I just want to say I am fed up with 30-minute videos that are full of irrelevant rubbish and hardly tell you anything. This is the opposite, its brief, practical and well explained - tells me just waht I need to know and demonstrates it. Thanks!
Ive figured out theres about 3 different kinds of vids that often are lumped together. Clickbait where the title promises, and the content doesnt deliver. Then theres the ones where the title promises, but delivers only after 15min of ranting. Those I simply call TV shows, or entertainment shows. Then theres the ones that promise, and deliver what they promise. Those I call honest shows. And I can certainly see how it would piss a guy off who hops on youtube to learn himself over a hurdle in a current project (often in a hurry), only to be subjected to straight up clickbait or someone telling campfire stories for 10min before getting to the point of the video. Tegridy!
Yeah too bad he can't get the audio right. He needs a microphone and to not hold the camera so close when he is sanding. Its annoying to hear all the sanding over him talking. But if he wants to hold the camera so close he needs to mute the microphone on the camera
Perfect video, this is the problem I'm having currently. Have applied 2 coats now will apply 1 more and buff custom doors. Thank you for explaining with no fluff.
Just finished refinishing my old family dining table and was so disappointed in the end result! You just saved my project! Thanks SO much for this video! SO HELPFUL!
I've been doing wood working as a hobby most of my life. When I got my cordless sander, it came with pads like you have here. I never knew what they were for until now... Thanks! I learned something new.
Just what I was looking for. I’ve watched all kinds of videos but this is the first one I’ve seen that I can clearly see a difference in the appearance of the wood after each sanding application.
Thank you so much for posting this video! You literally saved my project - I painted our vanity top and no matter what method I used to apply the topcoat, I couldn’t get a smooth finish. I was contemplating using pour on epoxy when I came across your video. After receiving the supplies, I had a smooth finish in 5 minutes. Thank you!
This video is SO HELPFUL and concise. I’m working on my first furniture restoration project and this helped immensely with my finishing process. Thank you!
The technique works fantastically! I had just completed six coats of poly on a new 36x72 rustic dining room table. Not only did the procedure work for the poly, but I also used it in removing finishing paste wax. What a super idea, thank you.
I can’t wait to try that on my next project. Thank you for the Information. I have never had a dust free environment to apply finishes so I had to live with a less than professional finish. Great video! Thanks again.
This is a "just the facts, ma'am" type of guy, never entranced by his own voice and talking more about his accomplishments than about the work to do, an awesome fella, THANKS BUDDY!
AHH thank you so much! I have been making fine furniture for years. I can get to the mirror look, but it takes me so long. This is a much more efficient method. I love RUclips, insofar as learning woodworking, etc, I learn so much that makes my products better and better.
You, sir, are a savior. Tried this today on my satin polyurethane finish for my butcher block counter top. All the little nibs and fibers that deposited from the atmosphere smoothed out nicely with the 3M pad after a 24h dry time. Since I'm going for low gloss that pad is my final step!
Cool stuff. I don't have a ro sander so I'm just buffing by hand with ultra fine pads. I'm using them between coats, buffing until the surface is white and smooth, and then wiping the dust off with a very lightly damp paper towel-seems to be working quite nicely.
My husband built me a maple table. He does a lot of woodworking but I usually do the finishing. I can't wait to try this last step on my new table top! Using Minwax matte finish but when I tried it on a scrap piece and it was beautiful! Thank you!
I'm a little late to this discussion, but...I have been using the Scotch pads, and particularly the grey ones and sometimes the green ones, for several years now, on my random orbit sander to get whatever degree of shine that I want for that particular piece of wood. But what I do is cut the Scotch pad to fit the sanding disc and this helps the sander from wanting to sling the Scotch pad off the sander. I also like it because I can get a shine but still have the wood look more or less natural and not have it look like a piece of plastic.
This works great. Did it on cheap pine from Home Depot i used to build my keezer collar. After the inital sanding, i applied 6 coats of Minwax high gloss polyurethane, lightly sanding between coats with 320 grit sandpaper. Sixth coat dried for 24 hours, then sanded with 400 grit, then wet sanded with 600 grit, then went over that with 0000 steel wool and then followed up with white 3M final finishing pad from Lowes on my orbital sander. Fantastic finish; smooth as glass and a nice warm glow.
WOW. THANKS! THIS MAKES SO MUCH SENSE! I’m just refinishing my first table, and just finished the last coat of polyurethane. I was wondering how to make sure it stays shiny after the last sanding. You’re EXTREMELY HELPFUL!
