Waterlox Finishing Schedule

[Neal Clayton]

another thing you might try brian, rather than the brush, which waterlox actually recommends, is applying it with a lambswool pad rather than a brush.

floors, of course, are always done this way. for smaller things i typically brush anyways since i plan to buff the final coat regardless, but with the lambswool it might be easier to lay it on evenly.

the blue borg here typically has small lambswool "staining pads" that work ok.

[Scott Holmes]

Lambswool applicators can leave a very thick coat of finish that can cause problems with the finish curing properly. I discourage them even for floors.

For Floors I use a foam roller that leaves 1 milliom bubbles per suare yard. Then, I tip it off with a quality brush. No bubbles.

[Neal Clayton]

that's kinda the idea, a thick coat of a slow curing finish levels itself.

[Brian Kent]

I spent a lot more time at 600 grit to level it out better. It's better, but not perfect.

I have been moving up the grits to P2000 (or about 1200 by US CAMI scale?). The sheen level is getting to the right range, but there are still some small irregularities in the surface. I think this burl is alive.

I would like to finish with either a foam-backed abrasive or a powder so I could get the dips the same sheen as the higher spots.

Should I use a micromesh foam backed abrasive from Rockler?
http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?p...Select=Details
They go from 1500 to 12000 grit.

Or an automotive product?

Or a pumice or rottenstone?

Brian

[Scott Holmes]

Be careful you don't sand through the different layers of the varnish... It will leave witness lines and the only way to remove them is to apply another coat or two of varnish.

[Brian Kent]

I think I am trying to correct earlier steps with later steps and it is not working. So…

I put the table back in the living room.

I waxed the top to temporarily cover the uneven sheen places.

I will do another table top of some sort, putting into practice all sorts of stuff I learned on this one.

When I have some more experience, I have the option of going back to this one, re-leveling, and applying new coats, letting it set for another month, and re-trying the rubbing process.

Pictures later when it is light out.

Thanks.

Brian

[Brian Kent]

I took a risk and got some micro-mesh sanding pads for my Bosch ROS. The sander and the pads both have a little give to allow me to reach the troughs.

It worked. Within less than an hour I got my satin finish without the sanding scratches at the low points. The double picture is before and after. The others are both after.

The table is done.

Thank you all for your tons of help!

I will now set cold water glasses and hot coffee cups on the coffee table because this is also an experiment for a future dining table finish.

[Prashun Patel]

Brian-
Wonderful table - and great finish. I've always had trouble 'rubbing down' a finish. I always end up with an uneven sheen.

I'm intrigued by your Micromesh pads. Are these the Abranet sanding discs? What 'grit' did you use and what speed did you use yr ROS on? How long did you sand?

Inquiring minds want to know...

[Scott Holmes]

Don't forget the coasters!

Most finishes will fail north of about 200 degrees. Hot coffee could cause damage why chance it?

[Brian Kent]

Shawn, I learned about these from my cousin who turns pens. I got it from Rockler for $19.95 for 9 pads, each 5" with velcro for hook & loop sanders. Their numbering system goes from 1500 to 12,000, but is not the same as sandpaper grit.

Their conversion table is:

Micro-mesh to CAMI:
1500 400
1800 600
2400 800+
3200 1200
3600 1350
4000 1500
6000
8000
12000

I started at 1500 with the sander on 1 (slowest) until the whole surface was uniform (less than 10 minutes). Then I went through the grits, using mineral oil as a lubricant, cleaning between steps. Each step was 3 to 5 minutes. As it got to a higher grit, I sped up the sander to 5 (out of 6) with a lower risk of sanding through. At 4000 I spent a few extra minutes making sure everything was an even sheen.

I was very happy that it worked and will leave a positive review on the Rockler site.

Brian

[Mike Gottlieb]

Scott, I didn't know that additional coats of varnish would get rid of witness lines. How many additional coats does it take and wouldn't it make the project look uneven (less smooth) where you sanded through?

[Brian Wis]

Glad I found this post from Scott regarding rubbing out the finish....it should be a sticky of its own!