Baron. Thanks so much. I can see that I was doing most everything wrong.
I like the idea of diluting it down to a poly and wiping it on, like someone
else suggested. Other than that, looks like I need to go out and get a good
quality brush.
thanks
"Baron" wrote in message
news:6fcb8$41e9d82b$cf6730ab$15999@allthenewsgroup s.com...
I'm going to assume that you are using oil based polyurethane. As
you've discovered, polyurethane handles very differently from paint.
Make sure you have properly finish sanded the doors if they need it. I
doubt it is needed as you have Masonite but I don't know how rough they
are.
1. Since you don't appear to have the experience, take the doors off the
hinges and lay them flat. This will minimize runs and sags.
2. Dilute the poly about 25% with mineral spirits or paint thinner. Try
to
use the odorless kind. The purpose for thinning is to minimize any
bubbles
in the dried finish.
3. A foam brush is okay but they hold much less liquid than a brush.
While
I have no problem using them, you might want to use a brush. If you do,
use
a natural fiber brush (bristle, hog's hair, badger, fitch, etc.) not a
synthetic brush (nylon or polyester). Synthetic bristles clump and splay
with oil making for uneven application. If the foam brush is tearing, you
either have really cheap ones or you are being too aggressive and the foam
is tearing off as it snags on something.
If you dilute the poly enough, you will have made a wiping poly. You
can apply this with a rag but you will need more coats as each one is very
thin.
4. Apply the polyurethane. Work from the inside of the panels out. You
can work the poly into a foam if you like to get it in every nook and
cranny.
5. Work with proper lighting so you can see if you are coating all the
surfaces.
5. Tip off the still wet poly by holding the brush at a 45 degree angle
and
LIGHTLY dragging it along the freshly polyed surface. This will remove
any
bubbles.
6. Let the surface dry. Do NOT over brush it.
7. You should apply a second coat. You can either do so within the
window
of time specified on the can or let it dry overnight and then scuff sand
it.
I have placed foam brushes wrapped in foil in the freezer rather than
clean them or use a new one each time. My brushes tend to be expensive so
I
treat them better and clean them at the end of each day.
As for the frames, once you get the idea on the doors, you will see how
to handle the frames.
Good Luck.
"Shawn" wrote in message
...
I just spent the most frustrating 2 hours ever trying to put fast-drying
Minwax polyurethane on an interior bedroom door. I'm obviously not doing
something right and I need advice from someone who's done this lots,
instead
of never, like me.
Here's the situation. I have an unfinished second floor in my home. We
are
finally getting around to finishing it, and a month or so ago we bought 4
Masonite pre-hung raised panel wooden doors from Home Depot to put on the
2
bedrooms, the bathroom, and the closet upstairs. My plan was to stain
them
and then poly them first before attempting to hang them.
I went away for a week in December for work, and when I got home, all the
doors were up. My wife thought she'd surprise me and hired someone to
put
them in, since I had been walking around for a couple weeks saying I
wasn't
sure I'd be able to hang these doors properly myself, not having done
that
sort of thing before.
Anyways, now the doors are installed, but not stained or poly'd. So, I
stained them a couple weeks ago. That went well. But this morning I
started to poly one, and it took me 2 HOURS to do the frame and only one
side of the door. It was the biggest mess you've ever seen.
I used a 3-inch foam brush (from Home Depot), as it says on the Minwax
can
you can use. I had poly dripping off the brush onto the floor, running
down
my hand and arms, bits of foam coming off getting stuck in the poly on
the
door .... then, just went I thought I'd gotten a good coat on a certain
section, I'd catch it from another angle in the light and see a large
area
that didn't have any poly at all on it. The foam brush just didn't seem
to
be spreading the poly well and covering the door properly. Am I doing
something wrong ? The Minwax instructions says a foam brush can be used
but
it's obviously not doing it well.
I'd like to hear from contractors, carpenters etc out there how they do
this
without having it become a fiasco and taking 4 weeks to do 4 doors. I
stopped after the one side. How am I going to 2 sides on 4 doors, 3
times
(coats) over !! It'll take me a year !
Should I spray it ? Should I use a bristle brush ? I thought the foam
would work out better because I could just toss it when I was done and
grab
a new one for the next coat. Can't do that with a bristle brush - I'll
have
to clean it after each time, and then the next time, the coat won't be as
smooth because the bristle's always stiffen up after cleaning in paint
thinner.
I think I'm going to pull the hinge pins and take the doors down so I can
poly them flat, which should get around the mess caused by the poly
running
on the doors, but that won't help with the pre-hung frames.
What I really need to know is the proper technique for applying poly and
the
proper tools to use.
Thanks for listening to my rant and hopefully someone out there has some
advice for me.
Shawn
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