Waterlox - rookie questions

[Ken Cohen]

I'm using wiped-on Waterlox Sealer/Finish to finish mahagony and okoume ply. First timer, following advice from Woodcraft salesperson and Waterlox how-to guide. Goal is smooth (not necessarily mirror) finish with high durability.

I've applied four coats with good, but still far from perfect results. I'd appreciate advice how to make the right choices to complete the project.

Current status: Surfaces are well covered with generally consistent low sheen (but much less consistent on the ply with raked lighting). On touch, surface has developed occasional "grittiness" when you rub your hand across -- even though the underlying surface is smooth.

Current technique: No sanding between coats, Applying liberally with wiping cloth (1 overlapping stroke with grain) and minutes later lightly wiping with folded cloth to even out application. Dry 24 hours between coats. No initial grain filling -- wanted natural look.

Questions:

1. Sanding: obviously necessary: grit? technique? how often?
2. Remaining coats: Keep current technique? How many coats?
3. Anything I've missed?

Thanks, as always, to this forum for helping me along. As a rookie, need all the advice I can get.

Ken

[Jim Becker]

You need to knock off the nubbies with some synthetic wool or 320 grit paper. Varnishes dry slow enough that you are bound to get some dust on the surface. A wipe-on finish on open pore wood like mahogany will tend to stay lower luster since the film is thin and follows the contours of the wood closely...you don't get the big reflective surface that a glossy result requires unless you fill the pores. As to number of coats, in general a wipe on varnish is about 3 applications per typical properly applied brushed coat. So if you would normally do 3 brushed coats, for wipe-on, you'll do 12.

[Ken Cohen]

Thanks for the helpful (and quick) reply. Two quick followups :

How hard to sand with the 320? Normal pressure (with sanding pad) or very light hand pass?

How often to sand? When the nibs appear -- or wait until they build up?

Sorry for the ridiculously basic questions, but I "experimenting" on the final work. (yet another lesson learned)

Thanks.

[Sue Wise]

For sanding, I just use very light pressure just to make is smooth and silky to touch. I don't think you said what your project is. If I have a large flat surface, then I use a sanding pad, but be very careful on the edges. It is easy to sand through the finish. For smaller parts with curves I will hold the sandpaper in my hand. You can also use a 3M pad or steel wool.

If I sand between coats, then I use 600 paper. If you wipe on, the coats are very thin. You could sand lightly after every three or four coats. I never count coats but just keep putting it on until it looks the way I want. The other thing is you really need to let it cure a while before using the 320 paper or steel wool. It takes at least a week or longer to cure before I do a final rubbing out. I usually use steel wool and some carnuba wax.

[Ken Cohen]

Sue -

Thanks. Project is a tack trunk ~ 2'x3'x2'. Frame and panel construction. Built very slowly with lots of help from this forum.

? -- I assume you wait a week suggestion with the 320 is for the final buff out and that I can knock down nibs after a 24 hour wait.

Thanks.

[Jim Becker]

Ken, unless you have some major issues with the finish, you only need to make simple swipes to remove the nubs. You can knock the nubbies off after 24 hours and yes, wait at least a week, if not more, for the varnish to fully cure before you buff it. But I will tell you, I didn't bother with any kind of buffing on my recent tack trunk project...the environment it lives in isn't a clean as my living room and the satin finish of the product I sprayed on looks just great. (It got a nice scratch on the top the second day it was in the tack room from a dog jumping on top, anyway...)

[Ken Cohen]

Jim -

Thanks -- agree with everything you said about level of finish for a tack trunk. My ?'s were aimed at achieving that result. Sorry for the simplicity of the ?'s, but I'm new to finishing and don't want to (irreversibly) foul things up at this late stage.

Much appreciated.