I’m applying a water based clear finish to a table top by hand–don’t have spray equipment. Not matter how lightly I apply the coats, I always seem to have applications marks going in the direction that I’m applying the finish. I’m applying with a sponge brush, because it seemed worse when I tried with a paint brush. Is there anything I can do to get these marks out?
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Sounds like its drying too quickly and the marks arent leveling out. I don't know what product you're using, but the can should have something on the label regarding thinners. Find something compatible that dries slowly. Some waterborne finishes are affected dramatically by temperature change. Polycrylic, for example, performs very differently at 90 degrees than it does at 60. At 90 you can't even spray it; you get dryfall. At 60, you could spray it or brush it, with about 10-15 minutes of time before it skins. Kem Aqua at about 75 has around a 20 minute open time before it skins.
"The child is grown / The dream is gone / And I have become / Comfortably numb " lyrics by Roger Waters
Thanks RW. That make sense. Well back to square 1....
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