High gloss finish for furniture

High-gloss finish furniture

One of the finishing models for furniture products is the high-gloss finish. In the past, when the finishing was done by traditional finishing materials, the gloss of a finish was fully determined by the thickness of the film built on the surface. Traditional varnish and shellac cannot make the resulting gloss. The more smooth, flat, and thick the surface, the more high-gloss results. But now with advances in technology in the finishing material, the gloss finishing can be adjusted by the top coat used. A thick finish can be made in a low gloss by the use of a low-gloss top coat, as well as a thin layer of finish, which can also produce a high-gloss finish. Since that, the gloss in a finish layer can be more flexibly created. A lot of finishing models and types can be made with more variation in the gloss. The finishing industry now can easily accommodate a request of a finish with any gloss variation. Since then, the finishing with very high gloss has been relatively reduced. There are many furniture models that are made with low gloss, such as classic, rustic, antique, etc. Even so, of course, there are many products that are more suitable with a high-gloss finish. Contemporary furniture products with simple models and flat forms are still looked attractive with high gloss. A finish with thick films, clean, high gloss on a proper model will produce elegant, luxurious, and expensive furniture.

A high-gloss finish requires a different approach and process. To be successful in doing the high-gloss finish, we should be able to know and understand the problems that often occur so we can anticipate them well.

Tips to do the high-gloss finish.

• A high-gloss finish is more suitable for furniture with simple shapes.

A finishing process must be able to add aesthetic value to the products. For this reason, a finish shall be in accordance with the model and the shape of the furniture. Finishing with a high gloss is more appropriate for products with simple shapes. Furniture with a flat form, with variation on veneer setting and little carving or arch, will look luxurious and elegant in a high-gloss finish. Furniture with a complex model with many intricate carvings or an antique model is not suitable with high gloss and a thick film layer.

• High gloss finishes require more careful and thorough work.

A high-gloss finish should be done more carefully and cautiously. Some minor damage may still be hidden in an antique finish, but it will be seen obviously in the high-gloss finish. A high-gloss finish does not have antique effects that can hide some defects and imperfections that mostly happened in the production process. The existence of a little hole, dents, or sanding marks may be hidden in an antique low-gloss finish, but it will be looked at very clearly on a clean high-gloss finish. Therefore, even if this finish does not require special effects such as the antique-look finish or decorative finish, the finishing process probably takes longer since it should be done more carefully. Each finishing process, such as coloring, clear coating, sanding, and handling, should be done well in detail.

• High-gloss finishes require better preparation in the unfinished product.

The higher the gloss finish, the more obvious the condition of the furniture. Unevenness, waves, scratches, putty, and any other imperfection will be very obvious at the high-gloss finish. Since then, the furniture product must be prepared well, starting at the beginning of the production process. Precision measurement and good sanding and assembling should be done to obtain a neat and tidy product.

• A high-gloss finish usually requires a thicker layer of film.

The fact is often there are always some imperfections on unfinished wood that have to be fixed in the finishing process. Some dents or an uneven surface on a small scale can be solved by applying a thick layer of finishing film. Therefore, the high-gloss finish should be made with materials that are suitable for producing thick-layer film. A high-gloss finish is very difficult to obtain with a full NC system finish. NC clear coating has low solid content and tends to crack if the layer is too thick. The acid-cured PU or polyester coatings are more suitable material for making the high-gloss finish. The combination of PU or acid curing with NC is another option to simplify the finishing process, but if you need a high-resistant finish, the fully PU or polyester combined with PU is the best choice.

• A high-gloss finish requires a clean finishing room.

A high-gloss finish does not allow the existence of dirt or dust. Any dirt or dust will be seen obviously in the high-gloss finish. Therefore, the finishing room should be adequate to do the process. The drying and spray room should be clean and dust-free. The clean room becomes more important when you do PU, AC or PE coating.  

•  Do rubbing whenever possible.

A high-gloss finish is sometimes more easily obtained by the rubbing process. A full gloss rubbing process will be able to produce a nice-looking high-gloss finish. This rubbing process, of course, requires an additional process that takes time, effort, and cost, but sometimes this process is more easily done to make a high-gloss finish. The difficulty in finishing the process of producing a flat, smooth, and clean finish is often easily solved by doing the rubbing process.

To find more information about the rubbing process, you can view our previous post: Rubbing for high gloss finish