I have a pre built Oak Mantel to stain and install today. It has been
sanded by the builder. It has also been handled a few times to position it
and mark nailing supports. My big worry is oil from my hands and the
possibility of leaving finger prints on the finish and any other processes
you guys use to get a great look. Should it be sealed with a clear coat or
verathane?

Thanks for any advice
--
You can lead them to LINUX
but you can't make them THINK !
Mandriva 2010 using KDE 4.3
Website: www.rentmyhusband.biz

You talk about staining, then fingerprints and then clear coat
\varathane, so I am a little unclear of the question but here are some
tips.

1. Staining can quickly ruin the piece. I am not saying don't stain
it, I am saying it is real easy to do a bad stain job. Regardless of
what color stain you use you NEED to do a test first. Get the same
type of wood, sanded in the same manner. Hopefully you builder can
provide this. Find a stain that works as you like. Then also test the
top finish you will use (clear coat as you say).

2. Most stains will NOT stain near as dark as you expect if you are
unfamiliar with the process.

3. You can wipe the bare wood with mineral spirits to see if any glue
marks or fingerprints will be showing in the stain\final finish. They
will show up as dry spots or slightly differenyt color spots. Sand out
any problems. Note that sanding effects how the stain will adhere so
feather out the edges and try to use the same grit as the whole piece
was done with or do a quick onec oever. The spirits will dry in a few
minutes and not effect anything else you will do. It also has the
advantage of changing the color of the wood (while it is wet) to the
same color it would be if you just applied a clear coat type finish.

4. If you stain (add color) or not, yes you should add a clear coat.
This can be many different materials. Varathane is a form of
Polyurathane which is the most durable finish and probably what you
want to use, any polyurathane. The down side to ploy is lots of
volitile fumes and it drys very slow so it can attract dust and get
little "nibs" in the finish and can run making drips if applied to
heavy. You can use a wiping poly whic is super thinned and dry faster
and has less ability to catch dust but requires many coats to get a
build up. Or you can do a light sanding in between coats with 400 or
600 grit to remove nibs. Be careful on edges.

On Feb 2, 7:09*am, Evodawg wrote:
I have a pre built Oak Mantel to stain and install today. It has been
sanded by the builder. It has also been handled a few times to position it
and mark nailing supports. My big worry is oil from my hands and the
possibility of leaving finger prints on the finish and any other processes
you guys use to get a great look. Should it be sealed with a clear coat or
verathane?

Thanks for any advice
--
You can lead them to LINUX
but you can't make them THINK !
Mandriva 2010 *using KDE 4.3
Website: *www.rentmyhusband.biz

Everything Sonoma said.

One more thought, I would check carefully though about solvent/cleaner
I used to clean it up.

If it is sealed at the factory with their sanding sealer, it could be
one of the new "vinyl" sealers they use as surface prep. If it is, you
can strip it off with mineral spirits.

Test an edge that isn't easily seen before you do anything.

Robert

I had the same thing, the builder used minwax cherry stain and covered it
with poly.looked fine but not what I had in mind. I sanded the finish off
then (because it was red oak) filled the pores then applied the cherry stain
and then used a satin poly and sanded between coats(two coats of poly and
one of wipe on poly) Looks a lot better.


Len

"Evodawg" wrote in message
...
I have a pre built Oak Mantel to stain and install today. It has been
sanded by the builder. It has also been handled a few times to position it
and mark nailing supports. My big worry is oil from my hands and the
possibility of leaving finger prints on the finish and any other processes
you guys use to get a great look. Should it be sealed with a clear coat or
verathane?

Thanks for any advice
--
You can lead them to LINUX
but you can't make them THINK !
Mandriva 2010 using KDE 4.3
Website: www.rentmyhusband.biz


I have stained quite a bit of oak and will say that I always sand just
before staining. If the piece has been handled much between the sanding and
staining I would advise you to sand it again. Actually I would advise you
to sand it anyway so that "you" know that it has been properly sanded to the
correct grit and on all surfaces. I would not trust something that has been
so called "presanded". Typically sanding will do away with oily
fingerprints. Unless you actually see oily fingerprints I would not be too
concerned with contamination if you resand yourself.

