# Buffing out a table top



## doninvegas (Jun 10, 2010)

I am doing a refinishing job and I just got the last coat of semi gloss GF High Performance on it. I have been sanding very lightly with a 400 grit sanding cloth between coats but I want to buff out this last coat to make it smooth without loosing the sheen. I don't have access to the good 2000 or 4000 sanding pads so I need to get something maybe from an auto parts store. Can I use some high grit wet-dry sanding sheets? And how do get it even?
Thanks for your help with this. I charged the customer $700 and I want the table top to be very smooth.


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

How about some extra fine buffing compound.


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## live4ever (Feb 27, 2010)

Wet sand up to 800 or 1200. Use a sanding block to keep things even.

Then for the final buffing, you could get some Meguiar's polishing pads and polishing compound from the auto parts store…


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## swirt (Apr 6, 2010)

There was a great article in Fine Woodworking a month or two back on this. I'll see if I can go dig it out.


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## davidroberts (Nov 8, 2008)

This video from our own Steve in Marin may help.

http://lumberjocks.com/Stevinmarin/blog/16066


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## bill1352 (Nov 8, 2009)

I use micro mesh disks. woodcraft has 5" & Peachtree has 6" disks. woodcraft has a video with Charles using the micro mesh disks. I'm tellin ya there is nothing easier. a little soapy water in a spray bottle and an orbital sander or polisher and 30 mins later its like glass. I use a car polisher from harbor freight, costs $17.00 but you need to get self stick velcro for the polisher pad. The disks are about $20. you dont want the polisher running over 3500rpm, 2500 is perfect. I use the polisher because a variable speed sander has dust collection or in this case water collection, not a good thing.


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## thatwoodworkingguy (May 19, 2010)

Steel wool always does the job for me when I tackle this part of the finishing process


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## doninvegas (Jun 10, 2010)

OK great suguestions. I used GF High Performance which is water based. How long would let it cure before buffing? I don't want to reactivate the finish with water. I got the last coat on yesterday and I would like to buff it next Sat.


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## pmayer (Jan 3, 2010)

Buff out the final coat with the back of the sand paper. it has enough abrasive quality to do a nice job on this. The texture of most sand paper backing is about the equivalent to 2000 grit, and since you have sanded between coats I would think this would be adequate.

Waiting a week is decent since you are in Vegas where you don't have much humidity to contend with. In MN right now, I would probably wait 2 weeks if I could.


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## kelvancra (May 4, 2010)

All my 2000 grit is wet-or-dry from auto parts stores.

I also use powders and polishing pads, which are also available from auto parts stores (I put them in labeled one gallon Zip Lock bags so I know which pad was used for pumice, which for rotten stone, which for baking powder and which for one was used for cerium oxide)

Just for reference, I use a Porter Cable random orbit, variable speed sander-polisher and a hook and loop backer pad for quick changes.

Oddly enough, I haven't had a lot of luck getting to a mirror gloss finish with 2000 grit. I usually finish with cerium oxide or plastic polish from an auto parts outfit. Today, I rattled canned a friends hood (his idea, I told him about my HVLP, but he always knows better). It made hell look good, until I polished with pumice, then cerium oxide.

A few months ago, I did a oak table and chairs and finished with poly. I don't have a finishing room these days and the finish was applied by brush, so it was far from a sprayed finish. I did the final with 0000 steel wool and wax and it turned out glass smooth (I snuck up on that one with pumice and rotten stone).


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