For those who can't find 3M rubbing pad in your country, 3M might be calling it with different name. In my country, Malaysia, they call them as 3M Scotch-Brite "hand pad". The model number would be 7445(this is the white color) and the other is 7448.
@@thegoldenseed cara ni leh apply tak kalau saya pakai toa gloss 2 layer lepastu tiru step ni.. Sebab risau cat dia terkeluar plak.. Ke untuk cat PU ja
@@akmalsufi5833 hmmm. Tak pernah cuba dgn cat gloss. Sepatutnya cat takkan tanggal. Cuba kat kayu spare yg tak pakai dulu. Tgk effect dia cantik ke tak. Lepas tu baru buat kat semua kayu lain. Tolong share result dia.
I was stumped until I watched your video. I did not have access to a 3M buffing pad but did have some cheap scrubbing sponge with a pad on the one side. Worked great. Thanks for the pad idea.
I've been looking into alternatives to poly as it's a pain to maintain a dust-free environment. I've moved towards Watco Danish Oil which has varnish and Waterlox which is resin-modified Tung Oil. Both soak into the wood building coats slowly but without any of the nuisances like brush marks or bumps. Once several coats are applied you can buff them to get a sheen. Danish Oil is good for light use and Waterlox is for heavier duty use and is more waterproof.
Boom! fantastic tip! fantastic presentation! all RUclipsrs need to watch this and realize you don't need fancy graphics and begging for followers. you just need good information. thank you!
To the author: this is without question one of the most useful videos I have ever viewed about finishing techniques. So thanks so much for creating this! However, I don't think the title of your video really does justice to what you are offering here. It is not just about how to get glass-smooth results with polyurethane. it is really about glass-smooth results AFTER THE FACT. Yours is the first how-to video on wood finishing with poly that I have ever viewed that talks about the process AFTER the finish has been applied and has dried. All the other videos I have viewed (and I have viewed lots) talk about how to achieve better results DURING the process - namely between coats. I would strongly suggest you add a couple of words to your title to emphasize the 'after the fact' benefits that truly distinguish your technique!
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I just bought my first unfinished dining room table that I want to keep it as natural as possible. Your video was EXACTLY what I needed to know.
I have been using sandpaper until now and was not happy with the results. After watching your video, I slapped a pad on my random orbital sander and this made all the difference! This is way less aggressive than sandpaper and delivers uniform results. Thank you!
Well done, thank you so much!! I restoring a sailboat interior which had some water damage and black stains, I bleached out the stains and found out from the former owner that it had polyurethane on the finish so I ready too make her beautiful again!! Many blessings Sir!!
What a perfect video. Exactly the problem I'm trying to fix. Great tips! Finishing a guitar with wipe on poly and this will help a great deal. Very concise!
Thank you! I tried to roll on my last coat of poly using a fine roller.... YIKES it created sharp peaks in it. Had to sand it back down with a 220 and then found the fine 3m pad in my auto detailing store. I even tried 2000 grit sandpaper which was just a waste of money. This pad and a cheap sander did the trick for me.
Question for you.. i just yried this and result was smooth but cloudy .. i purchased the buffing pads he suggested and used random orbial sander.. any suggestions
@@angelawhalen8890 It could be for a couple of reasons, here are three: First, the wood might have not been dry, poliurethane works best when applied to lumber or wood with 15% of humidity ir less. So there might be some humidity trapped between the wood and the finish. Second reason, could be the sanding and planing job; you must always aim for the flattest surface and evenly sand the latter up to 150-180 grit(over 320 is overkill). Then sand in between coats with 400 grit and increase the grit every 2 coats. Typically you will apply only 4 coats, so you could start with 400 and en with 800 grit. But if the surface isn't flat or haven't been sanded properly, there are going to be low spots that you'll miss with the next grit, and hence the bad results. Marking with a pencil is used as a good reference to see if you are sanding properly, and if there is a spot where the pencil mark remains, mark again and sand until it disappears, only then move to the next grit. Reason number three is the polishing job, in almost every video out there, people cut the video since the polishing job takes some time, take your time to do it but don't, I repeat DO NOT, use the pencil technic once you started applying the finish, since you will mess up the finish. Try to do the polishing job with a light reflection so you can see which part needs a retouch. Hopes this helps!