Should you seal it? Do you want to add protection to the finish? I always
add a varnish 3 coats of some sort to a stained project. Keep in mind
however that some stains have a finish mixed in already. I would still
advise adding a coat or two for a consistent sheen/finish. Typically a coat
of any varnish is not enough, the coat in the stain is not going to be
either.

SonomaProducts.com wrote:

You talk about staining, then fingerprints and then clear coat
\varathane, so I am a little unclear of the question but here are some
tips.

1. Staining can quickly ruin the piece. I am not saying don't stain
it, I am saying it is real easy to do a bad stain job. Regardless of
what color stain you use you NEED to do a test first. Get the same
type of wood, sanded in the same manner. Hopefully you builder can
provide this. Find a stain that works as you like. Then also test the
top finish you will use (clear coat as you say).

2. Most stains will NOT stain near as dark as you expect if you are
unfamiliar with the process.

3. You can wipe the bare wood with mineral spirits to see if any glue
marks or fingerprints will be showing in the stain\final finish. They
will show up as dry spots or slightly differenyt color spots. Sand out
any problems. Note that sanding effects how the stain will adhere so
feather out the edges and try to use the same grit as the whole piece
was done with or do a quick onec oever. The spirits will dry in a few
minutes and not effect anything else you will do. It also has the
advantage of changing the color of the wood (while it is wet) to the
same color it would be if you just applied a clear coat type finish.

4. If you stain (add color) or not, yes you should add a clear coat.
This can be many different materials. Varathane is a form of
Polyurathane which is the most durable finish and probably what you
want to use, any polyurathane. The down side to ploy is lots of
volitile fumes and it drys very slow so it can attract dust and get
little "nibs" in the finish and can run making drips if applied to
heavy. You can use a wiping poly whic is super thinned and dry faster
and has less ability to catch dust but requires many coats to get a
build up. Or you can do a light sanding in between coats with 400 or
600 grit to remove nibs. Be careful on edges.

On Feb 2, 7:09 am, Evodawg wrote:
I have a pre built Oak Mantel to stain and install today. It has been
sanded by the builder. It has also been handled a few times to position
it and mark nailing supports. My big worry is oil from my hands and the
possibility of leaving finger prints on the finish and any other
processes you guys use to get a great look. Should it be sealed with a
clear coat or verathane?

Thanks for any advice
--
You can lead them to LINUX
but you can't make them THINK !
Mandriva 2010 using KDE 4.3
Website: www.rentmyhusband.biz
Thanks to all that replied. I didn't stain or install the mantel today.
I'm going to spend some time sanding it tomorrow and stain it per the
recommendations made here. When I said Builder, I meant the builder of the
mantel. It was built by a cabinet shop and shipped to the customer. It
seems will sanded except I did notice the filled in nail holes are still
rough, so obviously he didn't do a final sanding which is probably
customary leaving that to the finisher. I'm thinking 220 would be ok???
and use a block sanding method? Not sure I want to run my pad sander on
this piece? Once sanded and cleaned then stain. Has anyone tried the spray
on clear coats? and what do you think on using them?

Thanks to all.
--
You can lead them to LINUX
but you can't make them THINK !
Mandriva 2010 using KDE 4.3
Website: www.rentmyhusband.biz

On Feb 2, 9:49 pm, Evodawg wrote:
It was built by a cabinet shop and shipped to the customer. It
seems will sanded except I did notice the filled in nail holes are still
rough

Find out what he used to fill the holes. Some of the resin fillers
just nasty when you stain them. They don't take the stain well,
consistently, and some are bad enough that you will think you used a
marker to spot the nails.

If they are water based fillers, I would dig them out where I could
find them.

The proper way to do this is to stain, putty/fill, then clear coat.
NEVER fill nail holes first unless you are painting.

obviously he didn't do a final sanding which is probably
customary leaving that to the finisher. I'm thinking 220 would be ok???

