anyone ever use a syntheic applicator for oil base poly?
I know I am not spelling it correctly....

I have used Padco synthetic pads to apply OMU for 25 years. I guess other brands would work as well.

Fallisi:
I, too, have used Padco's applicators when T-barring . . . for oil and water-based. NEVER had a problem with them falling apart from the solvents.
For pad applicators . . . does Padco make one? I've always used Sherwin-Williams rectangular pad applicators, so I have limited knowledge of other brands.
If you're using SealCoat which is alcohol based, then some guys have told me other brands will disintegrate from the alcohol. Not so with Sherwin-Williams' pads.
That's all I can say.
Charlie

P.S. What's the name of the T-bar applicator refills which are a light brown and cut to a bevel on the end? I've heard good things about them. Only used them once.

I am talking about the synthetic lambs wool to apply oil base. I do not want to pull oil base with a t-bar, I want to know if any one has just used a synthetic lambs wool (water base) applicator for oil base poly?

Fallisi:
Sure, I've used synthetic lambswool from Home Depot. No big deal! But I beat the crap out of them before using them to get the loose fibers off.

But there's a better way, if you're up to the challenge/change.
On my final coat, I like to roll oil-based and water-based. Purdy White Dove 3/8 inch is roller of choice. It has more finesse for finishing.
Duraseal omu doesn't roll well, but Fabulon, Parks Pro Finish, Lenmar (just to name a few) roll and flow-out well.
One more thing, . . . if there's a little speck of grit still left on the floor when applying finish, the roller picks them up and traps them in the fibers of the roller. Never had a better finish than when I roll. It's the European way, too.
Just my opinion.
Charlie

Charlie, We use a light brown and beveled end sleeve from Trustor Coatings. TAP2 18".

Buddy

Ok Charlie, I have seen this done one time in a NWFA class in St Louis with water base....never seen it done with oil?
can you eplain a little how to do that?

And just to let you know, I use lamb wool now and beat the hell out of it...wash it in the machine a few times, vaccum it and use it a ton of time....but it still leaves stuff in the floor...not a lot, but just enough for me to say "whats up with this"

Fallisi:
I used to store my lambswool applicators in a container of mineral spirits. But the Fabulon would disolve and leave white particulates in the bottom of the container. And when I went to use the applicator on the next job, it had little bits of beige colored grit in it. I scratched that idea of using them over again. Now that I roll it on, I don't think I'll ever use lambswool again. And I definitely don't use lambies for water-based, as you're also probably aware. . . they drip!
Rolling: I buy Home Depot's rollers with the orange handle for about $3.00. Thing to watch for is that the roller spins easily. And clean them real well after use so they continue to spin easily. Then I use the Purdy White Dove 3/8". They're about $3.-4.00 each. I use them for the last coat then I usually throw them away. It's not worth it to me to clean them.
Often times, I'll put the first coat down with a weighted 12" t-bar for a healthy coat. Often I'll then screen the next day and put just one more coat on if the first coat was thick enough, though not TOO thick. If I need a total of three coats, I'll t-bar on another coat. Last coat I ROLL ON!
By the way, whether water-based or oil-based, I NEVER tack. I have a good back-vac from Floorstyle and I just vacuum. I never try to get up that white powder left on the floor, because it gets absorbed by the oil or water-based without any consequences. And tacking just wets that powder and it creates little balls of grit that show up in the finish.
To roll finish, it's pretty simple. I use a pad to cut in at the ends. Cut out from the wall atleast a foot, though, so you have room to blend with the roller. Then I back up rolling the finish 1-2 roller widths. As I back up, I blend using what I call the "push and lift" method.
Pretty simple, huh? With oil you have plenty of time to play with it, unlike water-based. I'm in Arizona where's it's very dry, so I have to use Vermeister since they're the only product with a retarder for their water-based.
Hope this helps.
Ever have problems, call me 928.445.3926
Charlie

One final thing . . . when you first roll the finish, it will look like orange peel. Don't worry about it. You look at it 10 minutes later and it will flow-out. You'll be amazed.
One brand that doesn't roll well is Duraseal. I've rolled Lenmar and Parks' Pro Finish (from Home Depot) with great success.
Take care.

one last question Charlie,
when you say you t-bar the first coat, your applying that like a water base, where you pour a line with the long wall and snowplow it, turn and feather and snow plow again?
also what do you use when your not able to snow plow near the exiting wall? with water base I usually have a pad attached to a pole and feather the last 3 feet as I walk out, would you do the same with oil? or do you use a lamb wool at the end? snow plowing oil must be a little easier than water because of the way it levels out.
so, the roller for the last coat would kinda be applied like painting a floor but a lot more carefull I assume?
looking forward to trying this...
thanks Charlie.

Fallisi:
Yes, I t-bar just like with water-based. And it IS easier because of the more open-time. I used water-based most of the time for past 15 years, and when I moved here to Arizona I had to go back to using more oil-based (because of the dry climate). Oil-based is like kids' play! I really like it. But I also invested in a full face mask from Sherwin-Williams. My eyes never burn anymore when laying omu. Mask = about $120.00.
My last 3 foot wide area that I'm back out of? I still cut in both walls with a pad and just roll my way out. Even along the wall, I just put the edge of the roller up to the base board/shoe molding and back out.
When I'm backing out with a t-bar, I do the same push and lift method, making sure that I first squeeze excess finish out onto the floor FIRST so I don't get drips when I lift the applicator up. And (like a good joke) timing is everything! lol I try to make sure that I never have too much finish at the end of the job. I hate mopping up excess at the point of egress (exit). But when I'm rolling the last coat, I don't have that problem like I can have with t-barring.
Yes, it's like painting a floor, but believe it or not, you don't have to be all that careful. Rolling works so well for me because it's almost idiot proof! (Whoops! Did I say that out loud?!?!)

Do you know Paul Mierzejewski? He's in the 203 area code. He helped me get started with rolling.
Charlie