The easiest way to avoid it, is as the other poster mentioned, use
wipe-on. Just thin it 50% with mineral spirits.
If you us a brush, use these steps to avoid bubbles, rope lines, etc.
1. Don't pickup bubbles into the brush. If you have bubbles on top of
the can, push them aside with a stick before dipping the brush.
2. Use "tipping off". This is a technique where the final stroke of the
brush is made with the brush exactly perpendicular (90 degrees) to the
surface and just lightly stroking the very tip of the brush across the
surface to flatten and scrape any bubbles away.
On Tue, 15 Feb 2005 11:27:39 -0800, "Al" <[email protected]>
wrote:
>Anyone got any suggestions on how to get rid of air bubbles in the poly? No
>matter how many coats, or what kind of brush I use, I can't get rid of them
>and they turn into ugly pits in the finish.
>
The only way to eliminate bubbles in poly is to use shellac.
Then use spar varnish.
Only crackers use poly.
Cracker wanna poly?
seriously, Abe
plaid wooddoctor and bon vivant
> Anyone got any suggestions on how to get rid of air bubbles in the poly?
> No matter how many coats, or what kind of brush I use, I can't get rid of
> them and they turn into ugly pits in the finish.
If you must brush poly, use a brush that doesn't have flagged bristle tips.
Put it on a bit on the thick side and use slow strokes with minimal overlap.
Hi Al,
I was never satisfied with my finishes with brush-on
poly - even with great (expensive) brushes. I am sure
it is "operator error" of some sort.
When I switched to Minwax wipe-on poly, I was really
pleased with the finishes I achieved. I wipe on
(using bounty paper towels no less) several coats (sometimes
as many as 6 or 7) - rub down with #0000 steel wool
between.
Shake the can, pour it on the towel, wipe it on. It is
fullproof IMHO - made for hobbyists.
Even Norm uses the stuff!
Lou
In article <[email protected]>, Al
<[email protected]> wrote:
> Anyone got any suggestions on how to get rid of air bubbles in the poly? No
> matter how many coats, or what kind of brush I use, I can't get rid of them
> and they turn into ugly pits in the finish.
>
>
Tue, Feb 15, 2005, 11:27am (EST-3) [email protected] (Al) wonders:
Anyone got any suggestions on how to get rid of air bubbles in the poly?
No matter how many coats, or what kind of brush I use, I can't get rid
of them and they turn into ugly pits in the finish.
Sounds like you're leaving some details out. I brush on
water-base poly, with no problems. What kike do you use? What's your
technique? You shaking it? Or stirring it? Might want to call the
1-800 number on the can and ask.
JOAT
Intellectual brilliance is no guarantee against being dead wrong.
- David Fasold
"Al" <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:
> Anyone got any suggestions on how to get rid of air bubbles in the
> poly? No matter how many coats, or what kind of brush I use, I can't
> get rid of them and they turn into ugly pits in the finish.
>
>
I've got an old book called the Furniture Doctor by George Grotz. In it he
says that the way to prevent bubbles in a varnish finish is to thin
with just a dab of mineral spirits. It works for me.
Don
"loutent" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:150220052015542119%[email protected]...
> Hi Al,
>
> I was never satisfied with my finishes with brush-on
> poly - even with great (expensive) brushes. I am sure
> it is "operator error" of some sort.
>
> When I switched to Minwax wipe-on poly, I was really
> pleased with the finishes I achieved. I wipe on
> (using bounty paper towels no less) several coats (sometimes
> as many as 6 or 7) - rub down with #0000 steel wool
> between.
>
I also endorse minwax wop, but highly recommend using a rag rather than a
paper towel. It just works better.
> Shake the can, pour it on the towel, wipe it on. It is
> fullproof IMHO - made for hobbyists.
>
> Even Norm uses the stuff!
>
> Lou
>
> In article <[email protected]>, Al
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> Anyone got any suggestions on how to get rid of air bubbles in the poly?
>> No
>> matter how many coats, or what kind of brush I use, I can't get rid of
>> them
>> and they turn into ugly pits in the finish.
>>
>>
Abe Normranson wrote:
>> On Tue, 15 Feb 2005 11:27:39 -0800, "Al" <[email protected]>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Anyone got any suggestions on how to get rid of air bubbles in the
>>> poly? No matter how many coats, or what kind of brush I use, I
>>> can't get rid of them and they turn into ugly pits in the finish.
>>>
I'm sure I just read something that said to use a hair dryer on the bubbles
but can't remember where. Unless you (or I or anyone) have had a lot of
experience it has to be smart to treat a couple of chunks the wood you are
using the same as you are treating the finished product and then you have
something to experiment on when the results are surprising.
Josie
Jeff Jewitt suggests Viva paper towels as they don't have a texture.
On Tue, 15 Feb 2005 20:15:54 -0500, loutent <[email protected]> wrote:
>I was never satisfied with my finishes with brush-on
>poly - even with great (expensive) brushes. I am sure
>it is "operator error" of some sort.
>
>When I switched to Minwax wipe-on poly, I was really
>pleased with the finishes I achieved. I wipe on
>(using bounty paper towels no less) several coats (sometimes
>as many as 6 or 7) - rub down with #0000 steel wool
>between.