I almost never sand beyond 220. This started years ago with me when I
had a very spirited conversation with a couple of furniture makers I
was talking to. They showed me their work, their finishes, and then I
went home and did some comparison sanding/finishing samples.

Properly sanded, to 220 is enough. I think most people continue to
sand on because 1) they think that a completely smooth surface will
make a better finish, and 2) they will do anything to keep from
finishing.

and use a block sanding method? Not sure I want to run my pad sander on
this piece? Once sanded and cleaned then stain.

Run your pad sander lightly. Then hand sand to make sure there are no
swirlies. The swirl marks or other sanding scratches will take the
stain more, so they will be highlighted.

Here again, if you sand to the fine grits I see sometimes bandied
around, you will run the risk of polishing the wood, and bending over
the fibers. This is an interesting test.

Take a piece small piece of wood, something medium hard like maple.
Sand it carefully smooth to the touch, no swirl marks, etc. with 220.
Now go to another section and sand it smooth to 400, being careful to
get the surface consistently smooth to reflect the 400 grit.

Apply your stain. You should see a lot of difference, with little
spots here and there (depending on the piece, these can be pronounced
or subtle) where the stain didn't penetrate much. On a big piece such
as a table top, this is disaster as the uniformity of the stain color
is lost.

Now imagine this with softer woods, or woods with pronounced growth
rings. The difference will knock you over.

Has anyone tried the spray
on clear coats? and what do you think on using them?

For me, about the only way to go is to spray. If I had a mantle that
I could take to the garage, or back to my shop and spray it, there
would be no question. For an over the counter application, I would
get a hard lacquer (like Old Master's) and spray away, a coat every 45
minutes until I was done. Let it sit for a few days, then install it.

Since typically a mantle is not a high use area like a table top,
lacquer is what I use, with no complaints. That doesn't mean you
couldn't use anything else you want. And just about all finishes
spray these days, so no worries there.

OTOH, I know Leon has had great success with urethanes and foam
applicators. While they aren't nearly as fast to build as lacquer,
overall they are much more durable, and they can be easier to apply
since you have a much longer open time on your project.

The last table top I did, I padded on the urethane (not sprayed...
*gasp*) and the people were tickled to death with it as it came out
great. It is easy to apply, forgiving, and just a couple of coats
will give a great long wearing finish.

Robert

On 2/2/2010 9:49 PM, Evodawg wrote:

customary leaving that to the finisher. I'm thinking 220 would be ok???

FWIW, I usually sand to 150 on red or white oak with a finish sander,
then do a final pass, lightly and "by hand", with 220 and a sanding
block, just before staining.

This last 220 pass is not really to "sand" as much as it is to "break
edges" slightly and, most importantly, it allows me to go over the
entire piece and do a final check for any problems and to make sure that
the piece is indeed ready for finishing.

Strangely enough, I hate to sand, but get a good deal of enjoyment out
of that last "by hand" pass ... a freshly hand sanded piece can be as
beautiful as the finished piece to my eye (but my color blindness may
have something to do with that).

If there is end grain showing by design, I will generally take that to
220 fairly vigorously, or even 320, before staining as end grain,
particularly on red oak, will soak up stain and be much darker than a face.

IME, you can go to to high a grit on red of white oak oak faces and
burnish the surface, thus you may have problems with penetration of the
stain ... however, that can be desirable in some instances.

Tuppence ...

--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 10/22/08
KarlC@ (the obvious)

wrote:

On Feb 2, 9:49 pm, Evodawg wrote:
It was built by a cabinet shop and shipped to the customer. It
seems will sanded except I did notice the filled in nail holes are
still
rough

Find out what he used to fill the holes. Some of the resin fillers
just nasty when you stain them. They don't take the stain well,
consistently, and some are bad enough that you will think you used a
marker to spot the nails.

If they are water based fillers, I would dig them out where I could
find them.

The proper way to do this is to stain, putty/fill, then clear coat.
NEVER fill nail holes first unless you are painting.

obviously he didn't do a final sanding which is probably
customary leaving that to the finisher. I'm thinking 220 would be ok???

