UV Inhibiting?

[Barefoot1]

Hey all,

Having never done intarsia or worked with these particular wood species I am not sure what finish to use. The piece, a logo, has purple and yellow in it. So OK, purple and yellow heart, that wasn't tough but I want them to keep as much of their original color as possible. Does using a UV inhibiting finish help? I was considering Spar Urethane.
What do you think? Other suggestions?

[unixpro]

The problem I've had with every UV inhibiting finish I've tried is that they tend to turn yellowish after some time. I'm not saying that they'll all do this; just that all I've tried have.

Will the piece be in direct sunlight much?

I'd probably go with a lacquer or Shellac finish myself. I've had good experience with Deft in conditions where I wanted to retain color and direct sunlight wasn't an issue.

You do understand that the Purple Heart will change color over time all by itself, right?

[sawdustus]

Thomas, there is no such thing as a permanent UV inhibitor. The best is to keep it out of direct sunlight. As Unixpro said, some woods will change color or darken all by themselves, by a process called oxidation, and no finish can completely stop that process forever. The best you can hope for with purple and yellow heart and cherry (it darkens) is to slow it down.

george

[Janette]

In my experience, yellowheart keeps it's color pretty well. Most woods will change over time. A UV inhibitor might slow down the process but it won't stop it. I think you will probably find that the change is so gradual, looking at a piece day to day - you will never notice it (unless you take time lapse photos )

[Barefoot1]

OK, good enough, I will go with the Spar since it has UV inhibitors in it, it can't hurt. :-) Thanks all.

[Bill Wilson]

Won't hurt, but it probably won't gain you much. If there are other advantages in using a different finish, I wouldn't hesitate to use something else. Unless you are using a marine supply quality spar varnish, then it's debatable whether or not it's even worth opening a can of the consumer grade stuff from the BORG.

Personally I would use a finish that has the qualities I want/need, such as appearance, means of application, durability, etc and not worry much about whether or not it will impede the fading of the color. Like it has been said, it will happen anyway, regardless. If spar varnish fills those other requirements, then by all means use it. If not, then IMHO, the perceived advantage isn't worth it.