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First time finishing - poly question/after the stain

Submitted by megwifey on Wed, 12/07/2011 - 10:19

hello everyone! i posted on the facebook page but thought i might have a better chance over here. my three coats of stain are done and now its on to poly. i have three questions

1. it looks like my lint free cloth actually left some lint on the table. is there anyway to get that stuff out?

2. do i sand before the first coat of poly? i know you sand in between coats of poly but wasn't sure about the first coat. the stain directions mention mineral spirits to remove dust- do i need to do that? wouldn't that ruin the stain i just put on there?

3. what do you recommend- fast drying poly or rubbed on poly? my arms pretty sore from the wood conditioner and three coats of stain. thought maybe the fast drying poly and a brush would save my arm a bit!

thank you!

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Finishing Support and Advice

claydowling

Wed, 12/07/2011 - 12:59

Wiping on polyurethane is an easier path to a good finish. It's not super hard to brush a good finish, but the wipe is easier. If you decide to brush, thin your poly 1:1 with mineral spirits (I use an empty and clean pickle jar for this). The thinned poly flows a lot better, making a good finish easier to achieve. If you use a water bourne poly, you'll have to thin it with water instead. My experience with water bourne poly is that it's super thick, so I wouldn't try to use it without thinning unless you intend to wipe. It will leave brush marks.

Also if you brush, you should follow up with a dry brush (or possibly the brush you're using, but with the poly squeezed out) to pick up any excess. It makes a nicer, more uniform finish.

As far as sanding, you're going to need to hand-sand all of this, with a sanding block. An electric sander will destroy your finishing work. A single pass with 220 or finer after the stain and before the poly, and a single pass between each coat. If you can't find a sanding block, you can put press-on cork on the bottom of a scrap of 2x4, and use that as your sanding block. Don't use the foam block with the sanding grit embedded, it is the wrong grit and will wreck your work.

A rag dampened (not soaked) with mineral spirits is good for getting up dust if you're using oil based poly. For water bourne poly, a rag dampened with water.

megwifey

Wed, 12/07/2011 - 14:23

awesome, thanks! you've convinced me to do the rub on poly :) do i need to sand the table before applying any poly or do i just do the sanding in between coats of poly? thanks so much!

claydowling

Wed, 12/07/2011 - 15:41

Sand after the stain and before the poly, in addition to between each coat. As I mentioned, only a light pass is needed. All you're really going to do is take down the dust nubs and the wood fibers that the first coat of poly lifts up.