Like magic!!!! Worked great!!!! Rubbed a satin polyurethane with this method...removed every single defect, it also removed the streaks that were driving me nuts. Thank you!!!!😊
ACE video!! My finish on an antique box restoration project was all bumpy and grimy feeling, with this method it came out all fancy and professional looking. Thank you for the precious advice!
Used this method on a quarter-sawn oak tabletop I'm making and it worked great. Wow! Went from a surface bumpy with "nibs" to one that is smooth. Very impressed. Many thanks from America's Dairyland.
I was going to try this on a maple guitar neck i just finished with Minwax clear poly. I did the first stop with the 4-0 steel wool. For the second step, I had a damp sponge and a bar of Lava soap and a light bulb went off above my head. I rubbed out the neck with the Lava soap, then automotive polish/scratch remover and it came out shiny and orange peel free.
Thanks. Rubbing out poly can be tricky especially with thin coats. Lacquer is much easier to rub out but I do not have that luxury with the current piece.
I'm a novice, and am working on an oak coffee table now. I notice that you mentioned in a reply about a year ago about low spots - here it is {Any low spots (like pores in oak or minor indentations) will show as little shiny spots}. I have been watching many videos, and I really enjoyed yours and found it quite helpful. My question is how to get rid of the low spots? I have put multiple (3) coats on, and it seems that they just keep reappearing. Quite frustrating. Sorry if this is a basic question; as I said I am a novice.
Yes Conner is right. You need a perfectly flat surface in order to have an even sheen. You have to sand forever when preparing the wood and or or fill any pores or small low spots before putting your finish on.
I never use soap and water with steel wool. Steel wool breaks down as it is rubbed and small pieces can become logged into the finish and wood. If it is soaked in water, it oxidizes leaving spots of rust in the work. You can get away with it if it is the last coat, but you will have quite a flat matte finish because 0000 isn't even a very high sheen to finish with.
Can you lower the sheen with this process too? IE take a satin sheen poly down to a more matte finish? I'm almost to this point on the table i'm building, and i'm trying to get a duller sheen than what was available with the oil based poly.
This may have already been asked. I used a Varathane brand oil based satin spar-urethane on a table top. How long would I have to wait before using this process? Is 24 hours long enough?
He says “4zero steel wool”, but I believe he means it as “#0000 steel wool”. Be careful people as other types of the wool than 0000 will be too abrasive
Half way into the video....thank you for explaining why you are doing the steps. Too many videos just show a process, never an explanation, which does nothing to help understand and learn the process.
The only thing I have to add is not wearing gloves while doing this. Everytime I've used steel wool without gloves, I've gotten minute splinters in my fingers. This isn't as extreme as trying to pull off finish and you have it wet down, but i would think one wouldn't want to breath that steel wool dust in, if there is any.
Yes it can, but you'll need more coats with oil based polyurethane, as it puts down lighter coats than the typical water based. I don't even sand between coats until I have at least 3 coats down first.
Good video and really makes it seem simple. This may be a silly question, but what kind of soap is appropriate for this purpose? Dish soap, hand soap, laundry soap, soft soap, dissolved bar soap... Or am I overthinking it and it really doesn't matter as long as it's lubricative rather than abrasive (such as Lava soap)?
My finish is always very soft and doesnt really harden so soft that i can make a deep scratch without putting any pressure with my nail I let it cure and have tried the best brands we can get here which makes me think there is somethink wrong with my application process what could it be
How long do you let it cure,? Check the manuf. date of the product. It may be possible that it could be old. I'm not sure if age can affect the cure time.
if you guys want to up the sheen to a gloss i'd follow up the 0000 steel wool with 0000 pumice and then rotten stone. i like to use soapy water and a linen cloth with a wooden block to apply pressure and buff away. clean it off with more soap and water.
While this method would theoretically have the same effect on satin or gloss, complications are likely to arise when lowering the sheen on a gloss surface. Any low spots (like pores in oak or minor indentations) will show as little shiny spots.
I have refinished our dinning room table, I have 7 coats of poly on right now. I tried this method and it made it look dull and sanded, even when I used soapy water. I even tried a 1000 grit hoping that would help but still had the dull look. All I want to do it remove those fine dust particles and what not. Lol
If am shooting for a satin sheen with lacquer on seven pieces of furniture I am building that have lots of raised trim areas. If I feel that I want to bring back just a little gloss to the sheen, would you recommend paste wax with 0000 steel wool, or something else? Also, I will be spraying. How many coats do you recommend so that I stay clear of the wood when rubbing out?
