back. If you're unsure, test it on something else
first.

Regards,
John.

In the middle of reading the shellac thread, it occurs to me that Deft
might also go bad. Does it? The question is because I have nearly a
gallon left over from my kitchen remodel of the early 80s (remodel is a
layman's term for completely gutting it and building anew!). I made the
cabinets from select white birch and finished them with Deft, absolutely
beautiful! (It broke my heart to leave it all behind, my heart and soul
were in that kitchen I remodeled after 13 years of a 1900 kitchen that
even had the sink in a separate room, like a pantry!)

For Christmas this year, my two older sons each have a set of bookshelves.
The middle son wanted theirs painted so that was easy (also finished and
delivered). The oldest, however, wants his left natural so I plan to
finish them with Deft. I've not even opened the can so am not sure what
condition it's in so this question may be irrelevant anyway, but I'm still
curious. If it appears good, I sure don't want to mess up two 6-foot tall
bookshelves if it does go bad. Twenty years is a long time, after all,
and I *don't* want to do extra sanding to get it off to do it right.

Moving forward with the idea that this is unusable and no longer sold (the
only places I've asked don't have it, but have something else "just like
it"), what would give as good a finished (no pun intended) result as Deft?

Glenna

It could be beyond use but generally, if it hasent all evaporated or
solidified, it should be OK I'd presume.

Step one, oepn the can and carefully remove the film from the top.
Might be an inch thick by now.

Step two, mix like hell. There are lots of additives such as flatteners
and pigment of it's not gloss.

Step three, test it before use.

Hi Glenna:

I recently bought a 1 gallon can of Deft at Lowe's, so it's still made.
It's clear laquer, so if some of it has evaporated, laquer thinner
might bring it back. If you're unsure, test it on something else
first.

Regards,
John.

On Wed, 29 Dec 2004 09:05:17 -0800, (Glenna Rose)
wrote:


Moving forward with the idea that this is unusable and no longer sold (the
only places I've asked don't have it, but have something else "just like
it"), what would give as good a finished (no pun intended) result as Deft?

Glenna


Deft is still sold but yours is probably still good.

Deft is little more than solvent based lacquer with some butyl
cellosolve in it to provide good leveling characteristics when applied
with a brush.

If there is a good seal on the can, you should be fine. There should
be no skinning or clumping.

If it seems a bit thick to you, mix in a bit of slow lacquer thinner,
or butyl cellosolve, which can be had from a good paint supply but is
expensive.



Regards,
Tom.

"People funny. Life a funny thing." Sonny Liston

Thomas J.Watson - Cabinetmaker (ret.)
tjwatson1ATcomcastDOTnet (real email)
http://home.comcast.net/~tjwatson1

On Wed, 29 Dec 2004 09:05:17 -0800, (Glenna Rose)
wrote:


Moving forward with the idea that this is unusable and no longer sold (the
only places I've asked don't have it, but have something else "just like
it"), what would give as good a finished (no pun intended) result as Deft?

Any good lacquer, if you're spraying. Deft is simply a brushable
lacquer. Behlen's also makes a brushing lacquer.

Remember, lacquer is an evaporative finish. This means that the
finish can be reconstituted by it's solvent. Adding lacquer thinner
to an old can of Deft will probably freshen the contents to a usable
state. Test on scrap!


Barry

I've got a can that I've used on and off for the past 5 years and even
being open and exposed to air and shut again... it still was perfect.
Maybe I'm dumb, but like all my marine varnishes, I store clear
finishes upside down. Keep your can lips clean, and use a wood block
to get a nice closure... and no leaks.

Still, I've never had a gummy film when I've opened the can and I
always assumed that ordinary lacquer thinner would work in a pinch if
I didn't want to buy the fancy thinner. I do imagine there has to be
some minor discoloration (?) over the years but I don't know because
I've usually used it on teak projects... not light colored woods.


On Wed, 29 Dec 2004 09:05:17 -0800, (Glenna Rose)
wrote:

In the middle of reading the shellac thread, it occurs to me that Deft
might also go bad. Does it? The question is because I have nearly a
gallon left over from my kitchen remodel of the early 80s (remodel is a
layman's term for completely gutting it and building anew!). I made the
cabinets from select white birch and finished them with Deft, absolutely
beautiful! (It broke my heart to leave it all behind, my heart and soul
were in that kitchen I remodeled after 13 years of a 1900 kitchen that
even had the sink in a separate room, like a pantry!)

For Christmas this year, my two older sons each have a set of bookshelves.
The middle son wanted theirs painted so that was easy (also finished and
delivered). The oldest, however, wants his left natural so I plan to
finish them with Deft. I've not even opened the can so am not sure what
condition it's in so this question may be irrelevant anyway, but I'm still
curious. If it appears good, I sure don't want to mess up two 6-foot tall
bookshelves if it does go bad. Twenty years is a long time, after all,
and I *don't* want to do extra sanding to get it off to do it right.

Moving forward with the idea that this is unusable and no longer sold (the
only places I've asked don't have it, but have something else "just like
it"), what would give as good a finished (no pun intended) result as Deft?

Glenna

Glenna Rose wrote:

Moving forward with the idea that this is unusable and no longer sold (the
only places I've asked don't have it, but have something else "just like
it"), what would give as good a finished (no pun intended) result as Deft?

Was Deft something different in the '80s? They sell stuff everywhere in a
white can with blue markings that calls itself Deft. Lacquer products.

I don't think I'd use 20 year old anything on a project I cared anything
about, personally.

--
Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan
Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/
http://rosegarden.sourceforge.net/tutorial/