Pratt and Lambert floor varnish

[gstring]

Has anyone used Pratt and Lambert floor varnish for a hand rubbed varnish finish ?

daniel

[tadol]

Floor varnishes, like spar varnishes, are usually designed to be soft and flexible - its so the wood can move, and walking on them doesn't easily scratch them. Not qualities you'd really want in an instrument varnish -

I've used it in the past, but only on floors -

[Long Jon]

Originally Posted by tadol

Floor varnishes, like spar varnishes, are usually designed to be soft and flexible - its so the wood can move, and walking on them doesn't easily scratch them. Not qualities you'd really want in an instrument varnish -

I've used it in the past, but only on floors -

Flexible and scratch resistant sound like excellent qualities for a guitar finish to me.

[B. Howard]

Mostly the opposite of everything a good instrument finish should be....

Softer equals more vibrational damping which in turn means less sound output overall and can even deaden certain frequency ranges.

[John Arnold]

Floor varnishes, like spar varnishes, are usually designed to be soft and flexible - its so the wood can move, and walking on them doesn't easily scratch them.

I think 'soft' and 'scratch resistant' are mutually exclusive.
My only suggestion is to try it and see. IMHO, the most important quality is finish thickness....the thinner the better.

[tadol]

It may work great - I was only trying to point out the characteristics that are part of the formulation of a floor varnish, as opposed to a more standard furniture varnish. Soft means it's more scratch resistant, so sand and small abrasives tracked in on shoes do not easily leave serious scratches - also makes it more difficult to rub out to a high gloss. Flexibility is one of the great characteristics of varnish - but a floor varnish has to be more flexible since floors get mopped, and it's expected that water - rain, snow, or cleaner- may stay on the floor for a while, and the floor boards may very well move a great deal more than a tabletop -

I love varnish finish on a guitar - I have 3 Sexauers, and his varnish finish is outstanding. But he does not apply it straight from the can, and in California, our air quality requirements mean we frequently get different finish formulations than the rest of the US, so there's just too many potential variables -

But Pratt and Lambert always made a good product - worth a try -

[B. Howard]

Originally Posted by John Arnold

I think 'soft' and 'scratch resistant' are mutually exclusive.
.

Sand a piece of glass with 80 grit paper and then try to sand a piece of rubber...let me know which scratches easier.