Finishing Products Comparison Chart

» Evaporative finishes

Evaporative finishes dry as their solvents disperse into the air. They will always redissolve into the solvent originally used to thin them, making them easier to repair but also a little less durable.

Product	Ease of Application	Repairability	Flame Resistance	Health & Safety	Water Resistance	Chemical Resistance	Scratch Resistance
Wax	Excellent	Excellent	Good	Good	Poor	Fair	Poor
Shellac	Good	Excellent	Fair	Excellent	Fair	Poor	Fair
Nitrocellulose Lacquer	Fair	Excellent	Poor	Poor	Good	Good	Fair
Water-based Finishes	Good	Poor	Excellent	Fair	Good	Good	Good

» Reactive finishes

Reactive finishes undergo a chemical change as they cure, making them not only more difficult to repair but also more durable (except for linseed and tung oil) than most evaporative finishes.

Product	Ease of Application	Repairability	Flame Resistance	Health & Safety	Water Resistance	Chemical Resistance	Scratch Resistance
Linseed Oil	Excellent	Excellent	Good	Excellent	Poor	Fair	Poor
Tung Oil	Excellent	Excellent	Good	Excellent	Fair	Fair	Poor
Oil-based Varnish	Good	Poor	Good	Poor	Excellent	Good	Good
Oil-based Polyurethane	Good	Poor	Good	Poor	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent
Catalyzed Lacquer	Poor	Poor	Poor	Poor	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent