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| Leave it to the pro. Michael Dresdner, a nationally known wood finishing and woodworking expert, has answered hundreds of common wood finishing questions in Varathane’s Q&A library to help you successfully complete your project. Click on a link to the left for help and solid advice. |
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| Q: The instructions with waterbased finishes say that you should sand between coats for a smooth finish, and yet say to recoat after an hour, but the previous coat still seems soft at that point, so that seems like a recipe for disaster.
A: Actually, most instructions on standard waterbased clear coatings say you can apply the next coat in an hour, not that you should. Except for the first two coats, which can go on within a couple of hours of one another, I would opt for no more than two thin coats per day, and that’s only under ideal drying conditions. Otherwise, stick to one per day. Apply thin, even coats, and sand only if you need to in order to remove dust nibs or application marks. Otherwise, it is really not necessary to sand between coats if the next coat is going on the next day. If you wait more than a few days between coats, I would sand lightly with 400 grit ‘gold’ sandpaper, a special self lubricated paper designed to work best with waterbased coatings. |  | |
| Q: I’m making a bar from solid white oak and want to have a high gloss finish that will bring out the full character of the wood. What should I start with and how do I prepare the wood?
A: No matter what the final finish, the first preparation steps are the same. Sand the wood starting with 80 grit, then move on to 120 and through 180. Now sand once more, this time by hand, with the grain, using 180 garnet paper instead of aluminum oxide or silicone carbide paper. The garnet will leave a softer scratch pattern, and sanding by hand with the grain will leave you with a smooth surface, ready to stain or finish, with no cross grain scratches showing. | | |
| Q: Have you done a compatibility chart concerning which finishes can go over or under which other finishes?
A: Yes, I sure have. It is on page 21 of my book Wood Finishing Fixes. It is also included in the handouts I give away at my lectures. | | |
| Q: I am starting to refinish a pine staircase to our basement. It has been in the house since it’s construction in 2003. It has not had any protection or been treated, but it has been used and abused. I’ve cleaned it once or twice with a household cleaner and let it dry. Any advice on how to clean the surface before I stain and polyurethane it?
A: Scrub it with mineral spirits or TSP on nylon abrasive pads to remove any dirt or grease first, then sand thoroughly. That way you will not be sanding dirt or grease deeper into the wood. You will probably have to start with 80 or 100 grit and move up through the grits from there to 180, but be aware that finish will not adhere well to oxidized wood. You must sand it shortly before applying finish. |
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