Brush marks in finished work

Re: Brush marks in finished work

john lucas

You should have leveled the surface at the 600 grit stage. Wipe on Poly is fairly hard and finer grits have trouble leveling the surface. When I do the glass type glossy finishes I usually use 600 grit to level the surface and if more coats are needed to fill the pores I will still use the 600. After the surface is level I use 4/0 steel wool and wipe it down carefully to get rid of any steel wool and then put on a final coat that should leave it glossy. If that doesn't work I level the surface with 600 grit and then either sand to finer grits or use rub on automotive polishes.

Be sure to use some sort of flat back pad.......

JamieDonaldson

....while sanding with the 600 and up grits. This will flatten the high spots and level the surface better than hand holding the sanding materials.

Re: Brush marks in finished work

Keith Tompkins

Hi Jerry, I don't think I would brush a surface finish over an oil finish. Maybe that's just me. I would use a sanding sealer, then spray on the poly. Water based poly may (or may not) meld one coat into the next, but regular poly will not, so careful sanding is required. Sand with a flat block, as mentioned previously to remove any irregularities. You can expect to spend as much time on finishing, or more, than it took to turn if you want a great finish.

Re: Brush marks in finished work

John C Lucas

Sometimes when i read posts i tend to skip over some of the details and only answer the main question. I agree with Keith. Ive never been a fan of mixing finishes. I know some like to use an oil for the first coat in the thought that it pops the grain. when i do that i stick with the oil and build it up. It takes a lot more coats. For that i like to use Birchwood-Casey's True Oil. Its not a pure oil but looks great and builds very fast. Usually 5 to 10 coats on porous woods like oak or walnut and the pores are completely fillied and you have a surface that looks like glass. It doesnt have that applied thickness look that multiple layers of thick glossy finishes have. You apply a coat and let it dry overnight. Steel wool it with 4/0 until the whole thing is satin looking. You will still have glossy pores or low spots. Keep doing this until your steel wool finish doesnt have any glossyndots. Now apply one more coat and your done.

When applying thick coats of poly its really easy to get streaks. If you sand through a layer the line between subsequent coats can show. I use wipe on poly but apply it with a rag. I dont sand between coats. 2 or three coats followed by the Beal buffing technique and i get a really natural looking glossy but not thick ugly glossy look.

I like to use lacquer on my mirrors because each layer blends with the next and since they disolve.it makes it very easy to repair any damages finishes. It also builds fast so if i want that glass like finish o can get there much quicker. If youndo sand through a layer the next layer simply blends right in.

Any finish will build to that gloss if enkugh layers are used. I was refinishing a rifle for my dad. I heard boiled linseed oil was the best finish. Tough,durable and flexible enough to handle the temperature extremes and water repellent. I put on a coat every night after dinner. After about 10 coats most of it looked incredible. Some areas just kept soaking it in. I was determined to win. After 75 coats it looked absolutely perfect. That was around 1985. I just inherited that rifle after be passed away last year. It still looks incredible.