WaterLox How to's????

[Carroll Courtney]

Guys I'm finishing up on the Charles Brock rocking chair and in the process of applying the Waterlox finish.I have never use this before so its new to me and have acouple of questions.I have apply acouple of coats now and it feels alittle rough in some areas,do I need to sand between coats and when do you say enought is enought?If I apply,say 6 coats of finish,will I see a different vs. 4 coats of finish.Thanks guys----Carroll

[Matt Day]

Do a search in the Finishing forum and you'll find a bunch of recipies how different folks use it. I'm guessing your wiping on?

[Jim Matthews]

This stuff is a recommended finish at both the North Bennett Street school and the Connecticut Valley woodworking school. CVWWS showed me the method I use.

Waterlox is recommended on lighter woods (it has a slight amber tint), Danish wipe-on poly is recommended on darker woods, as it has no color added.

Waterlox has a solvent in it that allows it to dry quickly.
That means, it stinks as it dries.

You need good ventilation outside your living space.

I apply it with abrasive pads of progressively finer grit (coarse to fine).
The pads must not shed material for this to work. Both Mirka Mirlon http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/2020922/23086/Mirlon-Total-Scuff-Pad-Assorted-Grit-3-Pack.aspx and Rockler's generic pads have worked for me. It you can pull a pad apart with your hands - NO GO.

The surface prep must be flat, or the finish will amplify flaws like a magnifying glass.

Wear gloves and clothes that you won't wear anywhere else. DAMHIKT

Each application burnishes the surface previously applied - no sanding between coats.

Any pad may be saved in a ziploc bag for reuse, if the bag is airtight.
Rags must be in an airtight container, or submerged in water to prevent combustion.

*SHOP FIRES ARE NOT A JOKE*

*******

Prep surface with 220 grit sandpaper.
Clean off dust. (I use Swiffer sheets or microfiber rags.)

Open the windows.

Cut the Mirlon or generic polishing sheet into a 4x4 square.

Saturate pad with Waterlox (not so much that it drips).

Follow the grain or your workpiece, where possible.
Use a paper towel to gather any runs, or excess in tight corners.

The surface should appear wet, when finished, but without forming a pond.

Work top to bottom.

When the piece is fully covered, go have a coffee, coke or 10 minute nap.

Wipe off surface with a paper towel, without scrubbing.

Leave it undisturbed for two days, if possible. (Longer is better.)

Repeat the process through the finer grits.
Each application burnishes the previous surface, without intermediate sanding.

I used C-M-F grits, 2x-3x-4x to reach the finish shown.

It took more than a week, but there was no sanding involved, and it cured in my garage.
No dedicated spray booth required!191904

[Prashun Patel]

Caroll-
I used Waterlox on my chair. Which product are you using? Original SEALER FINISH, or one of the others? The others are full strength, the SF is thinned to wiping varnish consistency. You can get the others to perform the same way by thinning between 25 and 50% with mineral spirits.

I'm pretty sure you're going after a hand-rubbed, not-built-up finish on that rocker. If yes, then I hope you are wiping. Brushing will be a) difficult on those surfaces, and b) will make it build up to a glassy surface.

Yes, you can sand down the surface. Use 320 or 400 grit and gently rub the whole surface. It should be smooth. Your surface is likely completely sealed now and subsequent coats will begin to build. Just keep wiping on more thinned coats until you like the build and sheen.

The trick to keeping it smooth on subsequent coats is to wipe it on, then buff it off with a clean cloth (I use blue, lintless, shop towels). If you wipe it on quite wet, then as you buff, the 'dry' 1/2 sheet will get damp and will absorb some of the finish. The goal isn't to get it completely dry, but to make it look slightly slick and polished.

This means you've applied a very thin coat, which will dry pretty quickly - and will not attract/keep a lot of dust.

Every three coats you can gently wipe with 400 or 600 grit sandpaper.

Let the final coat dry for a couple days. There will be a couple rough spots here - especially around the joints. A final rubdown with steelwool or a 600g will remove those. Be sure to wipe out all the dust, because on dark woods like walnut, it'll lodge in the pores and remain visible. A dark paste wax will solve that problem. But personally I skip the wax since a wiped on waterlox finish can look really good all by itself.

[Howard Acheson]

>>>> I have never use this before so its new to me and have acouple of questions.

There is lots of excellent info about which products to use and how to apply them on the Waterlox site. You would be best to go there for info on how Waterlox thinks that their products should be used. For example, Waterlox recommends letting each coat dry for 24 hours before re-coating.

http://www.waterlox.com/assets/pdfs/woodworking-guide-FINAL.pdf

You might get more info if you re-post this in the "Finishing" forum.

[Jim O'Dell]

I just used the satin finish version on the Irish Setter cutouts I did. I did 4 coats. The only roughness I had was some bubbles created by the wiping pads I used and went too fast. Be sure to use lint free. Jim.