Last coat of Waterlox puddled up: what do I do now?

[Kent A Bathurst]

I bought a bag of t-shirt type cotton towels. Totally lint-free..........

With all due respect....No. They are not lint free.

I buy 5# - 10 # boxes at a time. Go thru them like stuff thru a goose. But - the first thing I do is to put them in the washer. Hot-hot wash cycle, with soap and bleach to break down the sizing.

Then into the drier. Hot-hot. Check the lint trap - you will not believe how much lint comes off.

I go thru 3 cycles like this before I use them. Lint trap still collects a lot-lot-lot. And - they are still not lint-free, but much better.

I use them for slopping on dye, and wiping off dye and gel stain, picking up glue squeeze-out, emergency hankie, general use, and stuff like that. But never-never-never applying varnish, etc.

I learned the hard way - I thought they were fine as well, until I learned they weren't - because of the schmutz left on the piece when I used them for varnish.

LIve and learn, live and learn.

[James Dudley]

fair enough. I got them from a woodworking shop--they said they were specifically made for varnish. But you could be right. I didn't see anything coming off from the one use, but I picked up the blue towels.

[James Dudley]

Oh man. I much prefer the wiping method. Yeah it'll take more coats. But each coat takes just a few minutes.

So far so good. One coat last night. One coat this AM. One more tonight and I'll see where we stand.

Again, thanks so much for all the feedback.

[James Dudley]

I also think the need to sand may have been a blessing in disguise. The surface after two coats of brushed/liberally applied finish and two lightly ragged layers was still slightly rough-ish. The finish is silky smooth now, but still feels like wood, not plastic.

[Kent A Bathurst]

I also think the need to sand may have been a blessing in disguise. The surface after two coats of brushed/liberally applied finish and two lightly ragged layers was still slightly rough-ish. The finish is silky smooth now, but still feels like wood, not plastic.

And there you have it. Sanding is a small-ish PITA, but necessary for adhesion of next coat. Plus - you get to knock down dust nibs and smooth the surface.

Glad it is all working out for you now, James. Your frustration - very understandable - was coming thru loud and clear in your early posts. Now, you have clearly stepped back from the precipice, and taken the noose down from the shop ceiling. Keep the rope coiled on a shelf somewhere - you will need it again one day.

As a wise man once told me: "If you simply cannot stand sanding, you need a different avocation".

[James Dudley]

Yeah I actually don't mind sanding if it helps the finished product. Sure it's a pain to sand, vacuum, wet wipe, dry wipe/vacuum, then go to the next coat.

In my case, Waterlox's own directions say that sanding isn't necessary between coats for adhesion, but you can choose to do it between the next-to-last and final coat for aesthetic reasons (smoothness). I guess I figured it would get smoother via layers faster than it did.

Regardless, yes things (so far) are no progressing more smoothly I think. It's all a learning process. Every time I tackle a project I learn something new, which honestly is part of the fun of it....even if it DOES provide some frustration. But then, when does learning not provide a little frustration?

If it was too easy, it wouldn't quite feel the same, eh?

[Prashun Patel]

Glad you got over the hump with this. There have been an inordinate number of Waterlox-frustration posts in the past couple weeks. It's a shame, because a lot of people will get turned off of it. You'll find now that it's hard to 'mess up' now that you know how to read the look and feel during application.

I'd take Waterlox's caveat one step further: If wiping, I think you SHOULDN'T sand between coats. Sanding before the final coat(s) is all that's needed for a smooth, excellent finish. If you really want to kick it up a notch, check out Mirka Abralon pads (1000,2000,3000,4000 grit) and try sanding your penultimate coat with these (lubricated with water) before applying your final coat(s). I think you can achieve a pretty professional result this way. I do think that you should wait a couple days between the initial coats and that sanding.

[James Dudley]

Yeah, honestly, overall the Waterlox has been great. It was just that one coat that puddled up...and I made the mistake of thinning it out in the previous coat.

After working with a number of other finishes over the years (i am by NO means a pro or even advanced amateur), this one really is quite nice. The finished look that's coming together is very nice indeed. So I'm a fan. It's not cheap stuff, but that's OK if it works.

Yeah I don't plan to sand between these thin wipe coats. But as I said, the sanding prior to this really did give a far nicer-feeling surface. So that almost-done sanding step is a good one I think.

We'll see how the next coat or two goes, but it should be getting close I think. Just a few spots to even up in terms of overall sheen.

[James Dudley]

So it's going well overall.

I am seeing, however, a few swirl marks in the sheen.

I'm wiping w/the blue shop towels, applying a really light layer, not a heavy wet layer. And I'm being careful to not go back over areas. It takes about a minute or less to do each piece. It's quick. Surface is super smooth, and these aren't sanding marks (I always sand w/the grain). So it's definitely swirls from the application. You can only see it in a harsh reflection. Will these disappear w/more applications? Or is there something I should do to get the swirls out? This is OSF, so not the satin version. Thoughts? Just wanna make sure these won't be visible when I'm done.





It's really amazing how the color shifts between fluorescent light and sunlight. The other pics are deeper in the garage. I have one more piece from the same slab that is near a window, and had direct sunlight on it this morning as I was working. This piece has some really nice cracks in it, along with some tooling marks from the saws. I left those in because they just looked so fitting with the overall aesthetic of this particular piece. Originally this was going to be a mid-level shelf in the kitchen island. Might still be. But the piece is so nice, I may find another use for it. The color of the Sapele is amazing. These are straight out of the iPhone, no effects at all. It's stunning wood.

[Prashun Patel]

It will go away with more coats. Just resist the temptation to leave a thicker film. Keep doing as you describe. Thinky wiped like this, it doesnt like to be reqorked and overwiped.

also, you are. Using. The Non low voc version, right?

[James Dudley]

Right. The original sealer finish, regular version. NOT the "low voc" version.

Cool. Glad to hear it'll resolve itself.

[Alan Lightstone]

I just thought about this. If sapele is a wood with a lot of natural oil in it, then this could be the culprit. Is it?

Late to the party, but I've used Waterlox on many sapele projects. It handles it just fine, though I've had lots of other Waterlox issues.

[James Dudley]

Quick question.

In this page that's been referenced on this site a lot (http://askhlm.com/Home/HLMRedirect.a...n-Varnish.aspx), it says to wipe on a wet coat, THEN go back over without adding more varnish and wipe it in.

But other directions I've read here stringently advise to NOT go back over, ever. Just apply a very light (not even reflective wet) coat and leave it. Don't go back.

Which is right? Or are both right and it's a matter of preference but both will work?

[James Dudley]

Well I'll keep on keeping on hoping I'm following the right method (not going back over, just applying thinly and leaving it).

[James Dudley]

Hey fellas,

A little birdie told me about the ability to contribute to the site, and I've certainly been helped by you guys. So I'm happy to be a new contributor!

Ok--latest update.

I am pretty happy with the finish at its current status overall. I believe it's built up enough. Looks good except for one thing: I can still see fairly slight swirl marks. In the last coat, applied around 8pm last night before the Cowboys THANK GOD beat the Iggles, I was very careful to apply a very even wipe coat, and you could not see swirl marks while it was wet-ish.

But checking it this morning, I am still seeing swirls from the application when you view with strong reflections from a window or light.

I'd prefer not to keep adding layers, as I don't want it TOO thick. But if that'll solve the problem, so be it. Or is there another option? Buffing? Wet sanding after it cures for a bit? Do I need to do something now to get the swirls out NOW? Or do I wait and work in that after it cures?

As always, appreciate the help here. I'll post pics when I can. I really need to get it in better light.