Replies

1. 
   Pondfish | Jan 27, 2008 01:18am | #1

   I'm surprised the wood is rough again after staining, but it can happen.  Lightly sand with 220 grit paper, clean (vacuuming the dust off is best) and restain.  Be sure to use thin coats of stain, and wipe dry after 5-10 minutes.

   You may need to sand between coats of poly.  Using a final wipe-on coat of pol should avoid the need to sand after the last coat is on.

   If you are going to apply a wax on top of the poly, you can always apply it with steel wool, buffing out the poly at the same time.

   Recommending the use of "Hide Signatures" option under "My Preferences" since 2005
2. 
   SteveSchoene | Jan 27, 2008 07:29am | #2

   What kind of Minwax stain did you use?  Was it water borne (perhaps called water based by Minwax).  That could raise the grain.  If it was the MinWax oil based stains I wonder what is going on.  It might help if you gave specifics of the project, the kind of wood, and the specifics of the stain, including the color. 

   Why polyurethane varnish for a book shelf?  Also, what kind of MinWax varnish do you have in mind?  Traditional resin varnishes will look better and sand more crisply.  I usually thin the first coat of oil based finish, and apply it before sanding the dye or stain, then sand both that first coat and the stain. The finish hardens the raised grain fibers and makes them easier to sand off without sanding through the stain.  You can't thin water borne finishes. 

   You need to sand between coats of polyurethane varnish.  I use 320 grit.  Polyurethane varnish can have adhesiion problems without it.  Whether you sand the final coat depends  on how much "junk" such as dust or fibers your finish has picked up out of the air, and what look you are going for. 

1. 
   EricT | Jan 27, 2008 08:00pm | #3

   I am using the water-based stain, in Rosewood color.  I am really kind of new to finishing, so I'm just following the instructions in the plan step-by-step.  The plan I'm using is here if you want to see it:  http://www.minwax.com/projects/furniture/pdfs/2001_Traditional_Bookcase.pdf

   The case is made of plywood with hardwood edging and trim.  I used cherry.  I'm using the poly finish because that's what the plan calls for.  I'm new to woodworking and have not learned a lot about finishing yet.  But I want to make sure I have a nice smooth finish when I'm done.

1. 
   SteveSchoene | Jan 28, 2008 03:38am | #4

   Any waterbased stain, even over conditioner, is likely to raise the grain, so you are going to have to sand that off.  You can wait to sand until after the first coat of the Polycrylic has dried.  The Polycrylic is based primarily around acyrlic resin with a bit of polyurethane added for abrasion resistance and marketing purposes.  By the way, waterborne finishes can't be meaningfully thinned. 

   You will likely have to sand or scrape the final coat to remove dust nibs.  Use a fine grit like 600 grit.  Then, for a satin finish rub the surface with "steel wood" (by "steel wool" I mean the grey 3-m type mesh--the real stuff leaves too many messy bits.)  You should wait several weeks before the steel wool rub out. 

   Personally, I wouldn't use the Polycrylic top coat.  I would shift to an oil based wipe on varnish without polyurethane.  It will take a bit longer to dry, but give a more protective finish, and have a bit of amber tone that will enhance the color of the wood.  I particularly like the Waterlox products.  Original/sealer is a semi-gloss wipe on varnish, and there is also Satin for less gloss and Gloss for a gloss finish.  Or you can thin a good oil based varnish such as McCloskey Heirloom or Pratt & Lambert 38 to make your own wiping varnish. 

   Minwax excells at marketing but making excellent products "not so much".