Nathan Conner
06-24-2009, 8:39 AM
So, I'm working on a 4' x 6' bookmatched/figured Myrtle tabletop to be a bar in our kitchen. Wood selection was a long process, prep, glue-up, hand planing, scraping and sanding was an even longer process.
I put a stain on it we thought we'd like, but it turned out notsomuch. I removed it with more sanding, and more careful sanding, as I'd missed some swirl marks. Finish was clean and perfect before I got started.
Now, I've got one coat of BLO on it, it's dry, and last night I started with the first two brushing (new Purdy brush) applications of a year-old can of Deft Satin Clear brushing lacquer. First coat looked...well...like any first coat would. I followed the directions closely and applied the second coat in two hours - that's where the trouble started. I had lightly sanded with 400 after the first coat to smooth it out, which worked, but I gummed up the paper because it was so soft, still. It was fine before I started the second coat, though.
But about 4 strokes into the second coat, I started to get a LOT of brush drag and ridges almost immediately. I'm not too handy with a brush, but have had luck with this stuff in the past on boxes, end tables, and even a Morris Chair. With this much real estate, though, I found it really tough to apply - I kept being tempted to back-brush or remove the ridges, and thought, "Naah, they'll lay down. Relax"
SO I go out this morning, and they didn't. In fact, they look worse. MUCH worse. The "finish" looks like it was put down by a blind monkey with a rock.
What do I do next? Can I go after it with 220 or 320 and a long block and try to remove ridges? Can I thin it some with lacquer thinner and put down some lighter coats? (I like both of those options, but wonder why I shouldn't?) Do I just keep slogging through the next couple of coats and assume it will look ok?
It's REALLY thick and difficult to work. There's no "flow" at all. The instructions say something like, "This product must not be thinned or sprayed" - both of which I wish I'd have done. It's too thick, and too hard to get on smoothly. I don't know if it's too old, or if my rock wasn't the right type of application rock.
TIA for any advice. I'll be sad to sand this thing off once more. I thought I'd be saving time by using the quick drying Deft, but now I've got mid-finish-panic.
I put a stain on it we thought we'd like, but it turned out notsomuch. I removed it with more sanding, and more careful sanding, as I'd missed some swirl marks. Finish was clean and perfect before I got started.
Now, I've got one coat of BLO on it, it's dry, and last night I started with the first two brushing (new Purdy brush) applications of a year-old can of Deft Satin Clear brushing lacquer. First coat looked...well...like any first coat would. I followed the directions closely and applied the second coat in two hours - that's where the trouble started. I had lightly sanded with 400 after the first coat to smooth it out, which worked, but I gummed up the paper because it was so soft, still. It was fine before I started the second coat, though.
But about 4 strokes into the second coat, I started to get a LOT of brush drag and ridges almost immediately. I'm not too handy with a brush, but have had luck with this stuff in the past on boxes, end tables, and even a Morris Chair. With this much real estate, though, I found it really tough to apply - I kept being tempted to back-brush or remove the ridges, and thought, "Naah, they'll lay down. Relax"
SO I go out this morning, and they didn't. In fact, they look worse. MUCH worse. The "finish" looks like it was put down by a blind monkey with a rock.
What do I do next? Can I go after it with 220 or 320 and a long block and try to remove ridges? Can I thin it some with lacquer thinner and put down some lighter coats? (I like both of those options, but wonder why I shouldn't?) Do I just keep slogging through the next couple of coats and assume it will look ok?
It's REALLY thick and difficult to work. There's no "flow" at all. The instructions say something like, "This product must not be thinned or sprayed" - both of which I wish I'd have done. It's too thick, and too hard to get on smoothly. I don't know if it's too old, or if my rock wasn't the right type of application rock.
TIA for any advice. I'll be sad to sand this thing off once more. I thought I'd be saving time by using the quick drying Deft, but now I've got mid-finish-panic.