She has used a clean brush. Check this easy step by step guide how you can remove candle wax from furniture with little effort! Remove all dust with a vacuum and tack cloth before applying the second coat. If you keep on sanding, moving from 100 grit paper- to 200 grit- to 320 grit- to 400- to 600, and to 1000 or 1200 grit, you will be making the scratches finer and finer, until you can move to a polishing rouge- which will make the scratches finer than the wavelengths of visible light- at which point, the surface will become optically … When you apply lacquer, shellac or another quick-drying finish in humid conditions, the finish can turn milky because the moisture trapped in the finish didn't have a chance to evaporate before the finish hardened. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Though it's indoor in a mostly climate controlled area, i still need to keep doors open when finishing to flush the vapors; whish messes with the humidity. If you want the smoothest finish possible, then wait until it is dry, very lightly sand with very fine paper (220 or finer) to remove any dust bumps, wipe it clean with a slightly damp cloth or tact rag, let it dry or buff it dry with a dry cloth, then apply the next coat. Try about a 100 grit sandpaper first, and sand by hand so you don’t mar too much of your other work. Polyurethane requires sanding between coats for two reasons. Instead, you are going to want to do one of two things; Instead, you are going to want to do one of two things; Wet Sand The Wood : This method of sanding involves using water, or some other lubricant, to help remove the scratches as you sand (ideally without marking the surface any further). … Polyurethane doesn't exhibit the same behavior -- not even the water-based type. Having trouble removing Candle Wax from your favorite Furniture? If not, wet sand out any … You will get oil-based and water-based polyurethane in the market. I use a piece of paper bag for sanding between coats to prevent it from happening. Waited the amount of time recommended on the stain before applying a second coat the same way we did the first. The stain came out very nice after using a prestain step. Remove all dust. Also, how do you fix an uneven polyurethane finish? Whether the cloudiness is caused by flattening agent or moisture, if you can't live with it, you'll probably have to strip, scrape or sand the polyurethane varnish and do it over. White spots on polyurethane are generally caused by two things: Not stirring thoroughly enough before applying it, or a buildup of moisture. We used this process for the stain: Sanded … Polyurethane takes hours, not minutes, to dry; that's a lot of time for dust to settle or bugs to land on the surface, marring the final product. I put on two coats and now want to sand before a third. Blushing may also be caused by moisture that was in the wood before you applied the finish. A few tips can help you avoid having this problem happen in the first place: Chris Deziel is a contractor, builder and general fix-it pro who has been active in the construction trades for 40 years. Sand between coats. If you ever do this you won't do it anymore. Lastly, one can use chemical strippers that are very efficient in removing the finish from the wood without harming it. I need to spend more time at 180 grit to ensure I remove all the 100 grit … Wait overnight, then wash the wood clean. Without those bits of dust and grit, it’ll be hard for the next poly coat to bond. After rubbing, let the surface dry and buff the finish with a clean, dry cloth. Then lightly sand entire surface with fine sandpaper (220 grit) to ensure an even finish and proper adhesion. But since the finish looks clear and not cloudy (except surface finish) I think they are in the clear there. Both water-based and oil-based products give off strong fumes as they dry (although oil-based is decidedly worse), so proper ventilation is a must. Dust interferes with adhesion and leaves unsightly bumps in the finish. What does it mean when Wood turns white? The water to 'pop' the grain may have played a part as well, especially since you said you used an oil based stain about 30 minutes after. Accordingly, do you sand after last coat of polyurethane? This type of polyurethane is not as durable andprotecting as the oil based varieties are. Sand with a coarser grain between coats if necessary (150). Hi, I'm working on a project were I applied a water-based polyurethane over a wallpaper to protect it in a high traffic area. There is sanding, which involves using abrasive sandpaper to remove the finish. Minwax ® Fast-Drying Polyurethane is a clear, hard finish that dries fast to protect and beautify interior wood surfaces such as furniture, cabinets, moldings, and doors. Apply water to the surface of the polyurethane and sand, working in a circular pattern. Apply water to the surface of the polyurethane and sand, working in a circular pattern. I