I almost never sand beyond 220. This started years ago with me when I
had a very spirited conversation with a couple of furniture makers I
was talking to. They showed me their work, their finishes, and then I
went home and did some comparison sanding/finishing samples.

Properly sanded, to 220 is enough. I think most people continue to
sand on because 1) they think that a completely smooth surface will
make a better finish, and 2) they will do anything to keep from
finishing.

and use a block sanding method? Not sure I want to run my pad sander on
this piece? Once sanded and cleaned then stain.

Run your pad sander lightly. Then hand sand to make sure there are no
swirlies. The swirl marks or other sanding scratches will take the
stain more, so they will be highlighted.

Here again, if you sand to the fine grits I see sometimes bandied
around, you will run the risk of polishing the wood, and bending over
the fibers. This is an interesting test.

Take a piece small piece of wood, something medium hard like maple.
Sand it carefully smooth to the touch, no swirl marks, etc. with 220.
Now go to another section and sand it smooth to 400, being careful to
get the surface consistently smooth to reflect the 400 grit.

Apply your stain. You should see a lot of difference, with little
spots here and there (depending on the piece, these can be pronounced
or subtle) where the stain didn't penetrate much. On a big piece such
as a table top, this is disaster as the uniformity of the stain color
is lost.

Now imagine this with softer woods, or woods with pronounced growth
rings. The difference will knock you over.

Has anyone tried the spray
on clear coats? and what do you think on using them?

For me, about the only way to go is to spray. If I had a mantle that
I could take to the garage, or back to my shop and spray it, there
would be no question. For an over the counter application, I would
get a hard lacquer (like Old Master's) and spray away, a coat every 45
minutes until I was done. Let it sit for a few days, then install it.

Since typically a mantle is not a high use area like a table top,
lacquer is what I use, with no complaints. That doesn't mean you
couldn't use anything else you want. And just about all finishes
spray these days, so no worries there.

OTOH, I know Leon has had great success with urethanes and foam
applicators. While they aren't nearly as fast to build as lacquer,
overall they are much more durable, and they can be easier to apply
since you have a much longer open time on your project.

The last table top I did, I padded on the urethane (not sprayed...
*gasp*) and the people were tickled to death with it as it came out
great. It is easy to apply, forgiving, and just a couple of coats
will give a great long wearing finish.

Robert

Robert, again thanks for the advice. I will be working on this today. I
will be taking the mantel and leg supports out to the garage and working
there. Will also be following your directions to the T. 220 it is, I'm
just a little concerned about running a sander over this piece. Think I'll
just hand sand it. The nail holes are very small and not in noticeable
places, think they will be ok.
Thanks again for the detailed advice!!!!! I'll let you know how it turns
out. Will take pics and put them on my website.

--
You can lead them to LINUX
but you can't make them THINK !
Mandriva 2010 using KDE 4.3
Website: www.rentmyhusband.biz

Swingman wrote:

On 2/2/2010 9:49 PM, Evodawg wrote:

customary leaving that to the finisher. I'm thinking 220 would be ok???

FWIW, I usually sand to 150 on red or white oak with a finish sander,
then do a final pass, lightly and "by hand", with 220 and a sanding
block, just before staining.

This last 220 pass is not really to "sand" as much as it is to "break
edges" slightly and, most importantly, it allows me to go over the
entire piece and do a final check for any problems and to make sure that
the piece is indeed ready for finishing.

Strangely enough, I hate to sand, but get a good deal of enjoyment out
of that last "by hand" pass ... a freshly hand sanded piece can be as
beautiful as the finished piece to my eye (but my color blindness may
have something to do with that).

If there is end grain showing by design, I will generally take that to
220 fairly vigorously, or even 320, before staining as end grain,
particularly on red oak, will soak up stain and be much darker than a
face.

IME, you can go to to high a grit on red of white oak oak faces and
burnish the surface, thus you may have problems with penetration of the
stain ... however, that can be desirable in some instances.

Tuppence ...

