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finishing problem

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finishing problem

#1

finishing problem

Theresa

>My husband bought me a beautiful reclaimed mesquite wood table for the holidays. It has a wax finish applied over the stain. Because we have children and it will be used daily I asked if there was anything we needed to do to keep it from looking "abused". The builder told us that the finish would show rings from condensation on glasses and to cover it with a coat of poly to keep this from happening and that mesquite would be durable since it's a hardwood. We applied the poly, waiting for drying time and sanding between each coat for adhesion purposes but the finish remains easily damaged even by sliding a fingernail lightly across it. For a hardwood it is more easily damaged than the pine furniture I have! Is there a way to put a more durable finish on it without making it look like plastic? I love the color and the old world look and do not want it to look plastic and shiny but I don't want these awful scratches - it's what we use for all the family necessities.

Thanks.

Re: finishing problem

#2

Re: finishing problem

ScottS

>I am by no means a finishing expert; in fact, I'm still struggling to get the point where I'd call myself mediocre. That said, I've noticed that some finishes take a long time to "cure" to their final hardness. You may have noticed, for example, that some people recommend waiting for a month or more before attempting to rub-out a poly finish... I've had similar results with Deft lacquer: despite the fact that it dries very quickly, it seems to scratch easily for several days after being applied.

I find that poly is relatively easy to scratch. Even a fingernail will leave a slight mark! Maybe that's just the cheap stuff I buy at the local home center store, though. These days, I find myself thinking about finishes that are easy to repair (e.g. lacquer) in preference to polyurethane...

Re: finishing problem

#3

Probably the wax

Ray Thompson - Middletown, IN

>if you didn't thoroughly clean it with mineral spirits before putting on the poly. If that was the case it will probably always be "soft". Getting all the wax off will be necessary for good adhesion for just about any finish. I might try a barrier coat of shellac after cleaning and under the poly. Make sure it is dewaxed though.

Ray

Re: finishing problem

#4

Re: That`s what I was thinking

Nick

>

👍 This page answered my questions

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