Removing Polycrylic

[John, CD28]

Polycrylic is a waterbased interior wood finish from Minwax. I made the mistake of using it on some interior woodwork; bad idea. Polycrylic goes on easy, dries in a couple hours, and looks ok at first. However, it doesn't cure hard like polyurethane. It's a soft finish and some spots actually have a gummy feel that traps dirt. It also peels like a bad sunburn if there was anything at all on the wood prior to application. It has no build to it whatsoever, so you never really build up to a smooth finish.

In short, it goes on like milk, and cures like snot. Does anyone know how to get this stuff off?

John

[Quetzalsailor]

These emulsified finishes are the way of the future. Low VOCs. Even commercial wood floors, restaurants and clubs, are finished with this sort of stuff and the performance appears to be reasonably good on the one recent project I'm familiar with (I had specified solvent based urethane but we ended up with the emulsion; got the same guarantee).

Minwax surely is a good enough brand name. I fear that your surface prep was not what it needed to have been, and it may well be that the finish is less tolerant of oils.

Not knowing where your surfaces are or what they're adjacent to, I'd suggest a heat gun and sharp scraper. You would also get good service from chemical strippers designed for this sort of finish, given that it's incompletely cured or pretty new.

[Summersdawn]

It should finish hard. I would suspect as Quetzalsailor pointed out, something (perhaps surface prep), was not up to par. I have been using water based Varathane ontop of Watco Teak Oil on my exterior bright work for about 7 years, and I am quite happy with the finish.

The cool thing about the water based finishes is that they do not yellow with age - they stay completely tranparent.

[Maine Sail]

John,

Unfortunately many owners over the years have used cheap or inferior "furniture oils" to oil the interior teak on CD's. The problem with this is that many of these crappy furniture oils contain silicone. If a PO used an interior oil that contained silicone even a thorough cleaning won't help. Oils tend to stick better, but not great, to surfaces that were previously siliconed as water and silicone do not mix well at all!

I've used both Minwax oil and Varathane oil based interior products for years with no issues....

I don't like Polycrylic when compared to Varathane water based but generally don't like the water based products at all as they kick to fast to get a good finish...

[John, CD28]

I'm thinking you guys are right (again).

Yeah, Minwax makes good stuff - no question there. My prep work wasn't the best, and there was probably some teak oil or silicone based furniture oil from a prior owner still in the teak trim. It's where there is hand frequent contact that it's failing, like the teak trim around the galley.

I'll put a heat gun on it and get off what I can. The areas where the Polycrylic fell off I refinished with Minwax oil based polyurethane two years ago, and it still looks & feels great. I'll refinish with that. Or, maybe I'll try the Minwax water based polyurethane.

Thanks again,
John

[feetup]

This is not intended to hijack the thread, but I have been thinking about water born finishes for a while. I have used varathane diamond coat successfully for a number of non-boat projects, and have used water based instrument lacquers on a number of guitars now and get excellent results now that I have learned some of it's tricks.
I had thought to ask about the varathane exterior water based finish for boat use, but sailors tend to be traditional and I was afraid I might get a strongly negative response. The literature seems to claim excellent UV resistance, but I was a bit concerned about how brittle it might be.

Tim J

[Summersdawn]

This is not intended to hijack the thread, but I have been thinking about water born finishes for a while. I have used varathane diamond coat successfully for a number of non-boat projects, and have used water based instrument lacquers on a number of guitars now and get excellent results now that I have learned some of it's tricks.
I had thought to ask about the varathane exterior water based finish for boat use, but sailors tend to be traditional and I was afraid I might get a strongly negative response. The literature seems to claim excellent UV resistance, but I was a bit concerned about how brittle it might be.

Tim J

The UV protection from exterior Varathane Diamond Coat is only so-so. Used on its own, you won't be happy with the results. The UV will damage the lignin in the wood, and cause the finish to lift in flakes.

Watco Teak Oil (made by Flecto - the makers of Varathane) has instructions on it for overcoating with Varathane. The Teak Oil is I believe basically varnish, thinnned with Tung Oil, so it hardens up after a day or two. It has good UV protection in it from the varnish. Used in conjuction with the Varathane, it gives good results (at least for our climate).

The procedure is to put on 2 heavy coats of Teak Oil about 30 minutes apart. You then wait 15 minutes, and wipe the excess off. After 3 days, you put on 4 coats of exterior Varathane. These can go on 4 hours apart, so I usually do it on one day on the weekend - say 8:00, 12:00, 4:00 and 8:00. The varathane is dry to the touch in about an hour, fully hardens in 10 days.

With the small amount of brightwork on my boat, I can sand the wood and oil it after work one day, and get the Varathane applied on the weekend.

The next year, I just give the brightwork a scuff, then I oil and varathane the hole piece as before. Any part that has scratched or flaked ends up looking pretty good, as the scuff knocks the loose stuff off, and the oil gives the wood a similiar colour to the rest.

I am currently building some new spashboards for the boat. If you would like, I can take some pictures of it for you, so you can see what the finish looks like.

[Ancient Race]

I am currently building some new spashboards for the boat. If you would like, I can take some pictures of it for you, so you can see what the finish looks like.

Pictures good.

Sorry if I missed it, Rick: but in what climate do you find this effective?


Greg

[bcooke]

The Teak Oil is I believe basically varnish, thinnned with Tung Oil, so it hardens up after a day or two.

Not to be a know-it-all or anything but I have a friend who was a paint chemist and over a few coffees I have started to pick up a few things.

Using his explanation:

Linseed oil is a drying oil. That is, it reacts with the oxygen in the air causing the little molecules to link up, 'hardening', which seals the surface being covered.

Tung oil is a higher grade of drying oil. Less impurities and a higher concentration of the 'good' oils.

Varnish is basically the same oils that are further refined to produce the desired quallities.

'Teak oil' is a drying oil, (most likely tung oil but it is just a term made up by the manufacturers) with a small amount of additives, like UV blockers, to make it just that little bit more special.

Interesting guy to talk to. What is really interesting is that so much of different paint/chemical stuff out there is really just the same thing with an extra hydogen bond or some other variation. That and a whole lot of marketing hype.

If I understood more about chemistry I could interpret the paper placemats that he routinely covers with chemical forumulas. Alas, I really have no idea what he is saying half the time and I just nod my head and smile...

[Summersdawn]

I am currently building some new spashboards for the boat. If you would like, I can take some pictures of it for you, so you can see what the finish looks like.

Pictures good.

Sorry if I missed it, Rick: but in what climate do you find this effective?


Greg

We live on Vancouver Island, which is on the southern coast of British Columbia, Canada. It is a pretty mild climate, with lots of rain.

[feetup]

Yes please Rick, by all means take pictures. The San Juan 24 is one of my favourite boats anyway.
That being said, and now I am really hijacking, I often walk past the Nanaimo Yacht Club, and sometimes out on to that little break water to the SE of you and I always look for your yellow hull, but havn't seen it yet. Wherabouts is your slip?

Tim J

[Summersdawn]

I am about 10 or 12 boats straight out from the gate, between the last two rows of sheds. You can see my boat best from the seawall about 50 or 60' south of the gate.