oil-based VS water-based

[jordan_frerichs]

I was just curious of the differences between water and oil based finishes of the same type, esp. in the case of polyeurethane type finishes.

[salman]

You can go either way with a poly. Someone correct me if i'm wrong.

[Yvarg]

I was told by Rick Turner (one of the founders of Alembic), that he prefers oil based finishes to water based ones because he thinks the water based finished are always a little cloudy looking to him.

However, I used a water based wipe on poly to finish my last guitar and it came out very nice. It's got a good look to it, and the neck never feels "sticky" like nitro can. I used the satin bottle not the gloss stuff, so that probably helps avoid any cloudiness in the finish (gloss would show it much more). As always, your mileage may vary.

[jordan_frerichs]

i am planing to go satin, so that is good to hear. I heard that oil finishes change the color of the wood more, for example, add yellowness to lighter woods. is that true?

[Yvarg]

In my (very limited) experience; I'd say yes. Hopefully someone with more experience can say something here.

[hbarcat]

I'm an industrial painter by trade and have experience with many different paints. There are few clear cut differences between types but rather each paint has a slew of characteristics that make it more or less suitable for a particular application.

In general for spraying on to bare wood, the most durable and highest quality are going to be catalyzed polyurethane "automotive" types but these are certainly the most expensive and require some experience to use (and are hazardous to health without proper equipment). Water based paints are the easiest to use and are cheapest but are much less durable and usually don't look as nice when finished. Oil based paints are typically somewhere in between the two. Nitrocellulose paint is another thing altogether but it's used when you want an "authentic" finish to a vintage instrument.

My personal favorite is to spray bodies with PPG poly because I have the equipment at work including respirator and spray booth and I want a finish that is tough as nails and will last for years.

When selecting paint type, one should first determine what results you want, what equipment and experience you have and how much you want to spend.

[jordan_frerichs]

Well the bass has a lightly flamed top and back, and i definiately want to keep the color as close to natural (i HATE yellowed maple). It also has a decent amount of bloodwood, which i am trying to get the most vibrant red i can out of them. Also, i am sealing the entire bass, except the mahogany core, and possibly the neck, in CA glue, before the final finish goes on. I thought maybe oil based would have more of a need to seep into the wood, which would be mostly impossible because of the CA sealing.

[mikeyswood]

All oils will impart an amber hue that will grow with time. To avoid that you will want to use lacquers or polyesters.

[Nic.]

Originally Posted by jordan_frerichs

i am planing to go satin, so that is good to hear. I heard that oil finishes change the color of the wood more, for example, add yellowness to lighter woods. is that true?

I used to use Ronseal ultra tough clear, supposedly it was "non-yellowing" but it still yellowed. It wasn't so noticeable on natural wood finishes, or on red stains, but I used it on a blue stain and it turned GREEN. I was shocked.

After that I switched, played around with a lot of small tins of lacquer and found one I liked. It's Ronseal quick drying varnish, gloss. I suspect it's slightly blue-ish, but it's almost perfectly clear. The colour comes through, and it seems hard enough and stable enough. Been using it for a while without any issues.

If I'm not wrong, the previous one I used was oil based but this one *should* be water based， since it washes out in water. I'm no expert on these, though...