Hazy swirls in arm r seal

[John Hollander]

I am having a really difficult time finishing a live edge walnut table I have been working on. I sanded the top to 320 grit. Applied two coats of gloss arm r seal. Let the finish dry for 48 hours. Sanded the top down with some 600 grit. Applied 3-4 more coats of gloss then 2 coats of satin. I have been using a cloth dampened with the arm r seal, just enough to give the surface a slightly wet look. I have been applying the finish in circular motions only going over an area once. After the first few coats of gloss I started to notice hazy swirls appearing on the top if I looked at the table with light at an angle. I thought this might go away after applying the satin finish, but every time I put on a new coat of finish the old hazy swirl marks go away and new marks appear. I have never had this problem before! What am I doing wrong?

[Joseph Montroy]

How old is your can of arm-r-seal and has the viscosity changed? I found that while wiping on lots of coats with the lid off, on little parts, that the oil evaporated out enough to cause the streaking. I now buy little cans to prevent this issue. Hope this helps.
JC

[John TenEyck]

Funny, I've been finishing a live edge walnut slab with Arm-R-Seal for the past week. I think your problem is that you aren't putting enough finish on. Your "slightly wet look" is not wet enough. I think there isn't enough finish to flow out to make a smooth coat of finish. I apply it like a busboy at a dinner but then go straight from one end to the other immediately afterwards. Makes a world of difference. And I've sure learned that whatever defect is in one coat shows forever regardless of how many coats you put on top of it. I think you need to sand back until you have a uniform surface, then add a few coats of gloss. Make sure that's all good, then apply one or two coats of satin to finish it off.

John