"John B" wrote in message
...
Dan Major wrote:
I just tried some spray poly on a small project. I like it because it's
convenient and quick (no brushes to clean up). The one small problem I
had
is some slight orange peel (dimpling in the surface like cellulite).
What;s the best way to A) avoid this when using spray poly, and B) fix
it
when it shows up?

G'day Dan,
The likely cause of the orange peel is to heavy a coat. Plenty of light
coats does the trick.

Just a minor correction here - the cause of orange peel is too light of a
coat. A light coat will deposit "spots" of paint on the surface instead of
a film of paint. Subsequent coats are going to follow the contour of this
new surface, which is now "bumpy". Many attempt to remedy the situation by
adding heavy coats after the fact and it can reduce the drama of the orange
peel, but it will never fix the issue. The best way to avoid orange peel is
to learn to put down a film of coverage on the project with each coat.
Think of yourself trying to spread plastic wrap across the surface and try
to get your spray to accomplish that. You can do this and still end up with
a light coat - but light is relative. A light coat is not a dry coat, it's
a, well... it's a light coat. The contrast is a wet coat which is laid
right on to the point where it is almost ready to sag and run. That's the
coat that you put on last. Practice on scrap and develop the touch for
putting on a film of finish. Keep your spray nozel close to the surface
(6"-12" or so depending on the product or brand) and develop the speed
appropriate to gain the coverage you desire. Don't move away to get a
lighter coat or you'll end up with a dry coat.

To remedy either
A) Lightly sand back with fine paper = 240 - 320 and re coat. Just sand
out the dimples, no need to sand of the poly.

You can even go up to 1000 grit to flatten out the dimples and then buff
with a rubbing compound . Slower, but less likely to sand through and a lot
less effort to remove sanding marks.


I usually do (A) and have good results.

And that all by itself makes it a reasonable recommendation.,

--

-Mike-