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Staining Wood and finishing with Polyurethane.


Audio Android

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I always recommend wipe on finishes. You can find a Minwax product.http://www.onlinetoolreviews.com/reviews/minwaxwipeonpoly.htm

I apply a thin coat, let dry, and gently scrub with a non-scratch Scotchbrite pad. I have not tried a facial buff puff pad from Walgreens, but it should work.

I cleaned of the dust with a cloth with a little thinner (ligher fluid in one project), but even a dry cloth should be okay.

Then apply another coat. Repeat.

By this method you can build up a terrific finish by doing 15 minutes work or so every night for six days for a total time investment of 1.5 hours. The last coat doesn't need buffing. but you could buff and apply some Butcher's wax.

You are going to love it. Trust me. You can't get the same results in 1.5 hours messing with a brush.

WMcD

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Yea I built it, it didn't start out to be like it is, it started out to be just a place to sit in the shade. We redid the garden and thought it would be nice to have someplace to sit out of the sun and if we wanted to have parties other than inside. As is was being built one of the grandkids thought we should make it a tiki bar and everyone liked the idea so it went somewhat in that direction.

That's why I needed spar varnish being it's somewhat exposed to the weather. Being this is a speaker forum and had an old rough pair of Heresy's they got mounted in the ceiling out there, we tend to spend a lot of time out there. Very comfortable, I listen a lot out there lying in a hammock, it's hard to beat for relaxing.

I don't want to clog up his thread this is the back of the bar, the varnish has held up well so far, it's the first time I had used it, when things get spilled, it just wipes off easily, like it's plastic coated. The bamboo looking stuff is not spar varnish.

That looks awesome dtel. I see a stool or chair peeking behind that looks very one off as well.

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I see a stool or chair peeking behind that looks very one off as well.

Since Audio Android said he didn't care I will put one more. The stools are more or less one off, I made a bunch, 14 and there heavy duty and swivel, also two tables, and a 24' bench along the pond. I love to building things. :wacko: After the biggest part is over it will be time for adding plants and a few other things I'm thinking of.

I want to put varnish on the two table tops also

post-9700-0-72900000-1397199249_thumb.jp

Edited by dtel
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OK the foam didn't work....I applied a very light coat with my Purdy XL cub gently and slowly then followed it with the foam again slow and gentle......I'm still getting a board full of tiny bubbles.. :angry:.....I'm through with this setup... :emotion-45: .....Going to buy a super soft brush and maybe some Verathane like Jason recommended....and depending on how much the spray is I'll buy that to test out........Ryan I know 7 coats are to many, believe me if I could have done it with 1,2,3,4,5,or 6 I would not have done 7 but now i'm going on 8....actually I wiped 7 off when it was wet so it's still 7. Ryan you do have a good eye because the last coat I put on was the thickest poly coat of all by a margin, but it was also the least amount of bubbles I got.....McDermott thanks for the suggestion but I want this done two weeks ago........Dtel your outside island getaway is ruling my friend, nice work. :emotion-22:

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Weird. I've been using cheap foam brushes forever and haven't had the problems you are. Something else is going on here. I also never use the fast dry stuff. Maybe that combined with the foam is causing some bubbling. Hope you can get a finish that you want!

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I'm still getting a board full of tiny bubbles

Didn't expect that, sorry to hear it didn't work.

Time to try something else, I don't know what could be causing all the bubbles ? Is the poly really thick, if so does it say it can be slightly be thinned ? I only say this because if it's really thick and is wanting to dry fast that could be making it trap the bubbles more ?

I don't know just a guess, I have used poly before and don't remember any serious bubble problems.

The grain and color are great, if you can figure the bubbles out it's going to look amazing, it already looks like glass covering the wood.

Edited by dtel
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Alright so I bought the spray and it is giving me the best results yet B) , but it is hard to get a very even coat, I'm getting better though. Already been through one can......I've asked around and it seems the majority say that I'm having some kind of moisture issue, but everybody is pretty stumped when I explain all the preparations and different techniques of application I have tried. I'm still at it and will have some pics by the afternoon, whatever the outcome, just to show some progress.

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Thanks DD, it's just a place to relax, except for me using a hammock it's mostly for family get-togethers, kids birthdays (there idea) and an occasional party which is close to the same as the rest.

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Okay. I can understand that you want this project completed ASAP or last week.

I'll just 'vetch a bit.

There was an article in a wood working magazine a decade ago about a Japanese master who applied many, many thin coats of tung oil or the like to a wooden dish. His apprentice wanted to know how long the project would take. The master just sighed.

