Datasheet

L7
ou used the right
finishing
prod-
I
ucts and
techniques,
you've
put
- the final coat
of finish
on
your
project,
and
you
like
the way it
looks.
What next?
Maybe nothing;
in
some
cases, it's time
to carry
your
project
out
of the shop
and share it
with the world.
However,
the chances
are
pretty
good
that
you
didn't
end up with
an absolute-
ly perfect
finish
on that
last
coat. On
closer
inspection
with our
eyes and fin-
gers,
most
of us
can find dust nibs,
brush
marks,
orange
peel
from
spraying,
or
just
a
general
roughness
to
the surface.
Make
those imperfections
disappear by
rubbing
out the finish. What
is
rubbing
out? It's
the use
of fine
abrasives to
smooth the finish
and fine-tune
its sheen.
When
you
rub,
you
take control
of the
all-important
final coat,
just
as
you
con-
trolled
the shaping
and smoothing
of the
wood
underneath.
We
can't
offer
you
a
surface to touch,
but
you
can see the
dif-
ference
rubbing
makes
by comparing
Photos
A and B.
You
can rub virtually
any
surface, but
we
suggest
sticking to highly
visible,
often-touched
areas,
such as tabletops
and
doors, for
your
first
efforts.
The rubbing is
easier
and the rewards
greater.
Patience
is
a virtrre
l
I
i
The first requirement
for rubbing out is
a article, or others in
the series, send
$5
glass,
reflecting light directly
back at
finish
that's thick enough
to be worked
per
article
to WOODo Article Reprint you.
Any finish
other than
gloss
contains
without wearing
through. This usually
Service, P.O. Box
349, Kalona, IA flatting
agents in the form
of
tiny
silica
calls for several thin
coats,
properly
52247, with a check or money
order chips. These
agents create a random
applied. Next, you
need
patience.
Letthe
made
payable
to WOOD magaziJre.
reflection of light,
which
produces
a
finish dry thoroughly
before
you
do
any Include the issue number
and the name
softer, less shiny look.
rubbing,
and remember
that
you
can't
of the article.)
You
can lower
the sheen of a film fin-
rub to
a
high
gloss
until the finish
has You also need
the right rubbing ma!e-
ish, but
you
can't
take it to a higher
comPlet€ly cured. Depending
on the fin-
dals, such as those
shown in Photo C.
sheen than
you
stafed with. For
exam-
ish,
temperature, and humidity,
curing All
of the abrasive
products
create
ple,
a
semigloss finish can be rubbed
can take
as long as
a month.
scratches in
the film
surface, and the
size down
to a satin or flat
sheen but
cannot
When
you
intend
to develop a high-
of the scratches affects
the reflection of
be
polished
up beyond semigloss.
gloss
ftnish, it's especially
important to light,
as shown in Drawing
I . Finer abra-
A high-gloss finish
offers more choic-
start
with a super-smooth
wood surface.
sives create smaller scratches
and higher es. You
can take it down
to any lesser
Fill the
pores
and
grain
by using
a
paste
sheens.
Coarser abrasives
create larger sheen, including
dead flat. If
you
decide
filler
or wet-sanding
your
finish,
as dis-
scratches and lower
sheens.
that
you've gone
too far,
you
can
polish
-E
How;firiC
way
to a high gloss,
if
you
It's not
uncommon
to see
orange
peel
in
a sprayed finish,
as shown
at left. After rub-
bing,
you
wind
up with the smooth,
glowing
surface at right.
We found
rubbang
compounds
at an auto
parts
store,
got
the lamb's
wool
pad
at a
home
center, ordered
the felt
block from WoodFinishingSupplies.com,
and bought
sandpaper, Abralon
pads,
and nonwoven
abrasive
pads
at a Woodcraft
store.
cussed in issue
139.
(For
a reprint
of that A
gloss
finish is like
optically
perfect
GLOSSY
choose. Note,
however,
that
lower
sheens
tend to minimize
flaws
while
higher
sheens
exaggerate
them.
You need
a hard.
brittle fin-
finish
ish,
such
as lacquer
or shellac,
to
attain a high
gloss.
Light
source
Varnishes
and water-based
products
tend to
cure softer
and
generally
do not
polish
to
SATIN
Light
source
Finish
with
fine scratches
79