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Clear Finish that Prevents UV Yellowing of Maple - Can it be made?

Clear Finish that Prevents UV Yellowing of Maple - Can it be made? (post #169629)

BohemianDesign on Wed, 01/18/2012 - 20:48

Finishing

I am making several pieces of indoor furniture from birdseye maple and I am looking for a finish that is water clear, will not yellow over time, has descent durability, and has uv inhibitors to prevent/slow wood yellowing. I am located in an area with a large amount of uv light that tends to yellow maple over time even when it is inside.

I would think a CAB-acrylic finish would take care of the first three requirements but I can't find one that has uv inhibitors for preventing/slowing wood yellowing. Any ideas?

This is a long shot but could I buy uv inhibitors (zinc oxide or titanium dioxide - I believe both are used as UV inhibitors in spar varnish and transparent (if a small particle size)) and mix them with the CAB-acrylic finish?

Thanks!

New windows would do the (post #169629, reply #1 of 7)

by SteveSchoene in reply to BohemianDesign [original] on Thu, 01/19/2012 - 09:40

New windows would do the trick. The laminated glass windows used in Hurricane zones block over 99% of the UV light. Or you could make covers for whenever you aren't in the room.

Wood is a natural material--it changes color. If you can't tolerate color change then use a light fast paint pigment (a serach will reveal the light fastness ratings of particular pigments) in a non-yellowing medium.

Test your finish on scrap, FIRST, or risk having to scrap your finish.

Let me add that wood changes (post #169629, reply #2 of 7)

by HowardAcheson in reply to SteveSchoene [original] on Thu, 01/19/2012 - 12:30

Let me add that wood changes color due to sunlight and to oxidation. Even kept is a dark room, woods will change color.

Howie.........

M.L. Campbell Magna Clear (post #169629, reply #3 of 7)

by hammer1 in reply to BohemianDesign [original] on Sat, 01/21/2012 - 07:31

M.L. Campbell Magna Clear might be a good choice. The company has other choices and good customer support.

http://www.mlcampbell.com/products/categ...

Beat it to fit / Paint it to match

The Magna Clear looks (post #169629, reply #4 of 7)

by BohemianDesign in reply to hammer1 [original] on Mon, 01/30/2012 - 11:51

The Magna Clear looks like a good product. Does the finish give a good illusion of depth? I will be working with some quilted maple and figured walnut and need something that will have depth and not look like the finish is sitting on the wood surface. I know CAB acrylic can have this effect.

I know depth is hard to define but I have heard of people comparing the refractive index (RI) of various coatings (the higher the value the more depth). Apparently, shellac, rubbed oil, nitro, methyl and ethyl acrylates have higher refractive indexes and give good depth. Unfortunately, M.L. Campbell does not measure RI of their coatings. Does anyone have experience with the depth of this finish?

In my opinion, depth is more (post #169629, reply #5 of 7)

by hammer1 in reply to BohemianDesign [original] on Tue, 01/31/2012 - 13:49

In my opinion, depth is more a matter of the smoothness of the top coat. The top coat can act as a lens if it is flattened and buffed. If the top coat isn't nice and flat and free of any irregularities, it will break the light and it will reflect off the finish coat. A flat top coat allows you to see right through it to the wood below. It's less a matter of the product used and more about how well it was applied and finished off. A good example of this is on top quality custom car paint jobs where the final step is known as color sanding. It's what gives the illusion the paint is a mile deep. Almost all solvent based finishes leave a slightly orange peel surface due to the evaporation of the solvents and the way the film links up.

Beat it to fit / Paint it to match