Hello, I’m spraying an oil-based polyurethane product, semi-gloss, and cutting it with mineral spirits (3:1 roughly). I had to strip this piece of it’s original finish, and while doing so, one small area looked fairly raw with exposed pours. I probably should have used a sealer first before spraying, but I didn’t. Now I’m on my 3rd coat, sanding with 400 grit in-between each coat, and the area is still drinking the finish up more than any other area and showing. Any advice would be welcome. I really don’t want to strip all this again, as it’s an island countertop and fairly large. Is there anything I can do? Adjusting the ratio of poly/thinner?
Replies
Overall, it's looking good. 3:1 makes it pretty thin, however, and you should expect a lot of coats to fully cover and protect it. Remember, most commercial products are intended to be applied without thinning. You might try applying more coats with a bit less thinning just in the area that is drinking it up. Of course, you need to be careful to blend into the surrounding area as you spray so you don't create obvious edges. You may need to do a little extra sanding in the blend areas before you put on a final overall coat or two.
Or, try wiping or brushing on a couple of full strength coats in just that area. Again, this might require a little extra sanding to blend it and smooth out brush or wiping marks. With adding more coats and sanding in between, the open pores will fill in.
Have you considered applying a couple of thin coats of some Zinsser "Sealcoat" clear shellac to seal those spots, LIGHTLY sanding, and then going back to your poly?
"Shellac sticks to everything and everything sticks to shellac."
Changed the ratio and did a couple extra passes on the spot. Much better. Thanks!
I didn't want shellac on here because it's a kitchen counter, and alcohol spirits would have a negative reaction with shellac, though I suppose if it was under a couple coats of poly, it wouldn't have been an issue. Thankfully I don't have to start messing with different finishes. Thanks for the input!