I have one shot at putting on a gloss finish on a piece of clear fir, because I will have lettering under the finish and cannot sand or use steelwool. Any thoughts on what I should use? Bush or spray? Thanksl
WoodWorkers Guild of America » General Discussion
Glass finish on clear fir?
(8 posts)-
# Posted 1 year ago
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If you are have spray equipment and are comfortable using it, I suggest going that way. I am not set up for spraying, so I would mostly likely use Minwax oil based wipe on poly which has been a reliable product for me.
# Posted 1 year ago -
Even with lettering under the finish you should be able to do a little light sanding. The finish will provide a little bit of build up over the wood and lettering. I agree with Paul. Spraying is the way to go.
When you say lettering, do you mean it's something that has been applied? If so, do a test to make sure the clear coat you're applying won't lift the lettering.
G
# Posted 1 year ago -
G.V. or Paul: Can I use a very fine steelwool or is it best to use sandpaper?
# Posted 1 year ago -
Hi Chuck,
0000 steel wool would be fine on poly. I will let George give feedback on whether this would be appropriate on lacquer.
When using this on poly, wait at least a couple days so that the finish has had a decent time to cure. If it feels soft at all, I would wait longer. Also, don't use steel wool if this is a between coats application used for water based product. Rust can form on small particles if they are left behind.
I occasionally will buff out the final finish on a project with 0000 steel wool and paste wax. Removes all the nubs and leaves it silky smooth.
# Posted 1 year ago -
I use 220-grit sandpaper on lacquer.
G
# Posted 1 year ago -
LTD, finishing, admittedly, is not my forte but I have learned some things about finishing over the years. One thing is that in a high gloss finish, bumps are not your friend. The smoother the surface the better it will look. High gloss finishes take time and many coats of finish with a certain amount of smoothing between coats. The best finishes end with very fine sandpaper and a sanding block, sometimes lubricated with water, then very fine steel wool then, either a top sprayed coat of gloss finish or wax.
Regarding whether to spray or brush, brushing puts more finish on at a time, meaning fewer coats, but it leaves brush marks and requires more sanding to get the surface smooth. If you're concerned about sanding into the lettering beneath the finish, you could put several coats on before beginning to sand. If the letters have any thickness to them that adds an additional degree of difficulty. You've got to put enough thickness of finish so that you can sand down to the area between the letters without going through the finish on the letters. That takes very careful, level sanding.
All of the above assumes you're looking for a high quality finish. If a lower quality finish is adequate for your project, you could put a few coats on then lightly sand with 320 grit paper. If the thickness of the letters makes it so the paper doesn't adequately smooth the space between the letters, a light smoothing with 00 or 000 steel wool would do it. Then, if your final step will be a top coat of gloss lacquer, now would be the time to put that on. If your final step is wax then you can go over it with a finer steel wool, then wax.
No question, I could stand to be corrected, as I'm not a professional finisher, but at least it gives a basis for conversation. If anyone has any corrections I would welcome them as I'd love to learn.
# Posted 1 year ago -
I'm with Yonak on his explanation.
I did a high gloss finish on a guitar a few years ago. The recipe I found for this called for 12 coat of lacquer prior to beginning the sanding/polishing process. The finish had to cure out for a week or so before I started polishing. The polishing process included wet sanding and polishing with rubbing compound. The thickness of the build is to allow plenty of room for sanding and polishing.
G
# Posted 1 year ago
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