10
votes
Why does my workpiece become rough again after applying polyurethane varnish when it wasn't before?
The bumpy feeling you describe is probably the wood grains raising up after applying your varnish; especially if it's a water based one. I previously asked a question about why it's important to ...
- 2,400
9
votes
Accepted
How do I de-nib polyurethane after it dries but still maintain its finish?
How do I avoid or remove the scuffing?
Basically you can't. Until you get to really high grits (way above P1200) you will see the scratches and these are not suitable for de-nibbing.
How do I ...
- 63.5k
8
votes
Accepted
Why does my workpiece become rough again after applying polyurethane varnish when it wasn't before?
Usually when varnish makes a surface rough, it's either that it's picked up dust during the drying process, or it was being brushed/wiped too long after application.
Gently sanding between thicker ...
- 206
8
votes
I polyed my paintbrush then procrastination left me in a predicament
I use a solvent called Brush Cleaner. It works well on both oil and acrylic based paints. It is stout stuff so wear gloves and use it in an open area.
You will have to soak it for 24 hours or so but ...
- 81
8
votes
I polyed my paintbrush then procrastination left me in a predicament
Did I doom my paint brush to the garbage or is there something I can still do to save it?
Salvaging a brush with hardened varnish (or paint) in it is actually quite doable.
It will require a long ...
- 63.5k
7
votes
How do I de-nib polyurethane after it dries but still maintain its finish?
When I do this, even when I sand very lightly, like one low pressure pass with 400 or 600 or even 1000, the texture comes out nice and smooth but the polyurethane is always scuffed with little white ...
- 12.1k
7
votes
Accepted
What is the difference between wiping polyurethane and wiping varnish?
What is the difference between wiping polyurethane and wiping varnish?
There can be no difference, they could be the same thing. Although note that sometimes "wiping polyurethane" refers to the ...
- 63.5k
7
votes
Accepted
Is this mask sufficient to filter polyurethane fumes?
Everyone has different standards for their health, but I would not personally consider this sufficient for working with oil-based polyurethane. It does not mention "organic" vapors or "VOC" (volitile ...
- 5,490
6
votes
I polyed my paintbrush then procrastination left me in a predicament
You could try using a chemical stripper to dissolve the varnish, as you would when removing this varnish from a table for refinishing. Be careful; many (but not all) of these formulations are quite ...
- 9,171
6
votes
Flat polyurethane finish for tabletop
could I use gloss poly as the first coat and then top it off with a flat poly?
Yes you can do this, in fact many good guides recommended that you do this. Where you want to build a substantial ...
- 63.5k
6
votes
How do I de-nib polyurethane after it dries but still maintain its finish?
Before you try anything else, try "sanding" the surface with a piece of a brown paper bag. That is just abrasive enough to remove dust and smooth the surface without removing any significant amount of ...
- 9,171
6
votes
I bought water base polyurethane that was shaken
If you bought any level of reduced-sheen varnish — satin, semi-gloss, semi-matt, matt — it has a matting ingredient (a very fine powder of some sort) which needs to be very thoroughly mixed into the ...
- 63.5k
5
votes
Accepted
Do I need to add natural stain before applying polyurethane for natural finish?
No. The purpose of stain is to alter the color of the wood. If you don't want to change the color of the wood you should not use stain.
Polyurethane by itself is a perfectly acceptable finish.
- 5,490
5
votes
Accepted
Water-based polyurethane Vs. Oil-based polyurethane
Unfortunately this is an it depends.
There are some broad generalisations that can be made but waterbased polys have been steadily improved over the years (the early ones were pretty bad according to ...
- 63.5k
5
votes
Polyurethane clear coat is thickening to a jelly in the can!
I went away for a month and today I opened the can on polyurethane that is about 1/3 full and it appears to be turning to a 'jelly' like consistency. Is this normal
It's not what normally happens ...
- 63.5k
5
votes
Not leave scratches in poly to begin with?
How do I not leave scratches with the 220?
Excuse the double negative, but you don't not leave scratches with sandpaper of any grit. The whole point of sanding is to make scratches. If you're sanding ...
- 9,508
4
votes
Accepted
Is low-formaldehyde plywood important if the wood will be finished with polyurethane?
Is low-formaldehyde plywood important if the wood will be finished with polyurethane?
No, not in terms of the finishing at least. It's important if you want to make stuff that has low VOC emissions ...
- 63.5k
4
votes
Polyurethane rub down problem!
And also in a couple of places I have removed stain/oil back to original wood.
Sounds like you sanded too far. You only want to do a very minimum of sanding between coats for the exact reason you ...
- 12.1k
4
votes
How many coats of polyurethane?
It is not necessary. Adding another coat of poly would make the finished project a little tougher and resistant to wear, but it also shines it up a bit more, which may or may not be an effect you are ...
- 2,762
4
votes
Removing oil-based polyurethane residue
As with any finish you need to use the appropriate solvent.
For waterbased poly you only need to use water (warm water ideally) although soap and water will generally work much better to get a brush ...
- 63.5k
4
votes
Accepted
A beginner's question about sanding, stain, and polyurethane for a SMOOTH finish
Have you considered "sanding the finish"? Here's the basic idea:
Let the finish fully cure. This usually takes a couple of weeks. You will know it's fully cured when you sniff it and can't smell the ...
- 4,186
4
votes
A beginner's question about sanding, stain, and polyurethane for a SMOOTH finish
When that dries, its gritty ... even after the 3-4 coat.
This is likely because the first coat of finish caused some roughness to emerge1, referred to as 'raised grain', and you didn't tackle it then....
- 63.5k
4
votes
Should I use a router before or after my finish is done?
My question is, should I route out the back before applying the stain and finish so that the groove left by the router is also finished
Just on a technical front this groove being finished imparts no ...
- 63.5k
4
votes
Accepted
Veneering with construction adhesives (PL Premium, etc)
Ok, so I ended up gluing felt-backed flexible birch veneer with PL Premium, the 3X stuff. I also had a tube of 8X, but I could barely manage to get it out of the tube, forget spreading.
Some notes:
...
- 330
3
votes
polyurethane finish krinkles?
This looks like a classic case of surface contamination to me, where the varnish has crawled away from something it can't stick to and settled at the edges of the contamination.
Although it doesn't ...
- 63.5k
3
votes
Waterproofing Wood With Left Over Polyurethane (Aesthetics irrelevant to project)
Interior varnish used outdoors will certainly work to protect wood in the short term, but I don't think it's the right way to go here.
One reason is that a film finish like varnish will tend to ...
- 63.5k
3
votes
Water-based polyurethane Vs. Oil-based polyurethane
Water-based:
Clear, non-yellowing
Low(er) odor
Cleanup with water and soap
Applied with synthetic or natural brushes
Oil-based:
Amber/yellowing finish (darkens over time)
Generally harder wearing
...
- 131
3
votes
Didn't let wood dry between coats of stain & poly. How to correct?
your best bet for most even tone is to wipe off as much as possible using paint thinner/mineral spirits. Evaluate what things look like once the solvent you used has dried. If the color looks even/...
- 2,406
3
votes
Accepted
How are bubbles avoided when brushing on Polyurethane?
I have used polyurethane a few times. Each time I've tried to be more careful about creating bubbles, but the finish was still riddled with bubbles.
You're putting it on too thick (pun intended), ...
- 63.5k
3
votes
Accepted
Applying finish over furniture repair wax
Can I apply a finish safely over top of these wax patches?
Given their size (10mm diameter is a pretty big wax fill for finish to bridge over) and that it seems there are quite a few I think there's ...
- 63.5k
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