Finishing with Waterlox

[Stan Krupowies]

I am in the process of finishing my cherry cabinet with Waterlox Sealer / Finish and I'm confused about sanding. I've thinned the varnish to a 50/50 mix with Naphtha and have been wiping it on. That part is going OK. I have a total of 5 of these coats on so far. Should I be sanding in between some of these coats? Some things I read say a light sanding after every three coats and some say not until just before my last coat (which will be satin Waterlox, by the way). At this point I haven't sanded anything yet and the finish has some inevitable dust nibs. If I keep wiping over these am I just making it worse?

Thanks for your help
Stan

[Brian Kent]

Waterlox original is already thinned, so you may use it full strength. I don't believe you have caused any problems by thinning it. Just takes more coats. After one brushed coat or three wiped on coats, wait 24 hours or more and hand sand lightly with 320 to get the dust nibs out. After the final coat wait 30 days before polishing, I do this with micromesh abrasives: http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=11435&site=ROCKLER. That takes care of the issues of a clean and smooth finish.

A separate issue is the flatness of the finish, You can decide whether you need this finish to be mirror flat or just smooth. If you want a flat table-top finish, then sand after 1 brush-on or 3 wipe-ons with 220 or 320 on a flat sanding block until it is level. Then for the top coat wait 30 days and go for smooth as well.

I am refinishing a table. On the legs and sides I want a sturdy, smooth finish. On the top I will do the extra work of flattening between coats. I am having to force my patience because I am really enjoying this one and would love to sand now, in which case it would be like sanding soft rubber. So I will wait.

And furthermore, we are in serious need of seeing pictures of your cherry cabinet :D!

[Scott Holmes]

To clarify... Waterlox Original is a full strength varnish.. Waterlox Original Sealer/Finish is a wipe-on varnish e.g. already thinned ~50/50 with mineral spirits. Thining this would result in a very very thin finish were 75+% of the liquid will evaporate.

No need to thin the sealer/finish.

Non-poly varnish that has cured more than a few days should be scuff sanded between coats. Poly MUST be sanded as you described; because it doesn't stick well to itself or anything else.

I too would like to see pictures...

[Brian Kent]

To clarify... Waterlox Original is a full strength varnish.. Waterlox Original Sealer/Finish is a wipe-on varnish e.g. already thinned ~50/50 with mineral spirits. Thining this would result in a very very thin finish were 75+% of the liquid will evaporate.


Thank you Scott. When I see "Waterlox Original" I automatically think of the Sealer/Finish.

[Prashun Patel]

I've personally had bad luck attempting to thin Waterlox Original Sealer Finish with anything. That could just be me.

Waterlox does not require sanding between coats. I would only do it if you feel a lot of nibs. And by 'sanding', I mean a gentle rub with 400 grit. I prefer to wet sand to save the paper, but if you do that, be sure the surface is 100% dry (I mean wipe it dry and let any invisible residual evaporate for a while) before putting down more OSF, or you might (as do I) get streaks.

Also, know that the Satin is full strength. If you plan to wipe that on, you should thin it.

Also, know that the sheen from the OSF goes down after the finish cures. It starts glossy, but settles around semigloss.

[Brian Kent]

Prashun, after your final coat, do you rub it down or leave it?

[Prashun Patel]

I don't rub out. I'm not good at it, and I usually don't make my finishes thick enough to make it practical or beneficial.

[Stan Krupowies]

This is the cabinet I'm working on. The doors in this pic haven't been mounted yet and obviously there is no finish yet. It's 7' tall by 3' wide. There are 6 shelves inside mounted on Blum under mount slides. I'll post more pics after the finish is done. I don't really care for this pic - it makes the cabinet look very narrow, but you get the basic idea.
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