I understand that most finishes are non-toxic after they dry. The concern is that I will be working in my garage, which is not well ventilated to begin with, and my pregnant wife will be in and out on a regular basis. After that, we'll be in and out of there with a newborn baby. Because of that, the fumes emitted while drying are a concern. Even if they aren't, my pregnant (i.e. hormonal) wife will think they are, and that's enough for me to try to avoid them if possible. If I can use products where toxic fumes are of no concern, everyone will be much happier, if not necessarily any healthier.
Bluedawg, can you suggest any reading material or videos on how to apply poly finish so it doesn't look like plastic?
Two important points about avoiding plastic look - 1) knowing when you have sufficient build of the finish (i.e. how many coats?). Look for an even sheen in raking (low angle) light. At that point, I may do one more (thin) coat. 2) irrespective of your final/preferred sheen, use gloss for every coat but your last. The alternative is to use steel wool to knock the gloss down to a satin sheen. The other thing I will add is that I prefer a wipe-on varnish (i.e. thinned) vs. full-strength. It takes more coats but the control is worth it to me.
I'd probably just find an acceptable way to deal w/ the fumes. Note that there are water-based finishes (polycrylic and polyurethane). Although I haven't used it, Endurovar Water-based poly from General Finishes may worth checking out. I've used their other products and been pleased.
If you haven't read it, Bob Flexner's book on Understanding Wood Finishes is a good read.
If you go the wipe-on varnish (oil-based only!) route, I found the following post taken verbatim from Howard Acheson on how to apply a wipe-on varnish to be helpful. Note diluting a varnish w/ mineral spirits increases the VOCs which is why the label says not to do it.
There are a number of suggested application regimens that are totally subjective. The number of coats in a given day, the % of cut on various coats, which coat to sand after, when to use the blade and a whole host of other practices are all minor differences between finishers. There are some things that I consider sacred when applying a wipe-on finish.
First, you can use any full strength oil based clear finish. Polyurethane varnish or non-poly varnish is fine.
If you are making your own wipe-on the mix is scientific - thin. I suggest 50/50 with mineral spirits because it is easier to type than any other ratio and easy to remember. Some finish formulators have jumped on the bandwagon and you can now get "wipe on" finish pre-mixed. If you use a pre-mixed, thinning is generally not necessary. But making your own is cheaper and you know what's in it.
The number of coats in a given day is not important. Important is to apply a wet coat with an applicator and merely get it on. Think of a 16 year old kid working as a busboy at Denny's you have sent over to wipe off a table. Sort of rub/swirl the the material on like you would if you were applying a paste wax. Don't attempt any straight strokes. The applicator should be wet but not soaked. The applicator can be a non-embossed paper towel shop towel, half a T-shirt sleeve or that one sock left after a load of washing. Once applied,leave it alone. The surface should not be glossy or wet looking and, if applied correctly, there should be no "brush stroke" type marks. If you have missed a spot, ignore it - you will get it on the next coat. If you try and fix a missed spot you will leave a mark in the finish.
Timing for a second coat involves the pinkie test. Touch the surface with your pinkie. If nothing comes off you are ready for another coat. If was tacky 5 minutes ago but not now, apply your next coat just as you applied the previous coat. Remember, you are wet wiping, not flooding. After applying the second coat, let it fully dry for 48 hours. Using 320 paper and a sanding block lightly sand the surface flat. Now, begin applying more coats. Do not sand between coats unless you have allowed more than 24 hours to elapse since the prior coat. The number of coats is not critical - there is no critical or right number to apply. For those who need a rule, four more coats on non-critical surfaces or six more coats on surfaces that will get abraded seems to work.
After your last coat has dried at least over night you will have boogers in the surface. You should not have marks in the surface because you ignored application flaws. You may have dust, lint and, if you live in Texas, bug legs. Use a utility knife blade at this point. Hold it between your thumb and forefinger, near the vertical, and gently scrape the surface. Gentle is the important word - no harder than you would scrape your face. If you start scraping aggressively you will leave small cut marks in the surface. After you have scraped to the baby butt stage gently abrade the surface with 320 dry paper or a gray ScotchBrite. Clean off the surface. Now, leave the area for two hours and change your clothes. Apply your last coat with a bit more care than the previous coats and walk away.
An anal person is going to have a tough time with this process. Missed spots have to be ignored. Wet wipe, don't flood. Scraping to babies butt smooth means scraping no harder than scraping a babies butt. Ignoring any of these will leave marks that are tough to get out. Getting these marks out requires some aggressive sanding to flatten out the surface and starting over.
