Help needed with varnish finish

[Dan Lyman]

I am embarrassed to bring it up since this is supposed to be a super easy finish, but, I'm having trouble with Sherwin Williams Fast Dry Varnish..

First project was a hall table of Alder, and the second project was a TV stand of Cherry. Seems the varnish is a little thick and leaves foam brush marks. Also, some areas seem to end up a bit thicker resulting in an uneven look & feel. I tried sanding trouble areas, and recoated and now the sheen is very uneven across the top.

It was applied in 60 - 65 degree temps, and I thinned it with Mineral spirits. I didn't measure, but guess around 20% MS. The main area of concern is the tops which are large areas and the mess is pretty noticeable. I stirred often..

I'm at a point now on the TV stand where I need to either sand down to wood and restain, or let the TV cover most of it and not worry about it. :rolleyes:

The last thought I had is to coat it with a coat of poly and see if that evens the sheen out some, though I know it won't hide the underlying imperfections.

So, can I top coat it with a poly urethane? Any better ideas on trying to minimize the damage? Is the "fast drying" to fast for the dry climate in Colorado? Any thoughts on what I'm doing wrong with the varnish?

Maybe I should stick to poly as that is pretty much idiot proof.

Thanks

Dan

[Cecil Arnold]

Dan,

IMHO, your first mistake was to sand only the troubled areas. Secondly, I really don't like the S/W product. I prefer Min-Wax for Borg type products. What I would do, if I wanted to save the base that is currently on the projects, is to sand the surface to get everything level, then coat with M-W. I would think two or three coats. You can use your foam brush, but be sure the coats are thin and applied as evenly as possible. You may want to apply in an area where you can see across the work to determine where you have more varnish. After you have adequate build up, sand lightly to get rid of any dust nibs, and unevenness. Now for the heresy, find a good, non-silicone car polish and polish and buff the surface.

[Dan Lyman]

Cecil,
WHen you say to put on the Minwax product, are you talking a varnish, or a polyurethane? I really don't want to sand it all down, but I knew that was the best option.

Thanks

[Cecil Arnold]

Min-Wax Poly. The trick is to get everything smooth.

[Steve Schoene]

You can't expect smooth results after two coats of varnish on a wood like alder which can be relatively absorbant. Your best bet now is to smooth out what you have. You can probably do this with 320 grit paper.

Next--dump the foam brushes. You don't need a high priced varnish brush
($30 and UP.) , but a decent natural bristle brush with a chisel tip can be found for perhaps $15 in a 2" size.

I don't really like the S-W Fast Dry. It is too fast drying for my comfort. Twenty percent thinner ought to be enough for good brushing but you still have to be quick.

With the S-W you can't do all that, but should be able to get a respectable finish by quickly brushing on the varnish with the grain and then rapidly shift to the tipping off stage before the finish begins to get tacky. The key is speed, since once it starts to get tacky you MUST stop brushing that area immediately.

Personally, I would shift to a more traditional, and slow drying varnish. It will also allow using the traditional varnish techniques, where you first smoothly flow on the varnish working across the grain, then even it out brushing with the grain. The final step is to lightly tip off the surface with a nearly dry brush held almost vertically and just skimming the surface to level any irregularities. If you do this some good choices are Pratt & Lambert 38, McCloskey Heirloom, and Behlen Rockhard. You must sand between coats with 320 grit, and then you should let it set for a month and rub out the surface, eliminating the inevitable dust nibs, and to achieve what ever sheen you are looking for.

[Dan Lyman]

Thanks Steve,
That's some good information! I think I'm done with the SW varnish, too difficult for me. I will look into the P&L you mention along with the techniques you described.