Aqua Coat - Who Uses the Product?

Who uses environmentally friendly Aqua Coat products? And what can you use them for? After all, some might consider it a niche market with limited applications. Well, they would be mistaken. Aqua Coat products are used by any number of professionals and hobbyists for countless applications. That's because all of Aqua Coat's products – stains, seal coats, topcoats, and grain fillers - all of our low-odor and low-VOC are crafted with quality in mind. The goal of Aqua Coat is not only to provide sustainable and environmentally friendly products that you can feel good about using but to create high-performance products with high-quality results you can feel proud of.

Interesting and perhaps unexpected use of Aqua Coat's pore filler is by luthiers. What's a luthier, you might ask? A luthier is a craftsman who repairs or builds string instruments. So, think guitars, violins, ukuleles, mandolins, and other wood stringed instruments. As you can imagine, any product a professional luthier is going to use has to be high performance. Especially for someone who plays in a professional orchestra or band, their instruments have to be in top condition. Any product used, environmentally friendly or not, has to not adversely affect the sound quality and has to really bring out the woodgrain while also leaving a strong protective finish.

One luthier who recommends Aqua Coat’s pore filler for such a purpose is Robert O’Brien. In a short video (watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AT-h8bNrWY0&t=246s) Mr. O’brien demonstrates the proper way to use the pore filler, recommending it for its quick dry time, the fact that it can easily be sanded (often one wants to use more than one coat), and its low toxicity.

Renovators have been known to make extensive use of our products. One of the best examples was exhibited on our own blog a few years ago. Built-in 1949 by survivors of the Titanic sinking, the Pillsbury Snyder Mansion rests on the shores of Lake Minnetonka in Minnesota. When the non-profit NuWay Corp purchased the home, they wanted to restore the extensive woodwork to its original glory. For that, they turned to Aqua Coats' high-performance Aqua Tone stains. With a quick dry time and low VOC content, our stains were ideal for restoring the mansion's ballroom to its original beauty. The photos (here https://aquacoat.com/blogs/news/pillsbury-synder-mansion-renovation) show off the amazing results. The estate is now serving as a drug treatment center.

Pianos take a beating. If they are not played, then they get used for storage or dust allowed to accumulate, damaging the finish. Fortunately, there are those who specialize in restoring these works of art to their original, highly polished state. And some of these piano refinishers make extensive use of Aqua Coat's environmentally friendly products. In fact, such an extensive project will make use of almost the entire line of Aqua Coat's products.

A true professional like Andrew Sullivan (one of our customers whose work can be sampled here: Professionals using wood finishing products will strip a piano down to the bare wood, starting fresh. Then he’ll sand it down smooth, getting it even and removing any lingering blemishes. Once the piano is sanded, a coat Aqua Coat’s water-based wood grain filler can be applied, filling in all the pores. After this is done, and the wood is sanded again, the piano restorer can make use of our X-119 Aqua Coat Sanding Sealer to make sure that the subsequent stain and finish don’t penetrate any farther than you want, ensuring you get a nice even coat.

Stain can then be applied, using any of our high quality, low VOC stains. Multiple coats can be applied, making for a deeper, more vibrant appearance. Finally, Aqua Coat products have a variety of finishes to select from. There is our Satin Finish Clear Lacquer, the highly durable and sprayable Tabletop Commercial Finish, or the Brushable Urethane Varnish, all of which are easy to use and will provide a beautiful and long-lasting finish to your piano, all without making use of the massive amounts toxic chemicals you’ll find in the products sold in most stores.

There are countless other examples of people making use of Aqua Coat’s line of high performance and environmentally sustainable products. To go in-depth on them would result in a small (or maybe a large) book. Just a handful of other examples include:

• Gunstock finishers
• Decorative box makers
• Cabinet makers
• Furniture recyclers
• Custom furniture makers

Many more could be added, and each has their own stories to tell. The only real question is, what will you use Aqua Coat products for?