Rubbing out a finish is essentially scratching it with finer and finer scratches. The sandpaper is more coarse than the steel wool which is why he started there.
+Jimmy Meeker this method works for any wood and or finish but not safe as 400 is a bit too aggressive for last coat and it's not easy to use 400 grit to remove surface imperfections. I'd go with 1200, yes time needed is more but the job would be much easier and relaxing
Luberon is lucky to have American customers it is considered as only DIY products, no professional would use that brand . the products are probably more easy to find but their quality (solid content, dilution, uv filter,) is not what we need for long lasting professional furniture repair or building. regards their steel wool is certainly normal that said ;)
He used a varnish finish. I didn't know varnish could be rubbed-out to a satin finish. looks like a good job. I am rubbing out a laquer finish today on some wood working tools I made, with minwax finishing wax paste.
of course once again there is ABSOLUTELY no way to see the finished product because hes not showing it The sanding marks are not "invisible to the naked eye" your figure 8 swirls with the steel wool show up big time , and if you aren't comfortable showing us the final product we can assume it didn't turn out well at all
Agree. I keep seeing these guys doing a final rub out in a circle pattern. If you want to look good when you actually look at it, you have to rub in straight lines. These guys make me think they really don’t know what there are doing.
could you do this on a floor? i just re-finished my floors and there are some "dust nibs" and a few kitty hairs that unfortunately found their way onto my floor before the finish dried
Ilya Lioubarski I don't want to misinform you so call your hardwood supply store. Not home Depot but an actual cabinet store. I ONLY worked on extremely faded walnut using a variation of this video. Good luck!
Like magic!!!! Worked great!!!! Rubbed a satin polyurethane with this method...removed every single defect, it also removed the streaks that were driving me nuts.
Thank you!!!!😊
This video title is my life motto
Lawl
Come on that was funny
This is the simplest explanation of this process that I have seen yet, thank you for sharing.
ACE video!! My finish on an antique box restoration project was all bumpy and grimy feeling, with this method it came out all fancy and professional looking. Thank you for the precious advice!
Best video ever, I tried this method and it honestly gave me the best finish I've ever done....silky smooth thank you!
This is by far the simplest and easiest method I've seen! I will test this out on some sample pieces, thanks for the easy to follow video.
This is a good technique. I use it a bunch with my shellac finishes.
Used this method on a quarter-sawn oak tabletop I'm making and it worked great. Wow! Went from a surface bumpy with "nibs" to one that is smooth. Very impressed. Many thanks from America's Dairyland.
I was going to try this on a maple guitar neck i just finished with Minwax clear poly. I did the first stop with the 4-0 steel wool. For the second step, I had a damp sponge and a bar of Lava soap and a light bulb went off above my head. I rubbed out the neck with the Lava soap, then automotive polish/scratch remover and it came out shiny and orange peel free.
Thanks. Rubbing out poly can be tricky especially with thin coats. Lacquer is much easier to rub out but I do not have that luxury with the current piece.
When I do that last step I do it with 4O steel wool and Howard’s orange oil and wax. Smooths without scratching and puts a beautiful shine on finish
thanks for that one, i notice you have nice clean tidy work shop..unlike mine..
Finally a videa that explains this
Great video right to the point thank you
Thank you. This is really clear and informative.
I'm a novice, and am working on an oak coffee table now. I notice that you mentioned in a reply about a year ago about low spots - here it is {Any low spots (like pores in oak or minor indentations) will show as little shiny spots}. I have been watching many videos, and I really enjoyed yours and found it quite helpful. My question is how to get rid of the low spots? I have put multiple (3) coats on, and it seems that they just keep reappearing. Quite frustrating. Sorry if this is a basic question; as I said I am a novice.
Connor H Thank you! I appreciate that link; it was helpful.
Yes Conner is right. You need a perfectly flat surface in order to have an even sheen. You have to sand forever when preparing the wood and or or fill any pores or small low spots before putting your finish on.
I never use soap and water with steel wool. Steel wool breaks down as it is rubbed and small pieces can become logged into the finish and wood. If it is soaked in water, it oxidizes leaving spots of rust in the work. You can get away with it if it is the last coat, but you will have quite a flat matte finish because 0000 isn't even a very high sheen to finish with.
I'd be afraid to use 400grit- maybe 600-1000 grit would be better to prevent over sanding?
