Need help with GF Armor Seal

[Bill Dempsey]

I'm finishing a live edge Cherry bar top. Customer (friend) picked Armor Seal Satin from samples. I've now put 3 coats full strength down, scuff sanding between coats and removing all dust. After 3rd coat dried, the piece looks perfect, until using a severe raking light, then I can see considerable brush marks. I'm using a good natural bristle brush with extremely light tip off.. Everything looks great wet, but the problem shows up when overnight dry.

I suspect it simply not leveling, but what to do about that??
*a thinned final coat
*a thinned final coat of gloss (could the flatteners be the issue?)
*a different application method
Something else.....

[Tom M King]

Show me someone who can get a spray quality finish with a brush, and I will be looking at a magician. I can do pretty good with Epiphanes, and the high end, thick oval brush, but it's still not a perfect finish like off a gun in perfect conditions. A lot of people wipe on AMS.

[Phil Mueller]

I wipe it on with light high grit sanding between coats. Basically the same as shown in this video:

https://youtu.be/iPtoPBMbAP8

[Edwin Santos]

I wipe it on with a pad made from t-shirt cloth. Usually thinned but just a little bit.

I won't say this is as good as a well sprayed finish, but definitely no brush marks.

Like Phil has mentioned, I too like sanding lightly with a high grit sanding pad between coats. More importantly, after my final coat has cured for a few days, I usually sand lightly with a 600 grit sanding sponge and then apply paste wax with synthetic steel wool and buff. This should result in a near flawless finish. I highly recommend "finishing the finish" in this way, also known as "rubbing out" by some.

[Christian Hawkshaw]

For horizontal surfaces, I use the below foam brush. The Arm-r-seal will level itself out nicely. For vertical surfaces, I will do a wipe on finish. Unless the Arm-r-seal is old, it is very a thin liquid. If it is not leveling for you, perhaps it is old, or is it hot, and drying before it can level?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[Mike Cutler]

I've not had much luck with a brush and Arm-R-Seal. I do use it on practically every project though.
My go to method is pretty much as follows;
1. Flood coat with Seal-A-Cell. applied with a lint free rag. Final stroke always finished with the grain, and with a wetted edge.
2. Lightly run a fine grit 3M sponge sanding pad over it.
3. Lightly apply Arm-R-Seal with a lint free rag, always maintain a wetted edge. Once again, always finishing the last stroke with the grain.
4. Allow a full 24 hours to set.
5. Sand finish with a 220 3M sponge sanding pad, backed with a block of wood.
6. Repeat #3 and #4.
7. Sand with the yellow 320grit 3M sanding sponge, backed with a block of wood.
8. Repeat steps 7 and 8 until you achieve the desired final result. For me that is usually at least twice more.

It takes me almost a week to finish a project. It doesn't really matter how small, or large, it takes me about a week.
Maybe someone has a quicker method??? This is what has always worked for me.

I have had zero luck using either sandpaper, or steel wool, between coats. Neither have ever worked for me. 3M sanding sponges, or another sponge type, only.

[Phil Mueller]

Mike, you’re not alone in taking a week (or more) to finish. I don’t wait 24 hours...4-6 hours usually between coats, so it takes a few days to apply 4-5 coats. I do wait about a week or more to let it fully cure before final buffing.

[John TenEyck]

Mike, you’re not alone in taking a week (or more) to finish. I don’t wait 24 hours...4-6 hours usually between coats, so it takes a few days to apply 4-5 coats. I do wait about a week or more to let it fully cure before final buffing.

IMHO this is the better approach. Why? Because if you apply the coats as fast as allowed by the drying of the previous coat the layers will bond together better, almost like burn-in with shellac or lacquer. Then when you rub it out there's less risk of witness marks showing if you cut through a layer.

John