Looking for some suggestions on finishing

Couple of questions? How much are you thinning the laquer per application? What are you building that requires that type of depth and durability from the finish? Instead of the wet wet passes let a full dry take place between pass. Wet on wet is just pushing that previous layer around and really not drawing that much off whatever applicator you are using.

-- Say what you mean and mean what you say.

Have you worked with wipe-on polyurethane?

When I want a deep, glassy finish, my technique is to first build up a base with several coats using a foam brush, not worring too much about bubbles or brush marks. Then I sand this base out smooth, starting with 220 grit, then moving to 400 or so. This will leave you with a very smooth, but dull finish. Now you can carefully wipe on a final one or two coats with a soft cloth, and you should have a finish that looks like glass.

-- Charlie M. "Woodworking - patience = firewood"

From my experience it takes many/several more coats of lacquer too get the depth you want. Let it dry between coats then sand with 400 grit until the surface of the lacquer is dull. When you get the depth you want skip any more 400 and polish until you get a perfectly smooth finish.

-- Only the Shadow knows....................

Look thru this, you might find what you're looking for.

-- As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17) †

When you guys sand with the 400 grit between coats, is it dry or wet sanding?

-- Greg, in Ozark, MO

There is a high build lacquer that will help. It is thicker and fills in the pores fast. As with any finish, sanding is very important. Also, it is imperative to let the coat dry thoroughly before sanding and recoating.

-- Oldworld, Fair Oaks, Ca

Filling the pores in an open grain wood like red oak takes many, many coats. Quicker to use a grain filler to speed up the porcess. Try it on some scrap pieces till you find one you like.

-- http://www.grandprairiewoodworks.com http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6453794

If I’m reading it correctly, I also think it might be grain filling that’s missing. I think good finishes on red oak either show the pores, or totally fill them. The in-between, almost filled pores creates a finish that looks “glopped on” to me.

Unless you’re removing defects, sanding nitrocellulose lacquer is not necessary until the coat before the final coat. Each coat will melt into the previous, and the one sanding will smooth dust nibs.

An actual sanding sealer, the stuff that many people will tell you is a waste of money, is actually very handy here. You can quickly sand and build a smoother base, then move to the finish coat lacquer. As much as I love Seal Coat, a lacquer-based sanding sealer will sand more easily than shellac. I try to stick to the same brand as the top coat.

For the last coat, try “flow coating” with a highly thinned coat after sanding with 400. Try a sharp cabinet scraper to remove runs, as it will flatten the surface much faster and true than a sanding block.

The technique Charlie mentioned works really well under a French Polish, too. You build the surface with varnish, sand out the dust nibs, and French Polish to the desired final sheen. It saves the three weeks of French Polishing to build thickness. <g>

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