23
votes
Paint Exterior Door that is in Sun
I take it for $700 you are paying people to do this work. And I gather these are garden variety handymen using random products bought at the local builder supply; when people say "polyurethane" ...
8
votes
What is the proper procedure to apply multiple coats of Polyurethane?
It's all about adhesion. When you recoat after 2 hours you get a chemical bond between layers. If you let it go longer than that, you need to wait 24 hours so it's hard enough to sand and get a ...
- 81
8
votes
Paint Exterior Door that is in Sun
This is a beautiful door and it would be a huge shame to paint it. (And if/when the paint does start to crack, it will look far worse than it does now!) It should absolutely be able to withstand ...
7
votes
Accepted
What to use to finish my desk from IKEA?
After looking at your links, it appears you have purchased an unfinished wood top. It will need some sort of finish. You have a couple of choices, oil or a hard finish.
Oil finishes on raw wood will ...
- 57.5k
6
votes
Accepted
Which varnish to choose for a first time job (desk)?
Since you'll be finishing the pieces in the building, lacquer is out. It stinks to high Heaven and unless you use a pre-catalized lacquer, it is prone to water stains such as condensation from a cold ...
- 15.1k
5
votes
Raw linseed oil on counter top: drying time?
Raw linseed oil does not harden. That is the fundamental difference between raw and boiled (often chemically treated rather than actually boiled, these days) linseed oil. It will be gummy for a very, ...
- 137k
5
votes
Accepted
Gooey build up on sandpaper when sanding
Wood won't clog sandpaper that fast, so it has to be the finish, dirt/soil or a combination of both. Paint thinner or mineral spirits usually work well to get dirt and grease off of wood, and wont ...
- 216
3
votes
Finish a laser engraved piece of wood
Use a sanding block (ie, do not hand sand with your fingers) which will prevent the sandpaper from pressing into the grooves.
1 mm is huge, for anything reasonably described as fine sandpaper and not ...
- 137k
3
votes
Accepted
How should I paint accents over oil-based stain?
After staining give a coat of clear finish, sanding it with a fine sandpaper (400G) to remove any raised grain or any dust that may have settled onto the drying finish. This will give you a good base ...
- 31.3k
3
votes
Accepted
How do I fix or finish a partially sanded wood floor
A "wipe on" polyurethane might get you most of the way there, depending upon how perfect you want to get it. Lightly sand the damaged area to make sure there are no sharp edges or rough ...
- 15.1k
3
votes
What material can I put on my wood kitchen island to make the surface smooth and waterproof?
Alaska Man's epoxy suggestion is what came to mind for me as well, but it might be difficult to get a nice edge without a lip of some sort. I admit that I've never worked with the stuff.
I think I'd ...
- 106k
2
votes
Accepted
Strong wood coating?
Two part polyurethane is the way to go, Its food safe when hard, and the active hardener makes a really good hard surface.
I also like the finish that these products add to the surface, and you ...
- 3,284
2
votes
Accepted
How can I protect pine from yellowing?
The wood will change color eventually no matter what you do. However, you can do two things to slow down that process.
Use a water-based polyurethane finish. All other finishes are either slightly ...
- 1,153
2
votes
How should I refinish vintage wooden closet doors?
If you want to "get rid of the shiny look" why would apply lacquer at all? Shiny is what lacquer does. If the only issue you have with the lacquer is that it's shiny, all you may need to do is rub the ...
- 137k
2
votes
How to make a wooden box with a hidden lid
The trick here is to actually have the lid start out as part of the box, so that the grain of the wood all runs right across the separation between box and lid.
One way this can be accomplished is to ...
- 763
2
votes
What is the proper procedure to apply multiple coats of Polyurethane?
There is no substitute for sanding between each coat if you want the best finish. I get the best result building or refinishing furniture when I thin oil based urethane 3 parts urethane- 1 part ...
- 21
2
votes
Accepted
Is this red oak or white oak hardwood flooring?
It's impossible to say for sure from your picture since it is already stained. But generally speaking the approach to this is trial and error with scrap pieces. You'll want to make sure the piece of ...
- 27.2k
2
votes
How do I avoid taking off the finish at the corners when sanding between coats?
A shop I worked at called this "burning the edge". I was the noob and they never stopped smiling when it happened to me. I was using toned lacquer, which was even more fragile.
Short Answer:
Sand ...
- 161
2
votes
Accepted
How can I clean and smooth the finish on an old table?
Those questions are all interrelated ;) Whether mineral spirits are safe to use depends on the finish. Any sense of age? Since there's more than one, I'll assume it's factory made and guess a ...
- 838
2
votes
How can I blend sanded cedar into the surrounding darker wood with a polyurethane finish?
Wood naturally changes color over time and it looks like your cedar material was no exception. When you sanded the material in some spots you sanded away the surface of the material that had changed ...
- 61.7k
2
votes
How can I fix dark floor stain absorption without starting over?
It really is going to be next to impossible to match up those various areas where you have tried the sanding and re-sanding. My recommendation, if the flooring material still has enough depth to the ...
- 61.7k
2
votes
Wax to finish and smooth out dining tabletop with deep gouges
Such a wax exists... but before we use it how deep xare these gouges? If you took a fork and dragged it deeply across a finished tabletop you could/would fill the damage with colored beeswax. Deeper ...
2
votes
Switch Between Paint and Sealer for Sprayer
If you want to switch back and forth between oil and latex products, it is best to have a separate hose for each (as per Graco).
Graco sprayers, hoses, guns, etc, are designed to be compatible
...
- 21
2
votes
Accepted
Finish plywood for closet organizer
I used to prefer oil based finishes, but the water based ones have gotten so much better over the years that I will now use them instead. For a simple closet organizer I suggest 2 coats, lightly ...
- 15.1k
2
votes
How do I get a finish on wood that's as bright as when the polyurethane is fresh?
For critical color "warmth" and "color pop" on fine wood projects (e.g. musical instruments like guitars) drying oils (e.g. tung oil, boiled linseed oil) are often used. Sometimes ...
- 33.5k
2
votes
Yakisugi (burning) pressure treated wood?
I did a little searching, because CCA treated wood is what I'm most familiar with (don't burn!), and every source I found for ACQ says not to burn it. Here is one source: https://www.ptw-safetyinfo....
- 26.6k
1
vote
Raw linseed oil on counter top: drying time?
In addition to Ecnerwal's great suggestion, you can first try to simply wipe/scrub down the tops with turpentine, trying to thin the oil a little to let it dry better. Sounds like you may have put it ...
- 1,954
1
vote
Accepted
Shou sugi ban treatment of external timber cladding
Charcoal (if not burned) is forever, more or less (ask an archeologist if you doubt that.) As such I'd have to doubt that cleaning which does not go so far as to remove the charred surface will help, ...
- 137k
1
vote
Finish a laser engraved piece of wood
What about filling the engraved area with a darker material, either colored wood filler or dark epoxy, scraping level before it hardens, and after it sets, just a very light sanding to remove any ...
- 33.1k
1
vote
Accepted
Does it make sense to apply a (Minwax) wax paste on top of a polyurethane/stain finish?
You can wax it if you like, but it is not needed. The only time I would add wax if in the case there is slight imperfections like dust in the finish, and you would like a smoother finish. Wet sand the ...
- 31.3k
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