I’m finishing a cherry dining table using the “paper-towel method” Jeff Jewitt suggested in a past FWW article, but am having a terrible time getting the varnish to lay down (i.e. there are noticeable streaks or “paper towel marks” in it).
Here’s what we’ve got so far.
1. Hand sanded up through 320 with a block.
2. Tanned the whole piece in the sun.
3. Applied BLO oil, rubbed out, and let dry.
4. Applied Sherwin Williams Fast Drying Varnish thinned 1:1 with naptha using Viva untextured paper towels as per Jeff’s method.
5. Lightly wet-sanded between 1st, 2nd, and third coats with 320 paper.
6. Frustrated with the flow out problems, the next day I sanded with super fine steel wool before the 4th and 5th coat, thinking that I had a surface tension problem and that it might be important to have the whole surface slightly scuffed.
7. The next day, seeing that the steel wool did not work so well, I dry-sanded a little more aggressively with 320, making sure there were no ridges before the application of the 6th and 7th coat.
8. On the 7th coat, I thinned the varnish with paint thinner instead of naphtha, wondering if maybe the naphtha (plus the toluene that Sherwin Williams had already added to make it “fast drying”) was evaporating too fast and not giving it time to flow out.
9. Same problem still.
Most all the coats were applied in 60-70 degree temperatures here in an early Georgia spring.
Any help would be appreciated.
[font=Arial] [/font]
Replies
Yes, thinning with a slower evaporating solvent should help your application process considerably. I'd use mineral spirits. Also think about your application process. Wiping on a varnish with a paper towel doesn't mean using the towel as a brush. The towel should be just wet enough that it will leave a thin sheen on the surface, not a wet film.
Flow out
You said you thought you had a surface tension problem. What kind of linseed oil did you use and how long did you try it for? Sometimes it may seem dry when it's actually trying to escape through your finish. I'm not familiar with the article, but if I were trying to finish a dining room table I would body up the finish by brushing on a couple of coats, let it cure for a few days, and level with a felt block. Then I would use a soft cotton applicator, similiar to a french polishing pad to wipe on a few whisper thin coats of your fast drying varnish. And yes, when wiping on you do use very thin coats. Trying to use your applicator like a brush will just leave tracks all over the top which won't flow out in time.
As Steve says, thin it with mineral spirits instead. You can still put on as many as 2-3 coats per day. You should also apply it with a sweeping method--as Howie says, like you are wiping a table at Denny's to clean it up. I like to somewhat follow the grain of the wood in doing mine, but it is still very much wiping the table with a pad filled with a thinned varnish.
I will add that with the wiping varnish method (I use non-poly), the first few coats do not look particularly good and you'll think you've made a terrible choice. Not what you are describing, but the piece looks "bad". By the time the 4th coat is on, it is beginning to look like you may like it. And then by 6-8, it is beautiful.
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled