Final steps to finish waterbased poly?

I have found that most water based finishes are very sensitive to heat/cold and humidity of the finishing environment. They just don’t seem to flow out well if its too cold: this could be related to your issue. Also, you mention thin coats: my experience suggests that water based finishes need to be applied in full wet coats so they can flow out and reach a smooth/level finish. Perhaps this is also a contributor to your problem. Finally, I have found that those cheap foam brushes work very well for H2O finishes: you might try that as well. If it was me, I’d sand it smooth, and apply another coat or two, keeping in mind the two issues mentioned above.

Thanks for your input, Marlow. I read elsewhere about the foam brushes, and based on your comment, I’ll give it a go. Makes sense about a little thicker coat leveling out better. We’ve also had major temperature fluctuations in the past two or three weeks here (about every week has had a couple days in the 60s and a couple in the 30’s). I’ve also noticed that it starts setting up very quickly, if I attempt to tip off a spot that’s been on more than a minute or so, it’s too tacky to do so.

-- - The mightiest oak in the forest is just a little nut that held its ground.

You don’t want to go back and try to finesse a spot that does not look quite right: get a full wet coat on as expeditiously as possible (working into the wet edge) , and walk away. I find that if you try to go back, you just make things worse.

I use polycrylic all the time. I have never tried to brush it on though. I use a cheap HVLP spray gun you can pick up at any big box store and get great results.

-- JoeyG ~~~ http://www.facebook.com/JHGWoodWorks

Your coats are too thin. Brush on full wet coats. Since you’re doing a box, paint the faces in stages so that the face being painted is horizontal, facing up.

-- Clint Searl....Ya can no more do what ya don't know how than ya can git back from where ya ain't been