A long time ago, I bought a bottle of Dale Clemens' "Brilliance" color preserver. Frankly, it looks milky and then dries clear just like the water-based polyurethane I use for my wood working projects. Could it be the same stuff? Can I just refill my CP jar with a couple ounces out of my gallon poly can?

In other words, has anyone else tried this and is it really the same stuff?

Thanks,

Skip

No, it's not the same stuff. Brilliance was an acrylic. There are some combination urethane/acrylics in the world of color preserver (Gudebrod 811 is one) but they're not quite the same thing as your polyurethane wood finish.

There are other products that will work, sort of, as color preservers. You can answer your own question as to how suitable it is as a color preserver with some test wraps and a few minutes of you time.

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Years ago I was told by a clemens retailer that dale's color preserver was elmer's glue and water.

I'll do the stupid thing first, then you shy people can follow. -FZ-



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/05/2007 01:37AM by Fred Blake.

It wasn't Elmer's glue and water. That is another of the many myths found in rod building over the years. But many have tried the Elmer's glue and water thing and in a few cases they got by (while others had disastrous effects). I think this is where it started - it looked like it might be Elmer's glue and water, so many proclaimed it as being exactly that. It wasn't.

All the "white" CPs are very similar in make up. But they're not Elmer's glue - they're straight acrylics. The old Bullard CPX, Epoxy Coatings Co. SC115 and 215 and Gudebrod 811 are modified urethane/acrylics.

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My girl friends water based exterior poly varnish she gets at the craft store looks ok as a color preserver. About it's longterm qualities I have no idea. Looked good on a test wrap.