vacuumed and wiped it all down, then did a final wipe with a rag and some mineral spirits. She began with sanding and staining. A light coating of finish after sanding disguises the area. After this i applied a coat of Minwax Fast-drying Polyurethane. While preventing the white spots is easier than fixing them, you can fix them by sanding down the high spots and then drawing out the moisture. We did both sides of the desktop like this, and then we waited 24 hours before starting our first coat of poly. And that it looks like the cloudiness is following your brush strokes further confirms my suspicions. They were unfinished and having done refinishing projects in the past she felt this would be a relatively easy and pleasurable project. Sand the uneven finish using … When you finish sanding and find a flaw, you’ll be able to say something like this: “Okay, I see there’s still some swirl marks in the wood, which are 100 grit scratches made with my random orbit sander; I followed that up with some 180 grit hand sanding that apparently didn’t get all of the previous sandpaper’s scratches out. When you sand and rub out the final finish you take off most of the surface which contains the satin. If it stays cloudy, time to start from scratch. Used mineral spirits to remove smudges, buy they are right back with the slightest touch. 11. Adding more finish will just make the cloudiness worse. Oil-based polyurethane should be used if: You want the hardest and most durable finish; You like the … cloudiness is usually from moisture trapped under the clear, but looks different from what you have. do you have any recs for stirring, like an attachment for a hand drill or something like that? This makes it a very resistant finish – able to withstand abrasion, liquids, and even impacts. cloudiness is usually from moisture trapped under the clear, but looks different from what you have. And the final guess at the cause is that you used the fast drying poly on a large surface so you might have caused the cloudiness by straying from the 'keep wet edge' techniques and went over a section that recently 'dried' b/c it is fast drying. If I had to guess, it was improper / not enough stirring. The trick to sanding is to start course, and work your way up to finer grits incrementally. It's normal for the finish to be dull and cloudy after sanding, even if you let it dry 24 days. Noel Noel "Being so impressed with the beauty of nature, I never cease to be amazed at how the 'touch of the human hand' can transform it into another kind of beauty that is so uniquely human. " We're in the midwest, so the weather changes by the hour here. Repeated this until we had finished the coat. When the top coat is applied, the oil in the stain seeps up through the finish and reacts with the acrylic causing a chemical blush. I am using an oil based high gloss brush on ploy. #2 coat with another layer of resin = messy and may require more sanding, a vicious circle. Failing to sand between coats of polyurethane does not have a significant impact on the finish. Thanks again! It will retain the milky appearance as you apply it to the wood, but whenit dries it will be crystal clear. If you've kept a wet edge with applying your last coat of urethane, the job is done. We are trying to finish a desktop made of 100% beech wood (Ikea Gerton) with both a stain followed by polyurethane. You don’t have to stain before you use polyurethane. For protection, two coats are the minimum, but floors and anything else that will see hard wear or occasional moisture should get at least three … If you are going to do that you might as well use a gloss finish. When working with polyurethane, wet sanding is the best way to ensure a smooth finish. 4. It's somewhat the same when using Alumalite - the sanding makes it seem frustratingly cloudy, but when the finish goes on suddenly it's clear as glass. cloudy, but consistent. Buffing is especially valuable for dealing with the nasty side of waterbased urethane – the brush strokes, the bubbles and the less-than-smooth results many people struggle with. Waited 24 hours, and then sanded with 400 and then 600 grit (dry), used a clean rag to remove the dust, and then ran a tack cloth over it to ensure everything was removed. Jump to Latest Follow 1 - 12 of 12 Posts. Sanding after staining will remove the stain in areas creating an un-uniform finish. As we moved up the desk, after we finished each next row of poly, we ran the brush once with the grain on the row we had just done. Before starting, you need to make sure you have decided about the type of polyurethane that you are going to use on your hardwood floor. I was thinking a random orbital sander, but I'm not sure. You may notice an improvement because the oil in the mayonnaise or petroleum jelly leaches moisture out of the finish. First, try a hardwood-floor cleaner (about $4) and buff with a clean cotton rag. Let the bad finish sit for a few days and then go over it with a moist mineral spirit rub. If people decide the changing temperature/humidity is a factor we can move it inside, we just wanted to do it in the garage due to the ventilation (both front and back of garage open) and not having to worry as much about making a mess. Sand until the polyurethane finish is removed. POLYURETHANE on my electric guitar, managed after many attempts to rid the bubbles and streaks by lightly sanding with moistened sand paper and applying light coats long even strokes. I vacuumed up dust then went over with a damp cloth. Types of Polyurethane. First, popping grain before staining isn't necessary b/c it'll pop with the stain/finish. 