Best and most instructive video i've come across. Thanks!
Can you lower the sheen with this process too? IE take a satin sheen poly down to a more matte finish? I'm almost to this point on the table i'm building, and i'm trying to get a duller sheen than what was available with the oil based poly.
Lemme know if you found a good answer to this question!
I have a question. Should this method be used on an oil based varnish? Or should the water be substituted with mineral spirits?etc.
what's the soap to water ratio and what kind of soap ?
I would think just enough to make suds. A drop or two per 8 ounces
This may have already been asked. I used a Varathane brand oil based satin spar-urethane on a table top. How long would I have to wait before using this process? Is 24 hours long enough?
Personally I wouldn’t use the circular motion and I would also apply 1 final coat without doing anything afterward if you want a gloss finish
He says “4zero steel wool”, but I believe he means it as “#0000 steel wool”. Be careful people as other types of the wool than 0000 will be too abrasive
can you do this with gloss polyurethane?
just use higher and higher grades of wet sandpaper, like up to 5000 grit and then finish it off with paste wax, buff it and there you go
Half way into the video....thank you for explaining why you are doing the steps. Too many videos just show a process, never an explanation, which does nothing to help understand and learn the process.
The only thing I have to add is not wearing gloves while doing this. Everytime I've used steel wool without gloves, I've gotten minute splinters in my fingers. This isn't as extreme as trying to pull off finish and you have it wet down, but i would think one wouldn't want to breath that steel wool dust in, if there is any.
Can this method be used on the oil based minwax polyurethane finish?
Yes it can, but you'll need more coats with oil based polyurethane, as it puts down lighter coats than the typical water based. I don't even sand between coats until I have at least 3 coats down first.
So will this rub out brush marks on water based poly? I’m struggling lol
Great video. Thanks!
Good video and really makes it seem simple. This may be a silly question, but what kind of soap is appropriate for this purpose? Dish soap, hand soap, laundry soap, soft soap, dissolved bar soap... Or am I overthinking it and it really doesn't matter as long as it's lubricative rather than abrasive (such as Lava soap)?
STILL NO ANSWER??? HAHA
My finish is always very soft and doesnt really harden so soft that i can make a deep scratch without putting any pressure with my nail
I let it cure and have tried the best brands we can get here which makes me think there is somethink wrong with my application process what could it be
How long do you let it cure,? Check the manuf. date of the product. It may be possible that it could be old. I'm not sure if age can affect the cure time.
Thanks for the tips!
You make it look so simple
if you guys want to up the sheen to a gloss i'd follow up the 0000 steel wool with 0000 pumice and then rotten stone. i like to use soapy water and a linen cloth with a wooden block to apply pressure and buff away. clean it off with more soap and water.
I'm assuming the finish is poly. Will this work also with laquer?
While this method would theoretically have the same effect on satin or gloss, complications are likely to arise when lowering the sheen on a gloss surface. Any low spots (like pores in oak or minor indentations) will show as little shiny spots.
I have refinished our dinning room table, I have 7 coats of poly on right now. I tried this method and it made it look dull and sanded, even when I used soapy water. I even tried a 1000 grit hoping that would help but still had the dull look. All I want to do it remove those fine dust particles and what not. Lol
@@simonlaura then polish it with car polish afterward... or a 8000 grit 3m trizact pad
Nicely done so after that, is the project finished ?or would you put one more finish coat
If am shooting for a satin sheen with lacquer on seven pieces of furniture I am building that have lots of raised trim areas. If I feel that I want to bring back just a little gloss to the sheen, would you recommend paste wax with 0000 steel wool, or something else?
Also, I will be spraying. How many coats do you recommend so that I stay clear of the wood when rubbing out?
You should remove the dust after every sanding.
Can this process be used to knock down the shine from oil based stain? Seems a light steel wool would do it.
Can i spray it with lacquer for better polishing after this?
In the story and this video we use dish soap.
2:10. You reached to you apron and said “I didn’t do that”. What were you referring to?
gotta change that name
Any tips for a process that would reduce the gloss a bit?
Can your process to be used on white water-based lacquer? Preferably Kem Aqua Plus by Sherwin Williams.
For this technique to work, does the wood grain has to be filled or it also works on open grain?
Some more details about the entire process would be helpful, specifically, why did you start with sandpaper and then go to steel wool?
Rubbing out a finish is essentially scratching it with finer and finer scratches. The sandpaper is more coarse than the steel wool which is why he started there.
