1. Why do you have two sealers in your product line?

We consider both to be great sealers, however White Lightning is going to leave a hint of white, while First-Step is clear.

2. Does the wax take the place of varnishing the piece?

Absolutely not. Use the wax as the final step after you finish varnishing.

3. Do I just wax a piece once?

No, you can continue to re-wax as often as you have the desire to do so.

4. Why would I want to use the Painter's Wax?

Painter's wax is the final protection for your piece. We would want to wax for the same reason we wax the dining room table, to protect. This wax has been specially blended to go over your finished varnished pieces.

5. What would I use to put on a painted piece that I intend to put outdoors?

Our Exterior Varnish. We are very pleased with this varnish. It will hold up outside and will not yellow. Be sure to put on several layers of varnish to offer maximum protection to the piece.

6. Will your Wood Filler work to fill holes and then accept stain?

Yes, it sure will. Another terrific thing about J.W. etc. wood filler is that it is water based and that means you can add water and use it right down to the last drop.

7. If I have an older piece, can I re-varnish using J.W. etc's varnishes?

That depends if the piece is free of wax and you know if the old varnish you used is compatible with our varnish. It's a good idea to test a small area first to see if the varnishes are compatible. Watch to see that the varnish doesn't reticulate.

8. What do you mean by reticulate?

When the two varnishes do not mesh together. It sort of looks like prune fingers or crocodile hide.

9. How long does it take J.W. etc.'s varnish to dry?

This will vary with the climate. If you live at the desert it will dry almost immediately, but if you live where there is a lot of humidity it will take longer. A rule of thumb would be 20 to 30 minutes. If you have a doubt on whether it is dry you may use a hair dryer to help it along.

10. What happens if I apply the next coat too soon?

If you forget to dry the water off after wet sanding, or you don't allow the painted piece to dry thoroughly between coats of varnish, you'll trap moisture in between the varnish layers you will cause a hazing or cloudiness or a milky look to the painted piece.

11.How do I wet sand?

Apply two coats of varnish on the piece to be sure all the painted surface is covered (you don't want to sand through the varnish and damage the paint underneath). Fill a small, shallow bowl with water and use l drop of liquid dish soap to make the water "slick". Using the finest grade of sand paper, or a rubber backed sanding pad, gently sand the piece. Be sure you dry the piece thoroughly before applying the next layer of varnish. Do not wet sand over your final coat of varnish!

12. What is wet sanding?

A process of using water and a piece of very fine sand paper and gently going over the piece. The key word here is gently. You should wet sand in between layers of varnish to remove brush lines and other imperfections. By smoothing lines and ridges in the varnish before you put the next coat of varnish on, each layer will smooth the piece out a bit more until your final coat of varnish. This is how you achieve the satin feeling finish.

13. How many coats sufficiently protect the piece?

We like to put around 3 coats on a painted piece. Your own eye will tell you when it looks and feels like satin.

14. Why varnish wood and painted pieces?

Varnishing gives the piece as much protection as possible. This is especially important on a painted design which might wear off, or fade, in time if not protected. A light spray will not offer protection down through the years.