On somewhat a related theme. I think there is the Home Depot syndrome out there. Buy some stuff on Saturday morning and believe the project will be completed before you fire up the grill on Saturday night. Or maybe Sunday night. It is not just wood finishing. Have you ever noticed that HD has a little comment on many items saying, "Easy to install." Yeah, right! (Per Bill Cosby.)

I do believe that applying the finish the slow way is faster than the HD fast way.

WMcD

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Okay. I can understand that you want this project completed ASAP or last week.

I'll just 'vetch a bit.

There was an article in a wood working magazine a decade ago about a Japanese master who applied many, many thin coats of tung oil or the like to a wooden dish. His apprentice wanted to know how long the project would take. The master just sighed.

On somewhat a related theme. I think there is the Home Depot syndrome out there. Buy some stuff on Saturday morning and believe the project will be completed before you fire up the grill on Saturday night. Or maybe Sunday night. It is not just wood finishing. Have you ever noticed that HD has a little comment on many items saying, "Easy to install." Yeah, right! (Per Bill Cosby.)

I do believe that applying the finish the slow way is faster than the HD fast way.

WMcD

I bow to you sir. Not being facetious

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I don't know if you are still having tiny bubbles problems, but I had the same thing happen to me. My post #24, further upstream has a Minwax vid. It is exactly correct. I did some light sanding by hand (no sanding block) using 220, and it takes those bubbles out and the finish is very smooth. I called them "micro bubbles" as they were very small, and two hours after applying the poly if I had the patience I could take out the bubbles with my fingernail, as they were very soft.

I have done two very thin coats now with satin poly (it comes out white, dries clear) and after sanding I have no bubbles and a nice, smooth finish. I was worried about the satin, but it makes the finish look factory, with no real shine or sheen to it. I have been applying the 2 coats over a 5 day period, with plenty of drying time in between.

I plan to do a 3rd coat (I used a different brand than Minwax, and 3 coats are recommended) and follow the directions with the wet sanding using 600.

Here is a CF-4, heavily sanded before staining, two coats of Minwax Golden Oak stain, two coats of poly, and I am waiting 3 days to apply the final coat of poly. Then I am going to listen to some music. :)
post-58280-0-98220000-1397622440_thumb.j

Note: That is not the stock horn, it is a SEOS 12 with DNA-360 CD, just something I plugged in and played around with.

Edited by wvu80
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What I have noticed with the spray can is one coat works very well. If you apply one coat per day without sanding not so good. If you apply three coats with a space of 2 hours

between each coat it is not bad but must be sanded as it becomes very rough when dry. It takes about 3 days to properly set or sanding is a bit gummy. Before I apply the spray

I sand the wood with 220 grit and then apply sealer (the old sealer not the new which is worthless). Sand with 220 again to bare wood.

After the three coats and three days I sand almost back down to the bare wood. Then one final coat. Then steel wool 0000 glass smooth then two coats of Minwax

applied with steel wool 0000. I do all of this on my wood artwork. The final product feels as smooth as a womens, well you get the picture.

JJK

Edited by JJKIZAK
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What I have noticed with the spray can is one coat works very well. If you apply one coat per day without sanding not so good. If you apply three coats with a space of 2 hours

between each coat it is not bad but must be sanded as it becomes very rough when dry. It takes about 3 days to properly set or sanding is a bit gummy. Before I apply the spray

I sand the wood with 220 grit and then apply sealer (the old sealer not the new which is worthless). Sand with 220 again to bare wood.

After the three coats and three days I sand almost back down to the bare wood. Then one final coat.

Then steel wool 0000 glass smooth then two coats of Minwax applied with steel wool 0000. I do all of this on my wood artwork. The final product feels as smooth as a womens, well you get the picture.

JJK

OK, let me see if I've got this. You do three coats of poly, then sand it almost all back off?

No sanding after the 3rd coat, just steel wool 0000. And then you apply a fourth coat?

What is the Minwax product you apply after the 4th coat,which you put on with steel wool?

+++

Do you change your sanding/application technique, between poly, satin, semi, or gloss? You said you put this on all your wood artwork, that sounds pretty cool. What wood artwork do you do?

+++

I'd like your opinion on my recently completed work, pictured just further upstream. I am using satin, and trying to restore to a stock look, Med Oak. I applied very light poly, which got gummy after about five minutes, then dried to the touch after about 10 minutes. I expected it to be gummy for at least an hour.

What does this tell you? Did I go too light on the poly, or do you think the wood was extra dry, etc. What do you think?

Edited by wvu80
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