bglenden Posted May 21, 2016 Report Share Posted May 21, 2016 Hi - Is there any need to sand between coats of finishes that "melt" into each other like shellac (and lacquer). It seems to me like you could just sand the final coat since there is no need to rough up the surface so the next one will stick to it as you do with polyurethane. Cheers, Brian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gee-dub Posted May 21, 2016 Report Share Posted May 21, 2016 Sanding between is not to provide grip as shellac burns in as you have stated. Unless you have a really boneroo finishing room (I don't) sanding between coats can remove nibs and provide a clearer finish. The effort spent versus the benefit varies with your finishing environment and the finish desired. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post wdwerker Posted May 21, 2016 Popular Post Report Share Posted May 21, 2016 A lot of what needs sanding between coats is imperfections in the surface. Tiny pieces of dust will wick the finish up in that spot and create a bump. The rim of a crack or hole can be raised and magnify the appearance. Cutting off the bumps and high spots with a fine sanding allows the next coat to be smoother. Shellac & lacquer don't need sanding to improve adhesion but every coat over a speck of dust makes the bump grow larger. Flattening the surface and being meticulous at getting every speck of dust off the surface between coats is important. Always be very careful when sanding near corners and tabletop edges when sanding a finish. It is so easy to sand through the finish and the stain or veneer below it which creates a flaw that is very difficult to touch up. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unknown craftsman Posted May 21, 2016 Report Share Posted May 21, 2016 I have a worn out sanding sponge that I use to knock down any dust nibs between coats.Many thin coats is the key. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bglenden Posted May 23, 2016 Author Report Share Posted May 23, 2016 OK, thanks everyone. Looks like my dream of less sanding is not to be :-) Cheers, Brian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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