atratinus Posted October 20, 2014 Report Share Posted October 20, 2014 Hi all, I have my dining table top finished with two coats of Waterlox and it looks great, but I would like a more matte/satin finish. After some research, I have come up with three possibilities: 1. Use Waterlox satin for the final coat. (Duh.) Drawback: price of anything with 'Waterlox' on it. 2. Finishing with a couple more coats of Waterlox original, then rubbing it off with #0000 steel wool. Drawback: possible unevenness in the final sheen. 3. Apply paste wax with steel wool. I wouldn't mind learning this technique as I've never done it before. But from what I've read this process isn't as easy as it looks, is less repairable, and I thought wax was responsible for the white rings from glasses. Thoughts? Thanks, Ryan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
estesbubba Posted October 20, 2014 Report Share Posted October 20, 2014 Long time Waterlox user and I would go with 1. The original is a dream to work with but their satin takes a little more care. I like to use a foam brush and barely overlap each pass. You don't want to overwork any areas as this messes with the flatteners and you'll have areas that are glossy. Never been a fan of rubbing out to change sheen and wax will be a never ending maintenance pain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted October 20, 2014 Report Share Posted October 20, 2014 Stir well when using satin finishes. The flattening agents can settle out. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardA Posted October 20, 2014 Report Share Posted October 20, 2014 Stir well when using satin finishes. The flattening agents can settle out. What Steve said, and I suggest frequently! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted October 20, 2014 Report Share Posted October 20, 2014 Just start using it as a dining table. That gloss will be gone in no time, especially if you have kids in the house! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atratinus Posted October 20, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 20, 2014 Thanks everyone, especially bubba, for pushing me toward what I think I really wanted to do anyway. (After all, I hate refinishing floors that have wax products on them, why would I do it to my own table?) And thanks for the advice on the satin, I knew about the stirring frequently, but I'll put the brushing technique to use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Mosher Posted October 26, 2014 Report Share Posted October 26, 2014 +1 on the satin but I will say that NOTHING and I mean NOTHING feels as nice as a properly rubbed out finish. For a matte finish I would wet sand with a 1000 grit Abralon Pad on a DA sander. The foam backing allows the pad to give an even sheen, and as a plus if you don't like it you can still apply the satin finish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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