Frank Boettcher writes:
On Sat, 15 Sep 2007 08:04:24 -0400, B A R R Y
wrote:

On Fri, 14 Sep 2007 20:40:14 -0400, "EXT"
wrote:

You shouldn't use more than a couple of coats of matte or satin varnish on
furniture, all the coats except the last coat or two should be gloss. A
build up of the matte or satin varnish will give a milky or cloudy look to
your work.

Have you ever tried this on test panels? Be aware that I used to pass
along the same advice, so I'm not picking on you.

I did a test with a sample panel, and the products I used (Waterlox
polyurethane) created no noticeable difference.

I carried one of the panels around for two weeks and asked woodworkers
and non-woodworking furniture aficionados to tell me the difference
between both sides of the panel. Not one person was able to correctly
identify the different sides.

I would put the panel on a desk or table and ask them to point out the
"A" side. Then, I'd have them face away, where I'd turn or not turn
the panel. They were wrong as often as they were right.

The exercise made me wonder if the whole thing came from a bad
application, or poor quality product, compared to a well executed
application with a good product, or if finishes have simply improved.
Give it a shot. G

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** http://www.bburke.com/woodworking.html **
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Good to know. I think some of that "gloss until the last coat" came
from the days when people bought flattening agents separate from the
finish and it was less costly to just add the flattener to the last
coat.

Frank

Well, when we had our floors done, the refinisher said that they saved
the sating until the last coat because it costs more than gloss.