220 is what I'll be using, again thank you and to all that have replied.
--
You can lead them to LINUX
but you can't make them THINK !
Mandriva 2010 using KDE 4.3
Website: www.rentmyhusband.biz

wrote:

On Feb 2, 9:49 pm, Evodawg wrote:
It was built by a cabinet shop and shipped to the customer. It
seems will sanded except I did notice the filled in nail holes are
still
rough

Find out what he used to fill the holes. Some of the resin fillers
just nasty when you stain them. They don't take the stain well,
consistently, and some are bad enough that you will think you used a
marker to spot the nails.

If they are water based fillers, I would dig them out where I could
find them.

The proper way to do this is to stain, putty/fill, then clear coat.
NEVER fill nail holes first unless you are painting.

obviously he didn't do a final sanding which is probably
customary leaving that to the finisher. I'm thinking 220 would be ok???

I almost never sand beyond 220. This started years ago with me when I
had a very spirited conversation with a couple of furniture makers I
was talking to. They showed me their work, their finishes, and then I
went home and did some comparison sanding/finishing samples.

Properly sanded, to 220 is enough. I think most people continue to
sand on because 1) they think that a completely smooth surface will
make a better finish, and 2) they will do anything to keep from
finishing.

and use a block sanding method? Not sure I want to run my pad sander on
this piece? Once sanded and cleaned then stain.

Run your pad sander lightly. Then hand sand to make sure there are no
swirlies. The swirl marks or other sanding scratches will take the
stain more, so they will be highlighted.

Here again, if you sand to the fine grits I see sometimes bandied
around, you will run the risk of polishing the wood, and bending over
the fibers. This is an interesting test.

Take a piece small piece of wood, something medium hard like maple.
Sand it carefully smooth to the touch, no swirl marks, etc. with 220.
Now go to another section and sand it smooth to 400, being careful to
get the surface consistently smooth to reflect the 400 grit.

Apply your stain. You should see a lot of difference, with little
spots here and there (depending on the piece, these can be pronounced
or subtle) where the stain didn't penetrate much. On a big piece such
as a table top, this is disaster as the uniformity of the stain color
is lost.

Now imagine this with softer woods, or woods with pronounced growth
rings. The difference will knock you over.

Has anyone tried the spray
on clear coats? and what do you think on using them?

For me, about the only way to go is to spray. If I had a mantle that
I could take to the garage, or back to my shop and spray it, there
would be no question. For an over the counter application, I would
get a hard lacquer (like Old Master's) and spray away, a coat every 45
minutes until I was done. Let it sit for a few days, then install it.

Since typically a mantle is not a high use area like a table top,
lacquer is what I use, with no complaints. That doesn't mean you
couldn't use anything else you want. And just about all finishes
spray these days, so no worries there.

OTOH, I know Leon has had great success with urethanes and foam
applicators. While they aren't nearly as fast to build as lacquer,
overall they are much more durable, and they can be easier to apply
since you have a much longer open time on your project.

The last table top I did, I padded on the urethane (not sprayed...
*gasp*) and the people were tickled to death with it as it came out
great. It is easy to apply, forgiving, and just a couple of coats
will give a great long wearing finish.

Robert
I sanded with 220 and stained the Mission Style Mantel on Wed. Looks
great! I sprayed it with a fast drying satin polyurethane today,3 coats,
looks even better. Can I rub the poly with 0000 steel wool or would you
use something else. Like to get the finish a little smoother, although its
very smooth now, but would like something along the lines of a glass
finish.
Thanks,
Rich

--
You can lead them to LINUX
but you can't make them THINK !
Mandriva 2010 using KDE 4.3
Website: www.rentmyhusband.biz

On 2/4/2010 9:19 PM, Evodawg wrote:

I sanded with 220 and stained the Mission Style Mantel on Wed. Looks
great! I sprayed it with a fast drying satin polyurethane today,3 coats,
looks even better. Can I rub the poly with 0000 steel wool or would you
use something else. Like to get the finish a little smoother, although its
very smooth now, but would like something along the lines of a glass

Try a brown paper bag ... won't hurt and may be all you need.

