Hello all I’m wanting to polyurethane this table too , never polyurethaned before wondering if I go with the grain diagonally in this chevron pattern or do I do long strokes against the grain to make it easier? Will against the grain mess it up?
#polyurethane question! technique for chevron butcher board.
fallow prism
fallow prism
polyurethane question! technique for chevron butcher board.
deft sand
Let me start with, I'm not a finishing expert; however, since your question has been sitting for almost a day I figure I'd throw in my two cents.
Doing things "with the grain" in woodworking is to hide scratches, brush marks, or other things. If you leave a line in the finish that is "with the grain" it won't be nearly as noticeable as if it is crossing the grain.
My polyurethane finishing technique avoids the problem of brush marks by using a wipe-on polyurethane. First coat gets put on heavy as the wood soaks it up, then subsequent coats are very thin. Basically, whatever moisture gets left by the rag. It takes a lot of coats to build a good finish but I don't have to worry about brush marks or drips as the thinned polyurethane is self leveling. I do lightly sand with 320 grit sandpaper between coats.
As a bonus the paper shop towels I use can be laid out and when dry and no longer smelling of poly thrown away (I this on garbage day so worst case, my rubbish bin at the end of my driveway catches on fire). No needing to clean a brush.
I make my own wiping poly by taking full strength General Finishes Oil Based Arm-R-Seal and diluting it about 4:1 with mineral spirits. I do this in a small lidded glass jar (like a leftover salsa jar).
This is a very forgiving beginner finishing technique as the thinned poly has a long open time. When you are working on a large surface there is time to review your work and clean up any pooling, drips, or dry spots, and no worry of brush marks. I can usually get two coats a day on a project and it usually takes 6+ coats to get to where I am happy.
fallow prism
Let me start with, I'm not a finishing expert; however, since your question has ...
Thank you I’ll give it a try
glass crane
Lovely job gonna look beautiful
I found poly is very forgiving Felix has done a good job explaining it. Just wanted to add a few things make sure the slab is super dry any moisture will bubble the finish. sand between each coat very lightly knocking the hight spots and bumps and scuffing the surface for the next coat to grab 180-240 grit making sure you dont burn the finish with the sandder , do 2-3 extra coats if you can on the last coat depending on the type of finish your going for if you have a satain poly you should to be good to go once cured. If its gloss your going for i have a bit of a trick,for ya make sure the poly is cured completely may take about a week for the smell to go. Sand the table flat a quick 240 to flat ensuring not to burn the finish if you can go through the grits up to 320 or higher if you have the capacity but thats fine. I wipe of the excess dust with a damp cloth let sit for an hour or so, then grab the car polish and buffer and go over it again keep it moving so you dont burn the finish and buff untill you see whats in your teeth.