Now I know why you guys enjoy woodworking so much!

[Warbird]

I just got done applying the first coat of an oil based polyurethane to the window sills/stools I have been working on, and I'm still lightheaded!  Applying the second coat in a few hours should be fun.  I can't believe how fumey that stuff is.  I even had both the garage doors open!

[Warbird]

Got the second coat on the top and bottom pieces.  Not sure I like how shiny it is right now.  The finish sure did make the grain pop out, though.  It feels good to be making something. 

[CHARLIE]

High gloss varnish is more durable than flat or satin varnish.  What I do is apply a coat or two of high gloss first and then the final coat is flat or satin.

[Warbird]

Thanks for the suggestion, Charlie.

[tyb525]

Oil based fumes have never seemed to bother me much  ??? not sure if that is good or not :P. I always try to keep a windows open and a fan going when I'm using it though.

[Warbird]

Bah.  the directions on the can said that if you waited about 4 hours then you could put the second coat on without having to sand first.  The second coat didn't turn out pretty on some of them so now I'm going to have to sand it down (with 220 grit?) then try to apply a third coat perfectly.

I am using foam brushes that mostly seem to work okay.  I'm really starting to hate polyurethane.  What do I do if the final coat has imperfections??

[tyb525]

The purpose of sanding the first coat (and every coat in between) is to level it, remove any dust nibs, etc. Plus it gives the polyurethane something to adhere to, as it is not a "burn-in" finish. Last coat not perfect? I would just sand (I use #000 steel wool), and put on another coat. I wouldn't point fans on it, they tend to blow dust.  ;)

[LeeB]

Sand with 220 and then 320 before the next coat so you level the last coat. I usually spray so all I can tell you is what i read. I myself don't care for the foam brushes, as I never seem to be able to lay down a nice coat with them. Try a natural fiber brush and "tip off" after each stroke. Tipping off is to lightly make another stroke with just the very tip of the brush held pretty much straight up and down. Don't over do it  or you'll make more af a mess to fix. Don't load up your brush too heavy either. Dip your brush in thinner before you start so it will load better. If you need another coat after the third one, let the preveous coat dry over night and then lighthly scuff sand with 320 before the next coat. You can buff out the last coat with 0000 steel wool to take off some of the shean if you don't like the high gloss look.

Looks tyb beat me to it. I'll post any way

[Radar67]

My best advice is to go buy a good oil based brush, something like a Purdy. A foam brush is not going to get you a good finish. Even with a high quality bristle brush, you will still have to buff the finish with 0000 fine steel wool to smooth it out. Then you can buff it to gloss with a quality soft cloth.

Note: I usually hand rub poly or oil to get a quality finish. Anywhere from 3 to 10 coats depending on what I'm working on. The final finish is only going to be as good as the sanded finish you start with.

[Warbird]

Wow, thanks for all the advice guys.  Radar, what do you use to hand rub the poly on?  Any special sort of rag?

[Radar67]

I use an old tee shirt or cloth baby diaper, anything that will not leave a trail of lint is fine.

[LeeB]

The heavy duty disposable shop towels that come in a dispenser box, think paper towels on steroids, also work pretty well. Again, wet whichever you use, wet with a little thinner first to help it load up with finish better and lay down a more even coat. If you're gonna use a rub on finish you will need to thin your finish by about 25%. Wipe an even stroke and if your pad starts  to drag you need to rewet/reload it with more finish.

[beenthere]

............ The final finish is only going to be as good as the sanded finish you start with.

Words of wisdom here.   

[Warbird]

These things don't have to be perfect.  They are just window sills/stools that I want to look nice to the untrained eye.  Since I started by brushing the poly on, I'll probably keep on with brushing but go get a nice brush like Radar suggested.  Small brush marks left in the poly will usually even out, right?

[Radar67]

The brush strokes will level out to an extent. Before your final coat, sand to 320 grit and use a tack cloth to wipe the surfaces down real good. Let the last coat dry for at least 24 hours. If it has the slightest bit of sticky, leave it alone for another 24. If the final surface is not smooth enough for you, hand rub the surface with 0000 steel wool (lightly). Tack cloth it, then grab a cotton cloth and buff. You can add Johnson's Paste wax at this stage and buff it to a light sheen.

[Radar67]

............ The final finish is only going to be as good as the sanded finish you start with.

Words of wisdom here.   

It took me many years to figure that out.  :

[LeeB]

We must of been in the same class.

[LeeB]

Warbird, you still might want to try to follow all the steps. What better place to learn than on something that doesn't need to look all that good.

[Warbird]

That's my plan, Lee.  This idea that the "final finish will only look as good as the sanded finish you start with"...  do you mean the coat sanded down before you put the final coat on?  Or do you mean how nicely sanded down the wood was before you began the finish?

[Radar67]

I mean how good the sanding job was before you ever put a drop of finish on. If it isn't slick and smooth, your final finish won't look nearly as nice. You will have spots that just won't finish well.

Now, don't let that statement cause you to sand all the finish off and start over, just chalk this one up to gaining experience.  ;)

[Warbird]

Hmmmm.  Yeah....  heh.  These are just white pine 1x's that I chopped and ripped to size.  I then sanded them up to only 150 grit.  They were very nice looking and flat but definitely had a few semi-rough spots around a couple of the knots.  All of the saw blade marks were gone but these things certainly weren't sanded to 220 or something better before I started applying the finish.  :(

[beenthere]

I was in a high-end furniture store a while back, and there were oak, maple, cherry, and walnut cabinets, dining sets, bedroom sets, and all the various items in very neat designs and finishes. Only problem, was you could see the planer marks on nearly every piece. People probably didn't even notice that there was no sanding prior to finishing. Good job of planing, but the planer marks showing under the finish were red flags against quality.

To the furniture makers, apparently it was "good enough" for who it was for.

Maybe they figured their customers would apply a coat of paint eventually anyway. 

[Radar67]

My general rule of thumb is to sand to at least 220 before I ever consider finishing. Depending on what I want for an end result determines if I sand further, but that's just me. Nothing set in stone about this.

[mechengineer13]

Thinning/cutting your poly from 10% to 25%; 75-90% poly with the balance thinner, will also help it to flow better and self-level producing a smoother final finish.  If you use this option for multiple coats, the obvious tradeoff is more coats to get the build/depth of finish you desire.