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Newsletter #100

Spring Thoughts from Bill Boxer, Senior Vice President

“Change One Thing, Change Everything.”

It ‘s been an early Spring in New York State – time to put into action all the plans that have been simmering through the winter. For me, it’s time to begin TheFinishingStore.com E-Newsletter and on the home front I will be renewing all our metal and wood outdoor furniture. Welcome to our E-Newsletter! We’ll be sending it to you each month and bringing you something new: a new idea, a new method, or just something to think about.

There is a saying, “Change One Thing, Change Everything.” This is especially true when it comes to both our environment and our health. If everyone in America changes one aspect of his or her life, everything changes for everyone. It could be as simple as using a non-toxic brush and gun cleaner, or it could be as transforming as upgrading your finishing with HVLP (High Volume Low Pressure) technology. For more than 40 years, Apollo Sprayers, and now TheFinishingStore.com, have led the charge towards cleaner air. Apollo Turbine systems were designed to meet the air quality standards in California, the toughest in the nation.

About a year ago, when we began TheFinishingStore.com, we decided to select products that protect both the finisher and the environment. Each E-Newsletter will tell you how to achieve the finish you want, and help you do your one small thing to change everything.

Noted woodworker and author, Bob Flexner, is now sharing his years of hands-on woodworking experience and his writing skills at TheFinishingStore.com. As a subscriber to our E-Newsletter, you’ll be among the first to read his monthly article.

Coloring Wood Overview by Bob Flexner

Coloring wood usually presents the biggest challenge in the wood finishing process because more can go wrong. By organizing and defining the major differences in the woods, the various types of products used to color wood and the application methods, you can see the big picture and get a better idea of all the choices you have. You will improve your chances for a successful result.

It’s Spring – Time to Strip and Clean

Stripping has never been a picnic. You got the results, but you also risked burns and harsh fumes. Now it turns out you can get great results and the secret is…soybeans! TheFinishingStore.com presents Soy-Gel™ – a fast, safe, non-caustic, biodegradable, and very low odor paint remover. A tough job is made easy and Soy-Gel can be sprayed to make it even easier. Think about it. – it’s so safe you can actually use it indoors. So start stripping – indoors or out.

Kleen Again is another innovative soybean-based product. It allows you to:

Re-Use, Re-Cycle, Renew Your Brushes and Spray Guns

Environmentally friendly Kleen Again (made from 100% American grown soybeans) prolongs the life of your brushes and easily cleans your spray gun. It works on solvent and water based products and it is reusable. Just strain and use it again. It saves money and keeps you away from harmful chemicals.

The introduction of soy in Soy Gel Paint & Urethane Remover and in Kleen Again Spray Gun & Brush Cleaner changed the industry! Soy Gel not only safely removes lead-based paint, it removes all paints, effectively and easily! It is no longer necessary to sand, chisel, or work hard to strip a surface. Soy Gel activates on the surface to lift the paint or coating, encapsulating it in the thick formula, preventing harmful particles like lead from escaping into the air, making disposal safe and easy.

An EPA (United States Environmental Protection Agency) Partnership Program, Design for the Environment, has granted Soy-Gel their seal. The seal represents a product that meets stringent criteria for human and environmental health.

Lacquer Results from a Waterbase Coating

At TheFinishingStore.com we knew our customers were looking for a waterbase coating that performs and looks like lacquer. When we tested Acrylacq™ by Safecoat®, we were completely sold! It atomizes beautifully and Acrylacq produces the smoothest sheen we have ever seen in a waterbase finish. Acrylacq is formulated like no other coating  –  with off gassing (releasing toxins into the air) completely eliminated.

What Makes Acrylacq Different?

Many so-called “Zero VOC” products on the market reduce emissions that cause outdoor air pollution, but still contain a host of unregulated toxic ingredients (such as formaldehyde, ammonia, acetone, exempt solvents and odor masking agents) that cause indoor air pollution.

Safecoat® products go much further to protect your health. In addition to meeting the highest standards of environmental responsibility, Safecoat also eliminates toxic ingredients such as solvents, heavy metals, chemical residuals, formaldehyde and other harmful preservatives.

Safecoat products are structured to literally create a “safe coat,” with a unique molecular formulation designed to seal surfaces (from wood to metal to concrete, carpets, and much more), thus reducing “offgassing,” or the emission of toxins into your environment.

Safecoat sets the standard for protecting personal health through reduced toxicity. You can breathe easier and get the finishing you want with Acrylacq.

Low Over-Spray Saves You $$$

Maybe you have noticed, the price of coatings rises every year. That’s why the right choice of spray equipment becomes absolutely critical. It is really very simple. If you spray expensive coating out in the air and not on the surface of your project, you are blowing your money away. It makes you work environment hard to breath and adds to the cost of your work. So choosing Apollo True HVLP turbines and guns that offer 80% to 90% transfer efficiency immediately saves you 50% to 60% on coatings. You will be amazed at how precisely coatings can be applied – they go exactly where you want, not where you don’t.

Test Results Prove Efficiency

One way to test the efficiency of a spray system is to run laboratory tests. The technician puts an accurately measured amount of coating in the gun and the cup. Then the coating is sprayed on a piece of metal. When the coating dries, it is scraped off the metal and weighed. The cup and the coating and the scraped off material are compared to the original, pre-spraying, weight and the percent of efficiency is calculated.

These are the tests that California’s South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) conducted on Apollo Sprayers equipment. Keep in mind that California air quality standards are the highest in the nation. When the results were in from the SCAQMD it turned out that Apollo exceeded all of the established standards – 80% to 90% transfer efficiency.