90% of the time cloudiness in a non-gloss coat is due to stirring. Sand until the polyurethane finish is removed. When the desk is looked at without the glare of a light, it looks great. Then dried it with a dry cloth. I then got nervous and scuffed look and went and bought 400 grit sand paper (and a new bristle brush) and lightly sanded first side again with that. Well, we sand between coats of polyurethane so that each successive coat of poly has something to adhere to. The risk in sanding after six hours is it could have rolled up the finish like chewing gum leaving a hole in the finish. From my experience mixing urethane casting compounds, these materials are very sensitive to moisture contamination. Keep sanding polyurethane until it feels smooth. After applying the first two coats of polyurethane, it is important to remove any blemishes in the dried polyurethane by both wet sanding and using a razor blade. If the finish has been drying for several hours and feels hard to the touch, though, you've got a problem because there is no easy way to correct a buildup of flattening agent. Repeat these steps until the desired level of protection is achieved. Apply Your Subsequent Coats. I found a local auto body shop supplier with a good selection of 3M wet/dry papers. If third coat is desired, repeat step 5 before application. If you decide to do something like this again - you can avoid this entirely by only using full gloss and rubbing it down to your desired sheen - or minimizing it by using full gloss for everything but the final coat and using (well-stirred) semi-gloss just for the final coat. Spray a lacquer finish that has blushed with a mixture of 1 part lacquer and 1 part lacquer thinner. Most folks start with too fine a paper and end up spending hours just trying to average the surface out fair. Reapply the finish per label directions, stirring the product as you work. Be sure to allow adequate dry time. cloudy poly finish after sanding. To create a satin or matte finish, manufacturers add a flattening agent -- usually zinc oxide -- which disperses reflected light and cuts the gloss out of the sheen. If the cloudiness isn't widespread, and it's caused by moisture, a simple trick may help: Cover the affected area with mayonnaise or petroleum jelly. A DIYer by nature, Deziel regularly shares tips and tricks for a better home and garden at Hunker.com. I have experimented with ways to fix cloudy resin pieces after sanding. Let’s look at how we can create a final smooth touch to our poly … It’s also important to know the type of polyurethane used as a finish to have a better chance of finding the right method to remove it. Hunker may earn compensation through affiliate links in this story. And if you must use something to check the grain pop or to check for sanding swirls prior to finishing you should use mineral spirits. Apply the polyurethane finish lightly to the brush, making sure to wipe off any extra. sanding leaves tiny little scratches that refract and diffuse light. When the finish is hazy, you made one of two mistakes: Before getting upset, check whether the polyurethane has actually dried. Not good for a … Re: Minwax fast drying polyurethane dries to white haze : bw: 2/14/09 10:52 AM wrote in message news:f739840b-4afe-4c63-a172-18575e71bae2@z28g2000prd.googlegroups.com... Actually, the shine killers that break the reflectivity are usually some type of silica, flat ground to the manufacturer's specs. Don’t sand after you apply wood stain. Polyurethane is a coating applied by brush to wood surfaces (usually tabletops) to create a shiny surface that also acts as protection against scratches. With 4 coats they have plenty of room for a good sanding and recoat after the piece has sat for a good week to off gas. If you want a natural wood finish, you can skip the stain. Let dry. Blushing might occur on occasion when applying polyurethane. It's been about 2 hours, and this is where I'm stumped. Never white. At any time during the process, it’s recommended that you not use steel wool, because it can leave small particles that will rust in the finish. Sanding between coats of polyurethane is not always necessary, but as this product dries so … I am now applying the poly. Jump to Latest Follow 1 - 5 of 5 Posts. The most common reason is an incompatible stain. Sanding through all the grits to 220 grit won’t improve the finish one bit. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast, /r/finishing is a forum that encourages the respectful exchange of wood or metal finishing knowledge and projects, Press J to jump to the feed. After drying, I then put on the first coat. Just don't finish your work outdoors, where you can't control dust, bugs, and other flying finish-ruiners. You shouldn't have to sand the final coat. When I bought the polyurethane, the guy at the paint store said using a regular roller was fine and forgot to mention that I should use a low nap. Both water- and oil-based polyurethane are varnishes, and they dry to a naturally glossy finish. Cloudy or dull Polyurethane? The first coat looked great however successive coats turned white and cloudy in areas. 6 Do You Sand The Final Coat Of Polyurethane? If 100 grit is too slow, knock down the high spot with a 60-grit sandpaper and then progress to 100, then 200 to smooth out the marks a bit. This is true for oak, pine or any other type of wood. From your comment and others, I think we will take this plan of attack: Stain without popping the grain first. You can then wipe the surface with a damp cloth and dry it thoroughly with a clean, lint-free cloth. Polyurethane finishes sometimes look appearing the cloudy because of the number of reasons such as finish applied over the wood surface was old. They come out of the molds looking lovely, with said glass-like shine, but when I sand away the excess pieces, I cant seem to restore the gloss to the sanded portions. Apply with wet edge techniques, and wait 48-72 hours before applying second coat. Not sure what you used, but that could factor into the problem. The recommended wait time on the can is for ideal conditions. If the finish is applied over the surface that is not properly cleaned or has oil over it that will also result in the cloudy appearance. He worked as an expert consultant with eHow Now and Pro Referral -- a Home Depot site. Second coat of urethane (straight) followed by sanding with 300+ grit sandpaper, repeat tack cloth and wipedown with alcohol. My floor is an old 1950s pine wood floor that was sealed with shellac. Note: The compound has a fine abrasive that’ll remove any scratches left by the 400-grit sandpaper and restore the luster in the polyurethane finish. It's pretty hard to screw up wood by hand sanding with fine grits. If you’re lucky, the white spot is high enough on the finish that you … Sanding after staining will remove the stain in areas creating an … I applied 3 coats of the stain and everything looked fine and I was happy with my efforts. These will easily … Wait 24-48 hours for stain to dry. Sanding can potentially leave a cloudy or scuffed looking surface to your polyurethane finish. In our case, the moisture came from using wooden stir sticks. Sand Between Coats. Polyurethane. The acrylic resins cause the liquid to appear cloudy or milky in thecan. The color comes from the emulsion that carries the resins. She has used mineral spirits as a solvent to clean the brush or in a rag as a tack cloth. Once it's dry, it won't re-emulsify. When you finish sanding and find a flaw, you’ll be able to say something like this: “Okay, I see there’s still some swirl marks in the wood, which are 100 grit scratches made with my random orbit sander; I followed that up with some 180 grit hand sanding that apparently didn’t get all of the previous sandpaper’s scratches out. Apply an even coat of stain to … Use a cloth dampened with mineral spirits on oil-based finishes; use a water-dampened cloth on water-based finishes. If you're using water-based material, it's common for it to appear milky before it dries. If you can wipe it off with a dry rag, that's all it is. Lightly sand the piece with 220-grit sandpaper, if cloudiness persists. Let dry 4-6 hours. Lightly sand the piece with 220-grit sandpaper, if cloudiness persists. Some days it has been warm (80 degrees), other days it has been cold (50 degrees), with varying degrees of humidity. Only use water before finishing to raise the grain on wood like maple for one last sanding, give the water a few hours or over night to dry. Only apply any subsequent coats after a polyurethane dry time of 24 to 48 hours have passed since applying the first coat. Polyurethane finish cloudy. Using 220-grit paper helps ensure good adhesion and smooths away imperfections. I recently sanded 3/4 of my floor in my house. Think of it like paint - you need to keep those in suspension evenly as you finish. Hey all, Im fairly new to working with resin and I cant figure out how to get a glass-like shine on my pieces after sanding them down. Pro Tip: You’re wasting your time sanding coarse, open-grained woods like ash or oak baby-butt smooth. Pro tip: If the finish is still a bit cloudy, apply more automotive polishing compound using the same method. 