Here’s a question for all you finishing pro’s out there…
What do you do when you are putting the last brush strokes of varnish on a frame rail, and when you look at it with your glancing light, you realize that you’ve put your varnish onto this very last part just a little too thick? You know what I mean…the rest of the frame is perfect! but there is just a little window-paneing along part of this last lower edge, and just the hint of a sag on perhaps a half inch of the top edge further along this last rail.
The varnish is still wet. CAN you safely just wipe the offending rail clean and re-coat it? Or, can you clear your brush of excess finish on a paper towel and then go back and pick up the excess on the rail with your brush? Both paths occurred to me, but I wasn’t about to try it at that point (no guts!).
Or do you do as I’ve done and wait until it’s fully cured and plan to clean it up with a razor blade, feather it with 1000 wet/dry body shop paper, and then polish it back up using rotten stone?
That last is what I’m doing, and it won’t be a big deal, but I’m wondering if, short of reteaching myself to spray paint, there isn’t a better way.
Mike D
Edited 7/24/2008 7:30 pm ET by Mike_D
Edited 7/24/2008 7:32 pm ET by Mike_D
Replies
It sounds from your description that you would definately want to pick that up with a drier brush. In fact, something like that should be standard proceedure with all varnishing. First you apply, then you spread, and finally, last of all, you tip off the finish with your brush dry and held almost vertically, just kissing the surface. The tipping off should remove bubbles and defects which have just begun. Now the issue is when you find such a defect on a place that you had applied the varnish at the beginning of the application process. Then there is always a judgement call about how well set the varnish is,
But you should if possible divide the work so that there is time to do the basic steps including the tipping off before the varnish becomes too set to not reflow into the brush stroke. If you have misjudged, and make a larger defect, then you can wipe off the offending section, perhaps aided with a little thinner on the rag, and revarnish that area.
With shellac or brushing lacquer you can't go back, but with all varnishes except very fast drying ones, you should have plenty of time.
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