IIs this done in between coats or ONLY on the final coat?
Do you need to add a wax or anything after?
Will this work if my top is painted. I used chalk paint and then I finished it with oil based satin Poly.
It’s a ping pong table so I added the poly for durability
Question.? W hat Color & Brand of Stain is that Board, That your working on.? Thanks for sharing etc.
MyREDTAIL it’s quartersawn mahogany......
Don't you have to let the finish cure for 1-2 weeks before you do this? I had thought that.
That is best, yes
so yes or no, this will work for a satin surface?
dumb question
how well does this work on red oak wood or does it matter about what kind of wood
+Jimmy Meeker this method works for any wood and or finish but not safe as 400 is a bit too aggressive for last coat and it's not easy to use 400 grit to remove surface imperfections. I'd go with 1200, yes time needed is more but the job would be much easier and relaxing
This is a lacquer finish, right?
Where do you get a felt block like the one you used
Can you use the same technique with a solvet based alkyd resins varnish?
Can I use this to smooth out painted furniture that has a semi gloss paint on?
can you do this on a high gloss finish. with all the steps you just done and my wood is red oak
You can, if you don't want it to be a high gloss finish
What clear product?
can you rub out stain that has been applied to thickly
what type of wood is that top that you are working on love it
that is african mahogany.
EXCELENTE VIDEO, GRACIAS
I used 0000 steel wool with soapy water and it left tiny scratches in the finish.
Perhaps, too much pressure or a lesser quality steel wool.
No
Great video. We use a similar technique using Murphy's Oil Soap. I love how you used the felt pad, where in the world do you purchase those? Cheers!
you could use a blackboard felt eraser
Any woodworking supply, Woodcraft and probably Amazon
@@akyak333
That's what I was thinking!
I prefer to use mineral oil as a lubricant
Would this work for polyurethane?
It does, but it's recommended to wait until the poly is fully cured, which can be as long as a full month.
ah, so the key to a fast finish rub-out is lubrication?
Ryan Young I see what you did there.
thank you
Does this also work on poly finish?
Robert Nydza yes
Chicken choking humor aside, why is it called "rubbing out"? It appears to be just regular sanding.
Luberon is lucky to have American customers it is considered as only DIY products, no professional would use that brand . the products are probably more easy to find but their quality (solid content, dilution, uv filter,) is not what we need for long lasting professional furniture repair or building. regards their steel wool is certainly normal that said ;)
LIBERON
Thanks
thank you :)
This is good when you need to rub one out.
Would some automotive polishing compound give you a high gloss finish after these steps?
Yup it would make it too glossy
nice
That fucking title tho
Brautiful
What type of finish did you use?
He used a varnish finish. I didn't know varnish could be rubbed-out to a satin finish. looks like a good job. I am rubbing out a laquer finish today on some wood working tools I made, with minwax finishing wax paste.
love the striping in that wood what is it
I'm pretty sure it's sapele mahogany...
He said it's African Mahogany.
That's why I'm sure it's Sapeli, It has those tripes, and is mahogany from Africa. (I work with this wood almost daily)
Has anyone ever tried this method on a conversion varnish, ie post-catalyzed varnish?
DO NOT GO IN A CIRCULAR MOTION IT WILL CAUSE SCRATCHES
The soapy water doesn’t help hide them like he said? Genuine question
@@EliUrGuy nope
@@EliUrGuy go with the grain and you will be fine
hi
Not even gloves? your hands are gonna end up sticky for hours
of course once again there is ABSOLUTELY no way to see the finished product because hes not showing it
The sanding marks are not "invisible to the naked eye" your figure 8 swirls with the steel wool show up big time , and if you aren't comfortable showing us the final product we can assume it didn't turn out well at all
Agree. I keep seeing these guys doing a final rub out in a circle pattern. If you want to look good when you actually look at it, you have to rub in straight lines.
These guys make me think they really don’t know what there are doing.
Ń
'
could you do this on a floor? i just re-finished my floors and there are some "dust nibs" and a few kitty hairs that unfortunately found their way onto my floor before the finish dried
I love our cat. Kitty hairs in a finish could be the start of carpeting.
Does this also work for Polyurethane?
Dannielle Carver
Yes
Rxonmymind how about oil poly? Do i use soap and water or mineral spirits?
Ilya Lioubarski
I don't want to misinform you so call your hardwood supply store. Not home Depot but an actual cabinet store.
I ONLY worked on extremely faded walnut using a variation of this video.
Good luck!