Thread: cabots CFP for a table?

I used CFP on a 15mm plywood table top (1800 x 900) I stained with Wattyl walnut and it was an unmitigated disaster.

6 attempts later (sanding, scrapping, resanding etc) thining at 10% 12.5% and 15% didn't make any difference to siezing, brush stokes, blooms, lifting, dull patches etc. Natural bristle and synthetic didn't make 1 iota of difference to the finish. (Yes I did wash down with turps between attempts, resanded and cleaned off with a tack cloth) .

The only easy bit was striping it with a 1 inch chisel just made it peel off like old contact from an exercise book in great big sheets. So if anyone wants several square metres of solidisecond hand varnish mostly in flatish pieces you need to head out to the Harvery's Range Dump quickish before they bury it tomorrow.

18 days of frustration later and a serious thoughts of woodicide/shedicide with a box of matches I threw the bloody tin in the tip. $75.00 down the drain.

In the end I just finished it in Danish Oil and waxed the bloody thing.

I used Cabot's Cabothane on a chair and a few other pieces and drove me nuts with brush and run marks.

Next time I may move to their Gel Clear, but it all depends on what the shop will get in.


As for finish type go for Satin usually looks much better than Gloss.

Thank God I'm not the only one who had problems with CFP Cultana.

I lashed out today and spen $53.00 at Super Cheap and bought a 240volt buffer and two extra applicator pads. Knocked over two coats of Lemon Mytrle flavoured furniture wax on the table top refered to above in less than 2 hours and barely raised a sweat.
Why didn't I buy one years ago?
Mate does that bring up a rich depth of gloss that you just can't get with Varnish when used over the Danish Oil or what?

Never agin will CFP darken my shed.

Mike and Pappy:

My only question is why are you using Cabot's CFP on furniture?
It is by their, Cabot's, definition a floor paint/varnish.

From their perspective for indoor furniture it is Cabothane, Gel Clear or their varnish-stain combo.

As I mentioned Cabothane is a pain but after a discussion with their help line they suggested that the wipe on Gel Clear may be a better way to go. Yes I did point out the issue with brush marks and paint runs with Cabothane. I also mentioned I had better luck wiping it on in places. That is when it was suggested to go for the gel.

I will admit that finally after many sandings between coats, (4) the final finish was great.

Recommended by a much more experienced woodworker or so I thought. Turns out he had less of a clue than I did.

I wouldn’t use Cabothane even if they gave me a year’s free supply.

Mike,
ditto with results from CFP, not while my little bit points to the ground will I ever use it again.
I only use Feast Watson Floor Seal as a finish now for table tops or other work surfaces. 'Oh what a feeling' I was put onto it by a professional who also uses nothing else. Wipe on first coat and then brush following coats with a 'wet edge' technique, or you can rub on the extra coats if you need the exercise. I use it because it is a very hard finish which doesn't mark easily but at the same time, it is very easy to repair if required.
enjoy

PPG Ameron is by far the best finish i have ever used. Heat and chemical resistant, and the best part is it dries in 2 or 3 minutes. Its mixed with 60% thinners and sprayed on. Fool proof even with a cheap spray gun. Its also reasonably priced at around $40 plus tax for 4ltr. (plus $20 for thinners)

Below is a list of distributors


Distributors | PPG Protective and Marine Coatings Australia | protective coatings - marine, automotive, and industrial

Maybe I'm missing something or maybe it was beginners luck, but I dunno what you blokes are whingeing about.

I used CFP Satin finish on the European Beech in my bathroom reno and I, and more importantly SWMBO, couldn't be happier.

Is there something I'll regret down the track?

The finish was three coats applied with a brush, light sanding between and I'm not seeing any of the problems that seem to have been experienced by others here.

Ian

Agree with Ian here. I used CFP about 10 years ago on one of those cheep pine chest of draws for the kids room. I brushed on some Cabbots stain of some sort, Fruitwood from memory...waited a few days and sprayed on 3 coats of CFP. Magic job...couldn't be happier. The stuff is as hard as nails and after 10 years & 4 kids giving it a pounding, there's hardly a mark on it. It's not gallery grade furniture finish, but that wasn't what I needed. So unless they have changed the formula, or you blokes have incompatable stain underneath it, I think it's great stuff

Thanks all for the replies, I was thinking the CFP as I have used it before and it gives a tougher finish.

But I have now started with Cabothane, having sprayed the base and the underside of the top today. Both appear to have cover well.

thanks pappy.

Pappy, nice to see it is going well.


On a general passing thought I might suspect that most varnishes/finishes work and behave in slightly different ways and that could be dependent on the timber, preparation and any preexisting substance already applied to the timber. Hence the various different perspectives and end results we have re CFP etc.

G'day Cultana,
I tried to apply it to new, dry, well seasoned Maple, freshly machined and sanded, it was brushed on as it was way too thick to even contemplate spraying,