--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 10/22/08
KarlC@ (the obvious)

"Swingman" wrote in message
...
On 2/4/2010 9:19 PM, Evodawg wrote:

Try a brown paper bag ... won't hurt and may be all you need.

--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 10/22/08
KarlC@ (the obvious)

For folks who turn wood, a brown grocery sack is terrific. For
instance, consider a turned pen or pencil. Just sand it down
normally, then burnish with a strip of brown paper bag. When it's
smooth as a baby's rump, wipe on cyanoacrylate glue and let it
soak in and cure. Then, burnish again. The glue saturates the
wood via capillary action and makes for an extrodinarily strong
pen that's impervious to about anything. The brown paper bag
makes it all smooth and polished.


--
Nonny

ELOQUIDIOT (n) A highly educated, sophisticated,
and articulate person who has absolutely no clue
concerning what they are talking about.
The person is typically a media commentator or politician.

Well... steel wool is generally used to create a satin finish. If you
really want glass flat you need to do grain filler first and it
wouldn't be to easy with Oak. I think maybe you want to be sure to use
"Gloss" or even "High Gloss" if you can find it and spray it pretty
wet.

The other way is to go to rotten stone or pumice, read up on it. You
basically sand at00 400, 800, 1000, 2000 and even higher. Lots o work
and not easy. If you go this way be sure to let the poly fully cure.
Also not sure it is really possible with poly usually done with
lacquer.


On Feb 4, 7:19*pm, Evodawg wrote:
wrote:
On Feb 2, 9:49 pm, Evodawg wrote:
It was built by a cabinet shop and shipped to the customer. It
seems will sanded except I did notice the filled in nail holes are
still
rough

Find out what he used to fill the holes. *Some of the resin fillers
just nasty when you stain them. *They don't take the stain well,
consistently, and some are bad enough that you will think you used a
marker to spot the nails.

If they are water based fillers, I would dig them out where I could
find them.

The proper way to do this is to stain, putty/fill, then clear coat.
NEVER fill nail holes first unless you are painting.

obviously he didn't do a final sanding which is probably
customary leaving that to the finisher. I'm thinking 220 would be ok???

I almost never sand beyond 220. *This started years ago with me when I
had a very spirited conversation with a couple of furniture makers I
was talking to. *They showed me their work, their finishes, and then I
went home and did some comparison sanding/finishing samples.

Properly sanded, to 220 is enough. *I think most people continue to
sand on because 1) they think that a completely smooth surface will
make a better finish, and 2) they will do anything to keep from
finishing.

and use a block sanding method? Not sure I want to run my pad sander on
this piece? Once sanded and cleaned then stain.

Run your pad sander lightly. *Then hand sand to make sure there are no
swirlies. *The swirl marks or other sanding scratches will take the
stain more, so they will be highlighted.

Here again, if you sand to the fine grits I see sometimes bandied
around, you will run the risk of polishing the wood, and bending over
the fibers. *This is an interesting test.

Take a piece small piece of wood, something medium hard like maple.
Sand it carefully smooth to the touch, no swirl marks, etc. with 220.
Now go to another section and sand it smooth to 400, being careful to
get the surface consistently smooth to reflect the 400 grit.

Apply your stain. *You should see a lot of difference, with little
spots here and there (depending on the piece, these can be pronounced
or subtle) where the stain didn't penetrate much. *On a big piece such
as a table top, this is disaster as the uniformity of the stain color
is lost.

Now imagine this with softer woods, or woods with pronounced growth
rings. *The difference will knock you over.

Has anyone tried the spray
on clear coats? and what do you think on using them?

For me, about the only way to go is to spray. *If I had a mantle that
I could take to the garage, or back to my shop and spray it, there
would be no question. *For an over the counter application, I would
get a hard lacquer (like Old Master's) and spray away, a coat every 45
minutes until I was done. *Let it sit for a few days, then install it..

Since typically a mantle is not a high use area like a table top,
lacquer is what I use, with no complaints. *That doesn't mean you
couldn't use anything else you want. *And just about all finishes
spray these days, so no worries there.

OTOH, I know Leon has had great success with urethanes and foam
applicators. *While they aren't nearly as fast to build as lacquer,
overall they are much more durable, and they can be easier to apply
since you have a much longer open time on your project.

