DIYbanter - View Single Post - Final coat of Spar Urethane on my bar top

Mike Hartigan

In article m,
says...
On Apr 23, 8:49 am, Mike wrote:
I've finished putting the final coat of Helmsman on my bar top and it
looks absolutely stunning! (this is my first 'serious' project, so
excuse me if I seem to be more than just a little proud!). After
reading various posts and websites, I thinned the first coat 1:1 with
mineral spirits, then put the remaining three coats on full strength,
sanding lightly with a 220 grit before each coat. The finish is now
like glass! However, there are occasional bits of something that
easily come off with a fingernail. I'm speculating that they're
bubbles - not too ugly, and they'll probably wear off in time.

Skinover, maybe? That green spar varnish is like pudding.
Since it cures by oxidation, the surface cures way faster than
the base.

I noticed that it feels much different (less 'soft') after only a
week. I'm assumming that this is what I'm witnessing.

This is worse with long oil (spar) varnishes. Try
Behlen's Rockhard (or a similar short oil phenolic) next if you
like varnish.

Well, the 'damage' is done, so to speak. But I'm happy with the
result, so life is good

. When you say "if you like varnish", do
you mean as opposed to a poly? My limited lifetime experience has
led me to think of the word 'varnish' as a generic term to refer to
any protective coating on wood.

My
concern is that people will not resist the temptation to remove them
for me and, in so doing, potentially damage the finish. I've read
that my next step should be to wet sand with a 400 grit, then hit it
with an automotive polishing compound. Will this eliminate the
'problem', such as it is?

Let it cure for at least a month before wet sanding, or you'll
completely strip off the hardened skin. The gummy base
layer won't shine up with the finest sandpaper made.

I've gotten that bit of advice from a number of people this week.
That was my reason for asking the question before blindly jumping to
that step. (Thank God for usenet!)

Frankly, I'm reluctant to take this last
step because I just know I'll screw it up. The Helmsman seems a bit
softer that most finishes (it supposedly can accommodate temperature
expansion/contraction of the wood), so I don't know how it will take
to this final step. How about a paste wax? Will these bits be eased
off while buffing? Is a wax product good for a spar urethane finish
or will I be creating other problems?

Any other suggestions/recommendations?

Satin finish instead of gloss. Rub out with 0000 steel wool and wax
after full
cure.

Would that have given me the gaudy gloss that I wanted? My wife made
the observation that "It looks like an old VFW bar". I took that as
a high compliment, though I'm not sure that that's how she intended
it. I even considered adding some multi-layer finish scratches and a
few cigarette burns to dress it up a bit, but then I thought that
that might be just a bit over the top. Plus, without the heavy stale
beer and smoke aromas, it would seem like only a half-a$$ed effort,
so I chose to leave it looking like something new. Actually, the
simulated damage was originally an idea that I cooked up to mask the
expected rustic appearance of my first project. As it turned out,
there's nothing rustic to be found, so I left these touches out.

Would the spar benefit from the steel wool/wax step - after the
requisite cure time? Or should I just leave well enough alone? What
about periodic maintenance to the finish?

Until then, use coasters under the beer, sheets of butcher
paper under
the pretzel bowl if you absolutely can't wait to use the bar.

Indeed, I absolutely can't wait to use it! However, I've got other
things to finish up before it's working, so it'll have some time to
cure before I put it into actual use. I hope to finish the
plumbing/electrical work this weekend, kegs/taps/lines have been
ordered, I'm picking up a chest freezer and a 50 lb CO2 tank next
week. Then I start researching yeasts, malts, and hops. (I'm really
going to miss my family!)