Question about Clear Poly

[Wayne Jordan]

Have a old chair I'm refinishing with a dark walnut. Want it to look pretty much back to where it was when new. I've put on a Minwax Clear Satin wipe on poly. But theres very little shine.
I know (or think) years ago chairs didn't have much shine. This chair is pushing 45-50 years old. But I think I'd like just a touch more shire, so can I rub it out like I normally would between coats of poly and use a Minwax Clear Semi-Gloss poly on top of the wipe on satin?

Thanks for any help on this!!
BTW: Great board! Wish I'd found this place sooner. A lot of great reading here with great tips. Thumbs up to everyone that has put into this board!
Have fun woodworking to all! :)

[Steve Schoene]

You can get the surface somewhat more glossy, but the satin will still have some more dulling effect. The gloss depends on both the surface roughness imparted by the flatting agents and by increased diffusion due to the silica in the material. You can remove the roughness, not the diffusion.

Before you do anything to your chair, make some sample boards, first duplicating what you did to the chair and then trying the alternative finish on top.

Why would chairs not have been glossy in the 1950s? The full range of finishes was available at that time, and a great many styles were being manufactured, some with high gloss finishes, others with "flat" in-the-wood finishes.

[Wayne Jordan]

Thank you for the reply. Good idea and I will do just that. Thanks!

LOL!! ummm, I dunno! Guess I was just figuring on what I've heard and I think cars at one time came out with only a limited number of colors to pick from. So maybe I was figuring that furniture was about the same kind of deal. Thanks for the info. :D

[Joe Chritz]

Poly is kinda a bugger to rub out anyway since it specifically designed to resist that kind of wear.

You should have popeye arms by the time you are done. :D

There are some excellent threads on rubbing out finishes available here.

Joe

[Wayne Jordan]

I ready want you guys to know you were a lot of great help and I thank you much!
Heres a pic of how this project ended. :D On to the next one... ;)

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e196/MSWJJ/Wandas%20Pictures/finishedchairback.png http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e196/MSWJJ/Wandas%20Pictures/finishedchairfront.png