ShawnE Curry
04-04-2014, 3:16 PM
286467I'm very much a beginner into the world of fine woodworking - most of my woodworking background is in stick framing, building decks, etc. So please forgive my ignorance - might need things explained in simple terms. :o
I'm working on a shop project - Norm Abram Deluxe Router Station. I used oak ply for the cabinet, and maple ply for the drawer faces. I wanted the faces to end up clear, so I followed the advice of some here, and went with a water-based finish (Minwax Polycrylic - that's what they had at HD). I don't have spray equipment, so that wasn't an option for me.
I've worked with regular polyurethane before, and that's what I used on all the oak - and it turned out great. The water based stuff? Not so much. My first two attempts, I ended up completely sanding off.
The first time, I applied too much, and ended up with a lot of runs after it dried. The second time, I tried applying thinner coats, but it was drying out on me so fast that I kept ending up with a lot of brush streaks. By the time I got halfway through the faces I decided I should just experiment on the rest of them to see if I could figure out a better method. So on the last few, I applied it a little heavier, and rested the drawers on end so that the faces were horizontal while they dried.
The last few turned out pretty well, or at least I thought so until I sanded them. They ended up with a cloudy, spotty sort of appearance in the places where the finish had dried a little thicker, and that I sanded a little heavier (probably 2-3x as many light strokes).
What am I doing wrong? Or should I not be worried about the spottiness after the first coat, because subsequent coats will fill them in?
I'm working on a shop project - Norm Abram Deluxe Router Station. I used oak ply for the cabinet, and maple ply for the drawer faces. I wanted the faces to end up clear, so I followed the advice of some here, and went with a water-based finish (Minwax Polycrylic - that's what they had at HD). I don't have spray equipment, so that wasn't an option for me.
I've worked with regular polyurethane before, and that's what I used on all the oak - and it turned out great. The water based stuff? Not so much. My first two attempts, I ended up completely sanding off.
The first time, I applied too much, and ended up with a lot of runs after it dried. The second time, I tried applying thinner coats, but it was drying out on me so fast that I kept ending up with a lot of brush streaks. By the time I got halfway through the faces I decided I should just experiment on the rest of them to see if I could figure out a better method. So on the last few, I applied it a little heavier, and rested the drawers on end so that the faces were horizontal while they dried.
The last few turned out pretty well, or at least I thought so until I sanded them. They ended up with a cloudy, spotty sort of appearance in the places where the finish had dried a little thicker, and that I sanded a little heavier (probably 2-3x as many light strokes).
What am I doing wrong? Or should I not be worried about the spottiness after the first coat, because subsequent coats will fill them in?