The last table top I did, I padded on the urethane (not sprayed...
*gasp*) and the people were tickled to death with it as it came out
great. *It is easy to apply, forgiving, and just a couple of coats
will give a great long wearing finish.

Robert

I sanded with 220 and stained the Mission Style Mantel on Wed. Looks
great! I sprayed it with a fast drying satin polyurethane today,3 coats,
looks even better. Can I rub the poly with 0000 steel wool or would you
use something else. Like to get the finish a little smoother, although its
very smooth now, but would like something along the lines of a glass
finish.
Thanks,
Rich

--
You can lead them to LINUX
but you can't make them THINK !
Mandriva 2010 *using KDE 4.3
Website: *www.rentmyhusband.biz- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Swingman wrote:

On 2/4/2010 9:19 PM, Evodawg wrote:

I sanded with 220 and stained the Mission Style Mantel on Wed. Looks
great! I sprayed it with a fast drying satin polyurethane today,3
coats,
looks even better. Can I rub the poly with 0000 steel wool or would you
use something else. Like to get the finish a little smoother, although
its very smooth now, but would like something along the lines of a
glass

Try a brown paper bag ... won't hurt and may be all you need.

I'll give that a try. I don't want a gloss finish that's why I used the
Satin Poly. I probably used the wrong term, "glass" finish. Just want it
super smooth not high gloss. Would steel wool take to much poly off or
just dull the finish?
--
You can lead them to LINUX
but you can't make them THINK !
Mandriva 2010 using KDE 4.3
Website: www.rentmyhusband.biz

SonomaProducts.com wrote:

Well... steel wool is generally used to create a satin finish. If you
really want glass flat you need to do grain filler first and it
wouldn't be to easy with Oak. I think maybe you want to be sure to use
"Gloss" or even "High Gloss" if you can find it and spray it pretty
wet.

The other way is to go to rotten stone or pumice, read up on it. You
basically sand at00 400, 800, 1000, 2000 and even higher. Lots o work
and not easy. If you go this way be sure to let the poly fully cure.
Also not sure it is really possible with poly usually done with
lacquer.


I'll give that a try. I don't want a gloss finish that's why I used the
Satin Poly. I probably used the wrong term, "glass" finish. Just want it
super smooth not high gloss. Would steel wool take to much poly off or
just dull the finish?

On 2/5/2010 7:40 AM, Evodawg wrote:

Try a brown paper bag ... won't hurt and may be all you need.

I'll give that a try. I don't want a gloss finish that's why I used the
Satin Poly. I probably used the wrong term, "glass" finish. Just want it
super smooth not high gloss. Would steel wool take to much poly off or
just dull the finish?

The paper bag trick will "smooth" the finish out, but will not
noticeably change the "gloss" or shine. Brown paper is an abrasive, but
mildly so.

Steel wool is much more abrasive and will definitely dull the gloss, to
a satin, less so if it's used with a lubricant like wax, provided you
use it lightly.

If you rub steel wool with enough pressure you will remove the finish,
so a light hand is needed, and a test piece is mandatory if you value
the original.

--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 10/22/08
KarlC@ (the obvious)

Swingman wrote:

On 2/5/2010 7:40 AM, Evodawg wrote:

Try a brown paper bag ... won't hurt and may be all you need.

I'll give that a try. I don't want a gloss finish that's why I used the
Satin Poly. I probably used the wrong term, "glass" finish. Just want
it
super smooth not high gloss. Would steel wool take to much poly off or
just dull the finish?

The paper bag trick will "smooth" the finish out, but will not
noticeably change the "gloss" or shine. Brown paper is an abrasive, but
mildly so.

Steel wool is much more abrasive and will definitely dull the gloss, to
a satin, less so if it's used with a lubricant like wax, provided you
use it lightly.

If you rub steel wool with enough pressure you will remove the finish,
so a light hand is needed, and a test piece is mandatory if you value
the original.

