"Stacey" wrote in
:

Ok.. I am nearing completion of my first project. Yeah! I put off
finishing the project for a long time for fear I would screw it up.
The staining seemed to go well. I am now using a gel varnish to put
the final coats. I should mention I am making a bed The two side
rails went fine. I just put the first coat of varnish on the
footboard and notice lint balls from my lint-free cloth. So what do I
do now. I guess wait until it dries and then what?

Thanks

stacey



I've used gel varnish, and had decent results from it, but this last
project, I tried a standard trick with a wiping varnish. Flexner's book
has it, but most of the finishing gurus have written about it.

4 oz McCloskey's oil based varnish, 2 oz naptha, in a lidded squeeze
bottle, and padded on in a manner not unlike one would use for shellac.
No runs, no drips, no errors, dries comparatively quickly. Were you to
use this, I'd recommend using a brushing varnish from the same family as
the gel varnish you've been using so far, thinned for wiping.

My best lint free cloths are old cloth baby diapers, well washed over
their term of use. Old dish towels & t-shirts work well too. When my
mother passed away a couple of years ago, my sisters brought me 6 large
bags of such cloths, enough to last me nearly forever, I should think.

Some gurus clain to be able to wipe varnish with Viva paper towels.
I've not personally tested that theory...

If you're rubbing lightly between varnish coats with 0000 steel wool,
the lint should not present a problem.

Patriarch