So I’m working on finishing my wife’s Mothers Day box. I went with Marc‘s varnish/oil/mineral spirits blend (1 part each), but as I was applying the first coat I saw that there was something all solidified in my mixture, and it wouldn’t blend with the rest. I went ahead and finished the coat and emailed Marc for his take. He thought that maybe the varnish had already cured, so I went and bought some new varnish. No problems on this batch.
So after applying a second coat, I really like the rich color that the wood is taking on. However, there are some spots on the surface that appear dull. I’m not sure what’s causing it. And I don’t know if I can fix it on the next coat or if I have to sand it down a little more to go back a coat or two and start over. Here’s a pic of the top. I think you can see what I’m talking about, near the bottom left of the center panel (click to zoom):
Is this something that will fix itself as the finish cures? It was sitting for about 16-20 hours after the second coat before I took this picture.
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June 21, 2008 at 7:43 am
Luke Townsley
Well, obviously something was different with that spot. Either the finish that was applied to that spot was a bit different, was applied differently, or more likely, the wood substrate was different.
I am no expert on finishing, but I would hazard a guess that there was something on the wood in that spot. Most likely there is some glue that was later scraped off or wiped off that still left some residue. Some waxes and silicons that you might have applied to your tools can cause problems like that also.
June 21, 2008 at 4:28 pm
Marc
Glad the new varnish worked out better for you. Here are a few things to consider:
Many wood surfaces will have a tendency to absorb finish unevenly. Its just the nature of the beast. In most cases though, the first coat or two will seal the surface and eventually you will be able to build a nice even and consistent sheen. It looks to me like your box just happens to be thirsty. The oil/varnish blend you are using doesn’t contain much varnish, and two coats probably wasn’t enough to completely seal everything up and start building the film.
What I would do at this point is lightly sand the entire surface with 320 grit. Then start using a different formula. Leave the oil out of the mix. Its really not going to offer you much at this point. Go with a straight wiping varnish (50% varnish/50% mineral spirits) and wipe on one coat at a time until you get the look you’re after. Wipe in smooth strokes to create a nice even layer of finish, and do not wipe off the excess. I would also recommend going for a semi-gloss or better yet satin since wood with big open pores tends to look funny with a real glossy finish.
Hope that helps….
marc
July 1, 2008 at 3:20 am
Finishing Fun « Adventures in Woodworking
[...] 1, 2008 in Workin’ the Wood | Tags: finishing, sanding, wiping varnish | Well, after my last post I decided to back up a step. I sanded down a bit with 360 grit, and then without thinking I wiped [...]