A warning on low sheen lacquers

Over the last few years we have seen an ever increasing demand for very low sheen lacquers.

Whereas a few years ago most clients chose 30% satin as the lowest sheen level we are now commonly asked to spray joinery in 10%, 5% and even 0% matt sheen levels.

Liming white finishes / Cerusing

Over the last few years we have seen a revival of a polishing system that dates back to the 1800s. Known as Liming White or Cerusing, it is the application of a white paste during the polishing process that results in a white fleck in the pores of the timber.

Light stains over darker timbers

Currently there are two major trends in staining. Joinery is either being stained extremely dark, or extremely light. The dark stains commonly being requested are usually variations of Black or variations of Dark blackish/brown. Lighter stains are usually variations of white or slightly tinted whites.

Lacquer Additives.

Despite our industry being quite small there is still many hundreds of thousands of dollars being spent every year on research and development. Much of this research is completed by overseas suppliers who’s markets in Europe, Asia, and America are many times larger than ours.

Gluing MDF is not the same as welding steel.

Recently we had a new client who asked us to paint some MDF shop fittings. Not a difficult task to complete nor should it be too complicated for our multi talented team of polishers and painters. Problem was he had constructed a number of large bulkheads by butt gluing large sections of MDF together and then puttying up the joins.

Holding finished goods in stock due to delays on site

Recently we had a client pick up a very large project from us after completion of the polishing. Six truck loads left our factory, invoices were sent out and all was complete.

Stories you won’t believe

More and more often we are asked to make up a colour in a half strength version. The story normally goes something like this; cabinet makers client can’t quite find the exact colour they want, they like a certain colour but it feels a little darker than they want, they ask the cabinet maker to prepare a sample in a half strength version.

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Have you ever been caught out like this with having to fill holes on site?

Poor Quality lacquer is false economy

We have lost count of the number of times we have been asked to repair discoloured two pack painting such as these two kitchen cupboard doors.

Differing Qualities of MDF

In any given week we can have joinery in our factories from as many as 30-40 different cabinet makers and shopfitters. We can have as much as 1000 square meters of joinery on site at any one time from our clients. At least half will be MDF joinery and the other half is made up of timber, aluminium, glass, etc.

So its safe to say we see a lot of MDF from one week to the next.

Different types of stains

As part of the day to day production here at Simmonds Polishing we are often called on to stain joinery to match a sample. Sometimes staining is required so that a desired colour can be achieved using a light coloured timber and often it is required to achieve a designer look that can’t be achieved using traditional timber, (such as a lime white finish or perhaps an unusual colour like red or blue).

Different quality levels of two pack finish

At Simmonds Polishing we understand that not every job you give us needs to be finished perfectly. Whilst the majority of the kitchens we paint are subject to intense scrutiny by home owners, it is very different for the joinery installed into a retail shop.

Different coloured clear lacquers

A little known and often misunderstood issue when discussing the use of clear lacquers is that clear lacquer is often not clear at all.

Lacquers can range from what is commonly called water clear (no colour at all) to lacquers that are almost a honey colour. Choosing the correct clear lacquer to meet the needs of each individual project can mean the difference between a happy client and a disgruntled client.

Different B Solutions give different results

In most trades and crafts there is a multitude of ways to accomplish a finished product. Skill techniques can vary as can the choice of materials used. Multiple combinations of both skill techniques and quality of material means the consumer can receive dozens of different standards of finished product.

Designing specialised finishes

Having operated in the polishing industry for over 35 years, there aren’t many finishes we haven’t applied to our customers’ joinery. From french polish to two pack lacquer, from single pack to anti-graffiti lacquer we have either sprayed it, researched it or tested it.

Colour variations using different pigments to achieve the same colour

Colour matching is perhaps the most misunderstood and most frustrating part of our business. Colour can be affected by so many outside factors that it is almost impossible to have every colour in your home matching exactly.

Colours affected by surrounding décor and lighting

Coloured paint finishes and the affect of the surrounding décor and lighting, on those paint finishes is an interesting subject and one that many consumers do not understand. It is an issue that can cause much angst for the customer which in turn filters down to the joiner and the polisher.

Colour matching Timber flooring

For the past 35 years stain requests were made, by us being given a sample that had been produced by another polisher or perhaps a sample card from a stain supplier. We might receive a drawer from an item of furniture, or even a stain sample wiped onto a piece of timber by a designer or architect.

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Using the correct materials to meet your needs

As with many aspects of the joinery industry there are numerous ways to cut corners and sneak in cheaper quality products. The polishing/painting industry is no different. With an ever increasing number of imported joinery items coming on to the market and many less reputable painting contractors coming and going we have seen a significant rise in the occurrence of cheap quality lacquer being used on joinery.

Bookings Made easy

Booking in your work.

Over the last twelve months we have been working hard to educate our clients on booking in their work. Of course, we still get those who simply call up and hope we can start their polishing the next day but overall most client have embraced our systems.

New profile sander

We have recently purchased a new profile sander. This machine is used to sand raw, MDF and timber doors. When set up correctly we will be able to sand both raw MDF and timber, also two pack undercoat as we can install different grades of sandpaper to suit differing sanding needs.