400 and 600 grit is WAY to fine of a grit between coats of poly. IF you don't stir enough and keep stirring as you use the can, you're going to accumulate flatteners on the bottom of the can and it leads to cloudier and cloudier coats. Switch polys to a non fast drying. It is available in gloss, semi-gloss, and a satinfinish. Look closely, at eye level, across the surface of the dried polyurethane for any bumps or dust specks. First, it will smooth out any roughness and debris that may have gotten into the finish. Buffing can create a glass-smooth finish, even after polyurethane has been applied not-too-well with nothing more than a brush in an ordinary home workshop. If the stain remains, you'll have to sand off the polyurethane and perhaps sand the wood itself. Rushing the dry time can cause "blush," which is clouding in the finish due to moisture trapped … I get the best result building or refinishing furniture when I thin oil based urethane 3 parts urethane- 1 part mineral spirits for the first coat. Second, polyurethane doesn’t have real good intercoat adhesion. These are the steps we took for the poly: Removed lid and stirred poly to ensure it was well mixed. She began with sanding and staining. Polyurethane is a very durable varnish made up of microscopically small links of resin that fuse as they are exposed to dry air. The work has … Place a rubber sanding block with 320-grit wet/dry sandpaper on it into the pan. Neither of us have had any experience in woodworking or finishing in the past, so we are taking this as a learning experience. Sanding Polyurethane Between Coats (image source) Stain or No Stain. Polyurethane waterproof coating is a reaction curing type (moisture curing) coating, which has the characteristics of high strength, large elongation and good water resistance. I generally start at 80 grit and end with 100 or 120 grit. Polyurethane is confusing me. A light sanding between coats will promote adhesion of the subsequent coats. (Skip the stain if you intend to leave your workpiece natural-color.) When the finish is hazy, it's usually a buildup of zinc oxide, which is used as a flattening agent. Apply stain and poly Move to a low-dust setting: somewhere without lots of foot traffic and with dust-free surfaces. These will easily … Posted by 1 year ago. Then gave it 15-20 mins to air … Never white. After the final coat had cured for a couple of days, I started the wet sand process. Lightly Sand With Pads and Paper. Thanks in advance! Wipe after sanding. jon_ID | Posted in Finishing on May 20, 2009 08:01am My finance recently bought two solid maple doors for her basement. Brush the sanded area off with a soft cloth to remove all traces of dirt and grit from the sanding. If you do stain, you don’t want to sand after the stain application, before the first coat of polyurethane. After applying the first two coats of polyurethane, it is important to remove any blemishes in the dried polyurethane … Robert. Does anyone have any advice? Sand Between Coats of Polyurethane – on Floor & Wood Furniture: What type of product do I need to use? You apply the final coat, let it dry and you're done. The very first coat is the one that will need the most sanding (if you want your finish to be as even as possible). If the surface does receive light scratches after application, it is usually only in the layers of polyurethane and not the wood surface itself. You can spot-sand down to bare wood with 100-grit sandpaper, and spot-recoat with polyurethane matched to the gloss of the existing finish (use an oil-based polyurethane to patch an existing oil-based finish, and a water-based poly to … For example, using a water-based topcoat over an oil-based based stain. Applying another coat of finish won't remove the cloudiness as it does when you're applying lacquer because, unlike lacquer, polyurethane cures. Hello everyone, We are trying to finish a desktop made of 100% beech wood (Ikea Gerton) with both a stain followed by polyurethane. For future reference - everything that is not a full-gloss finish has flatteners added to it to decrease the sheen. I thought each successive coat of poly would fill in the cracks made by the sanding, and we wanted a smooth desktop, but perhaps this cloudiness is remnants from the sanding? Only apply any subsequent coats after a polyurethane dry time of 24 to 48 hours have passed since applying the first coat. Polycrylic dries faster than polyurethane, so brush or lap marks can become a problem, making … Neither of us have had any experience in woodworking or finishing in the past, so we are taking this as a learning experience. With your workpiece wiped clean, apply stain, photo below. This material collects at the bottom of the can, which is why it's important to stir well before using it. Then I used Minwax wood finish stain (colonial maple). In our professional shop we use used 100 grit