Overview

This is a joint program between Valspar, the world’s leading supplier of finishes for furniture, and Thermwood, to supply true high-end furniture finishes to custom cabinet and furniture shops in quantities appropriate for their needs.

Traditionally furniture finishes have been custom blended for each application and purchased in large volume. There are no standard finishes in the furniture industry.

Cabinet shops have been offered simple 2-4 step standard finishes which, although simple, do not compare in desirability to high-end sophisticated furniture finishes. Prior to this program, quality furniture finishes have not been available to custom shops building products in small quantity.

Working with renowned furniture designers and Valspar’s International Color and Design Center, we have developed a series of exquisite standard furniture finishes. We will expand the number of finishes offered on an ongoing basis.

We blend and supply all materials needed to apply these finishes and these materials are available in quantities appropriate for custom work. All material is shipped from our facility in Southern Indiana.

In addition, we also supply a DVD video that shows in detail how to apply each finish.

There is one difference however, in the finishes we offer from traditional furniture finishes. The most common base for furniture finishes is furniture lacquer. While slightly less expensive and easy to use, lacquer is not resistant to chemicals and spills common in kitchen and bath use. While we do offer each finish in lacquer formulations for pure custom furniture, we also offer each in a pre-cat lacquer formulation. We believe this is the first time sophisticated furniture finishes have been available in these formulations.

Lacquer hardens by the physical evaporation of solvents, but if re-exposed to the solvent, or anything like the solvent, it again softens. Pre-cat (the common name for pre-catalyzed lacquer) hardens through chemical reaction rather than physical evaporation. When exposed to air, it chemically converts from a liquid to a solid. This is a tough resistant coating that does not re-soften when exposed to solvents or most household chemicals.

Material is supplied as a “Schedule”. In the finishing world, a schedule is a list of all the steps necessary to apply a finish. To simplify identification, all finishing material is labeled with the schedule and the step in that schedule where it is used. All material is pre-mixed, reduced and used directly from the can although it must be properly shaken before use.

This approach makes applying truly beautiful finishes easy. You don’t need extraordinary skill, only an understanding of the steps required and our DVD videos detailing each step. Anyone capable of building custom cabinets and furniture is also capable of applying these fine furniture finishes.