Finishing General Arm-R-Seal

[Todd Bin]

Hello, I am finishing a project with several coats of General Finishes Arm-R-Seal wiped on. My question is how to finish this finish. I was thinking about wet sanding with 600 grit paper using Naptha as a lubricant.

The surface is currently not really rough it is just not really smooth either.

I am open to other suggestions from anyone with experience with this.

Thanks,

Todd

[JayStPeter]

When I use Arm-R-Seal, I flatten each coat up to the second to last coat with very fine steel wool. Then I thin the final coat (probably about 5-1 with mineral spirits). If there are some dust nibs I get rid of them with brown lunch bag. It's a lot less work than going through the polishing process on the last coat.

Jay

[Todd Bin]

Thanks, I give that a try. Is that 5 parts Arm-R-Seal to 1 Part Mineral spirits? I have been buffing between coats with 0000 steel wool.

[Ken Shoemaker]

How do you guyz "wipe on" Arm-R-Seal. Wipe on using a rag, let stand for awhile then wipe off with clean rag??? Or thin it down, wipe on with rag, let dry, steel wool??? I just don't get it and I have to finish a bookcase for my daughter's Christmas.

Thanks for your helpon this.... Ken

[JayStPeter]

Sorry I never responded, yes 5 parts arm-r-seal to 1 part mineral spirits. It's already pretty thin, so that just makes it a little thinner for the final coat.

I apply it with a balled up piece of old white t-shirt. The first coat I flood it on and keep it wet for a few minutes before wiping with the grain. Do small areas and keep it very wet so it doesn't get sticky. The following coats, I apply with the rag and simply wipe on with the grain and don't mess with it. Lights aimed at the right angle help you see what you're doing and get an even coat.

[Ken Shoemaker]

The following coats, do I allow it to dry and steelwool between them?

[Steve Schoene]

Arm-R-Seal is a wiping varnish so there is no need to wipe off finish at the end like you would do with Seal A Cell which is an oil/varnish mix. So apply evenly with a lint free cloth. Jay's description looks pretty good to me.

I don't like steel wool between coats for any finish. Sandpaper, 320 or 400 grit, does a better job of leveling dust nibs and other defects, and doesn't leave shards that I find hard to get off.

Sanding with 600 grit, wet or dry, is going to leave a pretty dull finish, on the low end of satin. I'd want to follow that with some of the finest steel wool lubricated with paste wax for a medium satin sheen.

[Ken Shoemaker]

Thnak alot Guys. I know what I'll be doing this weekend.

[JayStPeter]

Yeah, I prefer steel wool because I tend to oversand and the very fine steel wool makes it harder to sand through a coat. It easily conforms to shapes and I don't wind up sanding through an edge or something. If you don't have compressed air, it is difficult to get the steel wool particles off. If you do, no problem :D. Same result in the end.