or used 120 grit. Sanding Polyurethane Between Coats. Polyurethane finish cloudy. My advice would be to give it a good week to sit and give the poly time to harden/off gas. My shop is an indoor basement shop in the sticky southeast. How do you dissolve polyurethane from wood? Anyone have any ideas of what we did wrong? If you decide to remove it, use stripper first, then sand. Oil-based: Has a warm color of amber … It gets dull because the sandpaper scratches the finish, just like you used a piece of sandpaper on a sheet of plexiglass. Even so, I still advise that you sand between the coats when applying polyurethane as this will help increase the adhesion between the layers to give you a more level finish. Next, mix two parts polyurethane with one part mineral spirits and brush it onto the wood to seal it. I'm unsure if this is your issue, but the chemistry is probably similar. https://homeguides.sfgate.com/troubleshoot-polyurethane-99578.html Keep sanding polyurethane until it feels smooth. It gets dull because the sandpaper scratches the finish, just like you used a piece of sandpaper on a sheet of plexiglass. The sanding probably knocked the sheen down a bit and you can get it ack with another light coat of poly. What you see there is from the sanding. Minwax is ok but not top of the line. Apply second coat. It's easier to strip the finish off … Also, consider using ... Humidity can also sometimes cause some clear finishes to blush, or take on a whitish, cloudy haze after they are applied to the wood. Final coat of straight urethane. Jump to Latest Follow 1 - 12 of 12 Posts. The polyurethane will sand easily, so be careful not to sand through the thin coat and damage the stain or wood underneath. * Fast-Drying … #3 clear fingernail polish = YES this works and it’s quick, easy, and … I don't think they will need to sand it down. Often, once the humid weather stops, the blush will go away as the moisture evaporates. Another reason for the cloudy finish is that the Polyurethane was stored in an extremely cold or hot place. I'll let a piece sit for a few days if needed before applying more coats instead of the suggested 24 hours or what not. Sand with 220 grit after first coat and wipe down with a tack cloth. Thank you very much for your reply! Change fast-drying poly for regular poly. 3. Using a stiff foam block purchased from the same store as the papers, I began with 1000-grit, liberally spraying the surface with water containing a little bit of dish soap (I used Dawn and it worked fine). I then sanded second side with 400 grit. Does the process we took appear sound? I've sanded down the original finish to bare wood down to 220 grit paper. After it's sanded and cleaned, I would use straight up polyurethane, not the fast drying variety, I can't stand that stuff for finishing personally. I am staining and finishing new luan doors. I usually put on two light coats of poly and sand with a fine sanding sponge after the second coat is dry to knock down any nubs. After you’ve applied your polyurethane and let it dry completely, fill a plastic spray bottle with cool tap water. When in doubt, go longer. Sanding down the rough texture of the first coat of poly before applying the second coat. Let it dry. Archived. Place a rubber sanding block with 320-grit wet/dry sandpaper on it into the pan. 2. Sand down the brush marks lightly with the fine-grit sandpaper. By creating an account you agree to the Hunker, You applied material from the bottom of the can rich in flattening agent that had. Then placed another coat using steps 1 and 2 again. The water may have surface dried, but it very well could have been damp just below the surface depending on how thirsty the wood was. When I sand by hand using 220 paper the finish is nice and smooth but cloudy. After switching to plastic stir sticks our porosity and cloudy appearance problem went away. Lightly mist the surface with water so you can sand down the finish more efficiently. I use a piece of paper bag for sanding between coats to prevent it from happening. After sanding 36 40 120 and applying stain I ran into a small problem where some grains looked shinny almost wet but were dry to the touch. If we needed to use new paper, it would be 150 or 180, never higher. Then I used 100 grit sand paper to sand the surface followed by sanding with finer grit paper (180 and finally with 220). always looks smudgy with any touch even after drying for a week. It's normal for the finish to be dull and cloudy after sanding, even if you let it dry 24 days. Don’t let the white film bug you! If the finish is still wet, just wait -- the milkiness should disappear. To apply polyurethane, start by removing any old finish from the wood and sanding it down so that it’s completely smooth. When it came to the final finish she applied coats or Minwax polyurethane. cloudy polyurethane. When it came to the final finish she applied coats or Minwax polyurethane.