Built a dining table using cherry. I wanted more protection than just oil as we have young kids, so went with the following finish:
- Planed and scraped the top smooth
- 2 coats of boiled linseed oil with a light 320 sand after each coat
- 2 coats of Old Masters “Quick Varnish” (Satin). Sanded with 320 then 400 grit and mineral spirits after 1st coat, sanded with 400 after second.. Thinned the varnish about 10% or so. It was over a week between coats.
- Made a wiping mixture with 50% varnish and 50% thinner and applied a very thin layer with a cloth pad as described in a recent FWW issue. I didn’t want it to look too “plasticky”, so that’s why not too many coats.
- Waited a two weeks to cure.
- Sanded with 400, then 600 grit. Rubbed with mixture of 2F Pumice stone, mineral spirits and oil
The table looks great from a distance 🙂 and the finish is glass smooth to the touch. But in certain angles, you can see a ton of flaws in the finish on the top, even though you can’t feel them. In one section, I can see the texture of brush strokes from the first coat of varnish for example, under the second coat of varnish.
Two questions:
1. What did I do wrong? Should I have applied the coats closer together? Sanded the first coat a lot more? Thinned the varnish more (or less) so that it leveled better?
2. Are there any simple steps short of stripping it I can take to make this better? Try sanding off the first coat? And re-do, fixing whatever I did wrong before?
thanks for your advice,
– brock
Replies
pretty difficult to rub out a wiped finish as you will go throughit into the next coat. if you can see brush marks from preceeding coats means that you didn't level those coats out. take some 240 and a sanding block and level it all out and then yyou can give a rub with a finer paper if you like. you can then apply another good coat or 2 by brush and then rub that out of wipe on more coats and just use 0000 steel wool and wax
there is also knowledge required in how to apply finish either way that can help
ron
Why not leave it as is?
'The table looks great from a distance :-) and the finish is glass smooth to the touch.'
A realize I may be a bit late - but why not leave it as it is?
Unfortunately, many of us are sometimes too much of a perfectionist - pointing out flaws that no one else will ever notice.
We need to learn to keep our mouths shut, and let others enjoy what they see - without us spoiling it by pointing out the flaws.
We just try to do better next time.
Took me a long time to learn this, and I still sometimes 'fall of the wagon' and start pointing out the problems, but I try hard now to keep my mouth shut..:>)
Chris
Chris
I'm not really sure I know what the problem is, but on reflection I've now got a "guess". Quick dry varnish tends not to level well, thinning a bit more might have helped, but generally you have to work fast and have excellent technique so that you have spread and tipped off the surface while the varnish is still fluid. Slower drying varnish is easier. (Sure it collects more dust, but you are going to get rid of that anyway). I'd guess you still had some semblence of brush strokes from the second coat. It should have looked evenly dull from sanding--no shiny spots. (Sanding of this sort calls for a padded sanding block, not just by hand). Then when you sanded the final very thin layer, you likely cut through that layer into peaks of the lower layer, revealing ghost or witness lines between the coats. You see, but don't feel them.
A single wiping coat can stand VERY little sanding--usually just a mildly abrasive buff with a brown paper bag, or even a terry towel will remove the dust nibs. The idea of the thin final coat is so that you don't get defects that you have to sand. If you are going to sand the final coat--as you would to end with a lower sheen than the varnish, then you would be better off with a full coat, not the thin coat. When you have sanded between coats you would still have a very thin film that would be unlikely to look plasticky.
At this point you can level sand the finish you have on now--likely revealing ,more witness lines--but your coat is even sheen and a very flat surface. Then apply one more full coat of varnish, as evenly as possible. After this has had time to cure you should be able to rub it out, starting at 600 (CAMI) P1200, You can then go to pumice or rubbing compound, or even 0000 steel wool to get your satin finish. By the way, 2F pumice is relatively coarse. I generally prefer the 4F pumice for a satin wiht a bit more sheen. (Just a matter of personal preference.)
Just one more thought on finishing with varnish--if you use a NON-poly varnish from the beginning, you won't risk a "plasticky" looking finish. And as Steve said, one coat of wipe on is practically nothing. Youcould have done 6-8 coats of a wipe on NON poly varnish from the beginning, have a beautiful finish with no brush marks.
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