skiflyer Posted October 28, 2018 Report Share Posted October 28, 2018 Birch veneer plywood. 2 coats of General Finishes Gel stain on top of that. Just gave the Arm-R-Seal (semi-gloss) 24 hours to dry, and it has a lot of little bumps. They don't appear to be dust or contaminants, but just bubbles in the finish. First time using this stuff, so hoping for some guidance - I'm just planning to sand and put on the next coat once it's smooth, but wanted to make sure I'm not overlooking anything. Tried my best to capture on photo, but this is more a angle of the light/rub your hand over it kind of description. Per instructions, the seal was stirred constantly during application, put on with a foam brush, and the bubbles did seem to appear right as the seal was going on. Thanks for any thoughts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..Kev Posted October 28, 2018 Report Share Posted October 28, 2018 I apply with an old t-shirt and wipe in long strokes full width of the panel. Sand with 400 between coats to remove those little nibs. Welcome to the forums! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chet Posted October 28, 2018 Report Share Posted October 28, 2018 It sounds to me like maybe you are be stirring it to vigorously and creating air bubbles in the finish. You don't want to stir it like paint, you need to be gentle with the stir process. I use tongue depressor to stir and all you want to do is stir it enough to keep the flattener suspended. And as Kev mentioned an old tee shirt square folded in to a small pad will serve you better then the foam brush. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dknapp34 Posted October 28, 2018 Report Share Posted October 28, 2018 It also looks to me like it may have been applied too thickly. A thick coat will be more likely to get air bubbles and other imperfections in it. Multiple thin coats are best, and it’s hard to do that with a foam brush. I would sand down through the entire first coat and start over. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gee-dub Posted October 28, 2018 Report Share Posted October 28, 2018 Many nibs come from airborne dust settling on the still-sticky finish. I schedule my finishing first thing in the morning so the room has had all night to "settle". Given the intensity of your finish's look, I would prep a test board the same way you prepared your ply and do a test to see if that is the culprit. I am always more than willing to spend a couple more days on something that is going to be around for years in order to get it right. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted October 28, 2018 Report Share Posted October 28, 2018 Arm-R-Seal isn't available to me from any local source, so I tend to use Minwax wipe-on poly. Wipe on formulations are really designed to be "wiped" on, not brushed. Some folks use a brush to flood the surface, but it should then be wiped back with a rag. I feel that method wastes too much product. My preference is to pour a puddle on the surface, and use a pretty small t-shirt rag, folded or rolled to form a pad, to rub it in. Work quickly, cover the surface, then use the saturated pad to wipe lightly along the grain, eliminating "brush" marks. Allow to dry (8 hrs works in my environment), the lightly sand with the grain, 400 grit or higher, to remove dust nibs and level the surface. Depending on the desired level of protection, 3 to 6 coats may be required. One observation: the first coat over bare wood soaks in quickly and dries similarly to subsequent coats. However, if applied over an oil-based stain, even with the stain cured 24 hrs, the poly will need 16 to 24 hrs to harden enough for light sanding. Later coats are good after 8 hrs. * All drying times apply to environmental conditions of an open-air work space in West TN. YMMV. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drzaius Posted October 28, 2018 Report Share Posted October 28, 2018 I think sanding it all off is a little radical. Just give it a couple of days to cure before sanding back to smooth. As @wtnhighlander said, the first coat always seems to dry pretty rough. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skiflyer Posted October 28, 2018 Author Report Share Posted October 28, 2018 Thanks all, feedback is great. We let cure 36 hours, sanded to smooth, and the second coat is going better with the t-shirt. I'll come back with a pic after a few more coats. Thanks again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronn W Posted October 29, 2018 Report Share Posted October 29, 2018 For my 2 cents worth, I think that the stain was not given enough time to dry. I say that because I have wiped on ARS in thin coats by wiping it off completely. I have used the staturated rag wipe off method for a thicker coat and, for table tops I have applied with a foam brush with great results. Never had any bubbles like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
estesbubba Posted November 1, 2018 Report Share Posted November 1, 2018 On 10/28/2018 at 7:59 PM, Ronn W said: For my 2 cents worth, I think that the stain was not given enough time to dry. I agree - with how thick gel stain is I would wait 48-72 hours before applying any topcoats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted November 1, 2018 Report Share Posted November 1, 2018 I 2nd that ! Gel stain is thick x 2 coats = a lot of pigment & binder sitting on the surface. Put a piece of paper on the stained surface & rub, if stain transfers off let it dry longer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skiflyer Posted November 1, 2018 Author Report Share Posted November 1, 2018 Definitely wasn't a lack of dry time, it was about just over a week! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AceHoleInOne Posted November 6, 2018 Report Share Posted November 6, 2018 I don't see any issue here, just a first coat which can be a little rough. Next time on first coat. Apply the ARS straight from the can. Let is sit for just a moment to get the wood wet and drink some in. Then go over it with paper towel and wipe it back getting all the excess off. That should help for a smoother first coat. (I'm not saying to drown the wood on first coat ) That way you have less sanding vs having to sand a thick 1st coat which may dry a little bumpy and lumpy. -Ace- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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