Mzdadoc Posted October 5, 2014 Report Share Posted October 5, 2014 I'm reading to finish my Adirondack chairs I made for my wife and I. I sanded to 220 before I took a finish class where I was told now sand with 150 before finish. What kind of sanding are we talking? Make pencil marks and sand until gone? Or a simple once over to open pores but not remove a ton of material? Lastly how can you tell what's enough? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted October 5, 2014 Report Share Posted October 5, 2014 Very light pencil marks with the side of the point and and 150 grit with the grain direction should do just fine. I blow the dust out with compressed air, but a vac works just as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mzdadoc Posted October 7, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 7, 2014 Also when using this varnish I was told to dilute it down but I didn't write down how much to dilute it. Any ideas???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boatworks Today Posted October 7, 2014 Report Share Posted October 7, 2014 Possible thinning depends on how it's being applied. Indoors with no breeze there is typically no need to thin the build coats unless it's a half empty can that 's been sitting for a while (the solvents slowly evaporate). Use a badger style brush and don't over-work it. There will likely be small bubbles after the initial stroke or two but the film will stay open long enough for them to pop and level out. *** Just remember that the more you work the material the faster the solvents evaporate making it more likely that bubbles will not pop and flow out .*** Applying outdoors where there may be a breeze or warm temps is where adding thinner may come into play. Initial coats should be thinned 50% to ensure a good bond with the wood. Subsequent coats can be thinned 25% then 10%. The more solvent you add per coat, the thinner the cured film will be, resulting in needing to apply more coats than if less thinner was used for proper protection. Vertical surfaces also benefit from thinner coats as there is less likelihood of sags and runs. You can use Epifanes thinner or mineral spirits from the hardware store. I think epifanes adds a little kerosene to their mix. I've found using straight spirits can result in a slightly darker color tone for some reason (which I personally prefer). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mzdadoc Posted October 8, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 8, 2014 Thank you Boatworks I will follow your advise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mzdadoc Posted October 11, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 11, 2014 I just applied my first coat and I mixed it with 25% mineral spirits. I'm hoping it stays this beautiful rich color!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boatworks Today Posted October 12, 2014 Report Share Posted October 12, 2014 It will get better with each coat 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mzdadoc Posted October 18, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 18, 2014 Another question before I get started today. Sanding before coats? What grit? I have 600 wet/dry sand paper. When it's no longer tacky or can you keep sanding/applying coats if tacky? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted October 18, 2014 Report Share Posted October 18, 2014 Wait until it has hardened. I use 320 grit between coats. If you sand too early if gums up the sandpaper and can smear the finish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trip Posted October 18, 2014 Report Share Posted October 18, 2014 BW’s given you the straight dope… I’ll just add the perspective of a lazy sod… For outdoor pieces, I seal with a couple coats of CPES (BW uses 206/7 – same diference), then a coat of Epifanes thinned 50%, then a coat thinned 25%, then straight for three more coats… I use RhynoSoft 320 sanding pads between coats: http://www.2sand.com/en/rhynosoft-pads-4-1-2-x-5-1-2-whiteline-individual-320.html. BTW: 2sand has pretty good prices on sanding belts for your wide-belt boys… Norton also makes good sanding sponges, but they are 4x expensive over Rhyno. I only use Norton's on carvings, conservation, etc projects... BTW: don’t use ScotchBright for inter-coat scuff sanding… I’m not sure how that nonsense got started, but you need to cleave the nibs and establish a scratch pattern – not just move the surface around a bit… SB is great for applying wax to your stationary iron, but not much else... OK, that's not quite fair, white SB is pretty good for final nib removal... Here’s the lazy part: I add a dollop of JapanD, Epifanes accelerator, whatever: http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/show_product.do?pid=4112&familyName=Epifanes+Accelerator+for+Paint+and+Varnishhttp://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/show_product.do?pid=3995 Point is… I’m too lazy to wait 24+++hrs between coats… I want two coats a day, and some sort of accelerator/dryer is the way to get there. It also helps with temp excursion… BTW: here’s a project with that schedule: Have fun... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom King Posted October 19, 2014 Report Share Posted October 19, 2014 I like the Norton sand dollar disks so much between floor finish coats, that I cut up a used yellow one, rinsed it out good, and use it between coats of almost anything now. They probably sell the same thing under another name in another form, but I already had these. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trip Posted October 19, 2014 Report Share Posted October 19, 2014 The Nortons are nice. In a cost-no-object world, that's all I'd use... I just finished a conservation job on a large 18C carved Walnut sideboard -- great beast of a thing... Consumed about $80 in just Norton pads... They really are the best I've used,... RynoSoft are OK, they last quite some time (the real drawback to the Nortons) and about 1/4 the cost of Nortons. I use Rhyno about 80% of the time and keep my supply of Norton for the important jobs... Assuming they keep color consistant across SKUs (yellow), then you're probably using 320. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom King Posted October 19, 2014 Report Share Posted October 19, 2014 The Norton SAnd Dollar disks come in a box or 4 for $24 from my flooring supplier. the ones I get are 16 inch diameter for my floor buffer. they're about 1/4 inch thick foam with abrasive on both sides. on a floor, even if the floor has some irregularities in it, it will not cut in anywhere, scalp high spots, and they leave a perfectly swirl-free finish. 320 sounds about right for the yellow, but I haven't checked anywhere. my supplier doesn't stock the green ones, which are finer than the yellow, but the yellow leaves an amazing finish quickly on anything ready for another coat. they last a long time too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom King Posted October 19, 2014 Report Share Posted October 19, 2014 it seems to me that they are finer than the stated grit: http://store.phillyfloor.com/products/ABRASIVES/BET_COATS/NT_SAND_DOLLAR.aspx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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