I'm going to make a bookcase in the near future. To match the finish
to other cases I have, I am going to finish it with my favorite finish,
Deft.
In the past, I've applied Deft in three coats, using steel wool between
coats.
Is there a better way for me to smooth out the finish between coats?
What's the best thing to do to smooth out the final coat?
What about these synthetic sanding blocks?
Thanx in advance.
I spray a lot of lacquer (I sprayed 4 pieces this last weekend)
including Deft when I get stuck on the weekend and have to buy at Home
Depot (they used to carry NC lacquer but sadly no more.) The technique
I use is as follows. .
1. I spray with Deft, thinned by 25-30%. I know they say don't thin
Deft but I do.
2. An hour later, I sand, by hand with a 1/4 sheet of 320 or 400 folded
over using my flat hand. Try to go very lightly and very careful on
sharp corners. just sand to flatten.
3. Wipe down with cloth dampened with thinner to get most dust off.
4. Spray again with thinned material.
5. Next day (or later) rub out with 0000 steel wool with just little
dabs of wax on the wool. Too much wax is a pain to buff out.
6. Let dry until hazy, maybe 15 minutes and buff with a terry cloth
hand towel.
The thinning does two things. It speeds up drying and allows me to lay
down a wet spray that will flatten nicely withouth laying down so much
lacquer that I have a piece that feels like plastic when I'm done. I
love lacquer but I don't like it when it's too thick.
"Leon" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> I'm going to make a bookcase in the near future. To match the finish
>> to other cases I have, I am going to finish it with my favorite finish,
>> Deft.
>>
>> In the past, I've applied Deft in three coats, using steel wool between
>> coats.
>>
>> Is there a better way for me to smooth out the finish between coats?
>> What's the best thing to do to smooth out the final coat?
>>
>> What about these synthetic sanding blocks?
>
> Since the last coat is the coat that you are actually going to feel, IMHO
> no need to sand between coats. Do however lightly scuff the surface with
> fine steel wool to lend a better surface for the following coat to stick
> to. If you absolutely feel the need to sand, do it on the next to last
> coat.
>
You may want to consider the difference between leveling and scuffing.
Between coats is your best time to level by using something like SiC wet/dry
on a block and a bit of lube. Be sure to tack off well.
If you feel you have to dull the surface, the woven abrasive types do it
well, with nothing left sticking into your fingers. The flexible nature of
the abrasive and finger combination will follow contour, not create a plane.
[email protected] wrote:
> I'm going to make a bookcase in the near future. To match the finish
> to other cases I have, I am going to finish it with my favorite
> finish, Deft.
>
> In the past, I've applied Deft in three coats, using steel wool
> between coats.
I like Deft too, never smooth between coats (I usually apply four)
except the next to last. No point in doing so. Depending on the wood,
I might sand the first to knock off wood fibers but not usually.
_______________
> Is there a better way for me to smooth out the finish between coats?
> What's the best thing to do to smooth out the final coat?
Whatever does the job you need doing. Anything flexible (steel wool,
sanding sponges) will conform to the shape to a greater or lesser
degree. Sandpaper on a hard block will "plane". Sandpaper on felt is
twixt and between.
_______________
One point...let the lacquer dry *well* before sanding. That means a
couple of days. Otherwise, you'll be smoothing both thick and thin
areas to the same level...the "thick" will continue drying (and
shrinking) and will wind up lower. Particulary noticeable on open grain
wood.
--
dadiOH
____________________________
dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
...a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
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<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I'm going to make a bookcase in the near future. To match the finish
> to other cases I have, I am going to finish it with my favorite finish,
> Deft.
>
> In the past, I've applied Deft in three coats, using steel wool between
> coats.
>
> Is there a better way for me to smooth out the finish between coats?
> What's the best thing to do to smooth out the final coat?
>
> What about these synthetic sanding blocks?
>
> Thanx in advance.
Since the last coat is the coat that you are actually going to feel, IMHO no
need to sand between coats. Do however lightly scuff the surface with fine
steel wool to lend a better surface for the following coat to stick to. If
you absolutely feel the need to sand, do it on the next to last coat.
On 15 Aug 2005 07:44:12 -0700, "[email protected]" <[email protected]>
wrote:
>I'm going to make a bookcase in the near future. To match the finish
>to other cases I have, I am going to finish it with my favorite finish,
>Deft.
>
>In the past, I've applied Deft in three coats, using steel wool between
>coats.
>
>Is there a better way for me to smooth out the finish between coats?
>What's the best thing to do to smooth out the final coat?
>
>What about these synthetic sanding blocks?
>
>Thanx in advance.
It should, as I remember, be just like brush or spray on poly..
I wait (that's the hard part) until each layer is hard, then go over it with
synthetic steel wool and water... not really trying to put a "tooth" on, but
mainly to smooth any imperfections...
I like to go over the final coat (when it's hard) with the same type wool and
Johnson's wax...
mac
Please remove splinters before emailing
Leon wrote:
> Do however lightly scuff the
> surface with fine steel wool to lend a better surface for the
> following coat to stick to.
It's lacquer...subsequent coats "melt" previous, sanding not needed for
adhesion. Ditto with shellac.
--
dadiOH
____________________________
dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
...a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico
I posted several years ago about how well Deft self leveled and one of
the finishing gurus responded that it shouldn't be thinned with
anything but Deft proprietary thinner UNLESS it was going to be
sprayed, then lacquer thinner was O.K.
On 15 Aug 2005 11:32:57 -0700, "SonomaProducts.com" <[email protected]>
wrote:
>1. I spray with Deft, thinned by 25-30%. I know they say don't thin
>Deft but I do.
On 15 Aug 2005 07:44:12 -0700, "[email protected]"
<[email protected]> wrote:
>I'm going to make a bookcase in the near future. To match the finish
>to other cases I have, I am going to finish it with my favorite finish,
>Deft.
>
>In the past, I've applied Deft in three coats, using steel wool between
>coats.
>
>Is there a better way for me to smooth out the finish between coats?
>What's the best thing to do to smooth out the final coat?
>
>What about these synthetic sanding blocks?
I used some foam pads that were about 1/4" thick today that has
abrasive on the back (marked "Fine", not a grit size) to sand about 50
cabinet doors before a second coat, and those suckers work great.
They are agressive enough to sand through at the corners, so we used
green scotchbrite for the detail areas. Worked really well overall,
and the doors look great.