I'll use the brown paper bag trick. I don't want to remove any more Poly
then is necessary to get it smooth. And I definitely don't want to remove
any stain finish.
Thanks
--
You can lead them to LINUX
but you can't make them THINK !
Mandriva 2010 using KDE 4.3
Website: www.rentmyhusband.biz

Steel wool will just knock down the sheen, it won't burn through
except maybe on an edge but unlikely. You might consider synthetic
scrub pads instead. Steel wool is the classic material but real messy
and all the rubbing generates static and it is really hard to get all
the shavings out of the corners. A magnet can help. Better to use a
maroon synthetic pad typically available in same location as sandpaper
and wool at any wood releated store.

If you wanted it flat like glass, then grain filler should have been
used first. either clear or colored (brown or black). Colored grain
fill on Oak is really great and adds a lot of depth to the grain but
it is a very different look and might not be what you want. kind of
late now anyway.

On Feb 5, 5:42*am, Evodawg wrote:
SonomaProducts.com wrote:
Well... steel wool is generally used to create a satin finish. If you
really want glass flat you need to do grain filler first and it
wouldn't be to easy with Oak. I think maybe you want to be sure to use
"Gloss" or even "High Gloss" if you can find it and spray it pretty
wet.

The other way is to go to rotten stone or pumice, read up on it. You
basically sand at00 400, 800, 1000, 2000 and even higher. Lots o work
and not easy. If you go this way be sure to let the poly fully cure.
Also not sure it is really possible with poly usually done with
lacquer.

I'll give that a try. I don't want a gloss finish that's why I used the
Satin Poly. I probably used the wrong term, "glass" finish. Just want it
super smooth not high gloss. Would steel wool take to much poly off or
just dull the finish?

Swingman wrote:

On 2/5/2010 7:40 AM, Evodawg wrote:

Try a brown paper bag ... won't hurt and may be all you need.

I'll give that a try. I don't want a gloss finish that's why I used the
Satin Poly. I probably used the wrong term, "glass" finish. Just want
it
super smooth not high gloss. Would steel wool take to much poly off or
just dull the finish?

The paper bag trick will "smooth" the finish out, but will not
noticeably change the "gloss" or shine. Brown paper is an abrasive, but
mildly so.

Steel wool is much more abrasive and will definitely dull the gloss, to
a satin, less so if it's used with a lubricant like wax, provided you
use it lightly.

If you rub steel wool with enough pressure you will remove the finish,
so a light hand is needed, and a test piece is mandatory if you value
the original.

Installed the Mantel yesterday and the customer loves it. Did a final
polishing with the brown paper bag trick and your right it did give it a
very smooth finish. It was smooth before but had little nubs and the paper
bag removed them.
Thanks for the tips.
--
You can lead them to LINUX
but you can't make them THINK !
Mandriva 2010 using KDE 4.3
Website: www.rentmyhusband.biz

On 2/6/2010 7:16 AM, Evodawg wrote:
Swingman wrote:

Try a brown paper bag ... won't hurt and may be all you need.

Installed the Mantel yesterday and the customer loves it. Did a final
polishing with the brown paper bag trick and your right it did give it a
very smooth finish. It was smooth before but had little nubs and the paper
bag removed them.
Thanks for the tips.

You're welcome, glad it worked for you as well as it does for me. I
basically use it as the final finishing step on every project I do.

On shellac, I usually give it at least a week to cure beforehand.

--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 10/22/08
KarlC@ (the obvious)

On Tue, 02 Feb 2010 07:09:39 -0800, the infamous Evodawg
scrawled the following:

I have a pre built Oak Mantel to stain and install today. It has been
sanded by the builder. It has also been handled a few times to position it
and mark nailing supports. My big worry is oil from my hands and the
possibility of leaving finger prints on the finish and any other processes
you guys use to get a great look. Should it be sealed with a clear coat or
verathane?

If you're going to stain it and Varathane it, why worry about
anything? That's more abuse than a fingerprint.

-
Yea, though I walk through the valley of Minwax, I shall stain no Cherry.
---
http://www.diversify.com NoteSHADES(tm) laptop privacy/glare guards