Hey Steve, I learned this when I was a kid. You can use pumice stone then rotten stone on a damp chalk board eraser to get it super smooth then after that we put a coat of paste wax on it. That is what I was taught oh about 50 yrs ago lol and that is of coarse what I do when I want a very smooth finish.
Hi Merle, Thank for your note and comments. I used to use pumice then rottenstone too, but I switched to rubbing pads because they're faster and less messy. There's no need to make up a slurry with water. I still have my jars or pumice and rottenstone in the shop. Haven't opened them for 35 years now. Thanks for watching! Steve
I'm currently working on a set of Cornhole boards and brush strokes are literally killing the finish. This is exactly what I needed! Hopefully this works on oil based polyurethane as well. I will be trying tonight!
It should work the same provided you let it dry for 2-3 days or more.. because oil base hardens very slowly compared to the water based.if you don't let it dry enough you will gum up the abrasive quickly.
I'm going to be trying the buff with the 7441 white pads next week, thank you for the tip! Also, I gotta add..since I spend my days with wiring, your service panel in the shop is immaculately done.
Good Morning and thanks for your note. Great to hear from you. Let me know how the buffing goes. I'm not an electrician, but I do all my own wiring from pole to plug. I've wired three buildings so far, and I like to apply the same care and craftsmanship to wire placement as I do with woodworking. Thanks for your kind words about the panel you saw in the background. Bye for now, Steve
Good Morning Drew! That's great news. Thanks for letting me know. What sort of project have you tried buffing on so far? If you like this video, you should sign up for my Saturday morning newsletter. at www.baileylineroad.com. Take care and thanks for watching, Steve
@@baileylineroad awesome video! I refinish furniture and this technique is going to be a game changer for my work! I am having trouble finding these exact pads though :( even tried using your link where you purchase. Maybe they've discontinued the ones you used since this video is over 4 yrs old. If you happen to see my comment would you please post a link to the exact square pads you used 🙏 thank you!
Guys, try cutting your finish between coats and before the last coat with a razor, 3 fingers, slight bend, and using it like a cardscraper, almost no pressure to smooth out the rough coat of finish, then scrub with a fine sponge for a few second to prep for next coat, apply new coat, then use this guys technique and wax and buff!
This technique worked really great on my 5 workbench/miter station tabletops stained with classic gray and finished with polyurethane. Leaves a high end furniture piece finish. Now it’s time to beat them up a bit! Thank You for the video, helped me out a lot. 👍🏻👍🏻
Thanks for the video, was helpful. Also everybody uses pine for these demonstrations but we can't see the change. It would be much better if a darker wood like walnut or cherry were used
Good Morning! Thanks for your kind words. I'm glad you found my video useful. That's great to hear. Drop by my website baileylineroad.com for a visit sometime. You'll find lots of stuff there, including tool giveaways, articles and videos of interest to hands-on, how-to people. Bye for now and thanks for watching! Steve
thank god you came upon this video i was watching the one from 2010 and i loved the finish on the wood with the blue colored stain and then it was gone that quick so thank you for following up ...
Very nice video, thank you I've subscribed! I just finished a project yesterday with water based PU. However, I wet sanded it down with 1000 grit 3M paper, and then used a rubbing compound, and buffed it to a high sheen, by hand. I then used car wax on it, and the results were amazing. Do give it a try. Thank you for taking the time to make this video, for guys like me, who really appreciate ideas that can turn out great work! Your efforts will help millions. Good luck, and God bless!
Wow, thank you so much for making this very helpful video, just finished my kitchen cabinets and I didn't quite liked the results on the polyurethane part, after watching watching your video I now know exactly what to do finish the job right,so glad I found your videos thanks. 😊👍👍
Wow! I'm excited to try this method. I have several pieces to buff and I've ordered the 3M pads. I'm wondering, though, at what point in the cure can I begin to buff? After it's dry in say 24 hours, or do I need to wait a month for a full cure? Thanks again for such a helpful video!
I do wood turning and do it a different way. I was taught if you want a high gloss finish, the wood must shine before finishing it. So I go to 2000 grit sand paper on hardwood. Then I use wipe on poly and apply with the blue paper towel. Keep applying and rubbing equivalent to three coats. Continue rubbing thru tacky stage until dry. It will have high gloss if high gloss poly.
Thanks for providing this vid...I only have a one speed orbital sander so I guess ill be using the hand method. I didnt even know there were these other types of finer scrubbers -- will come in handy as i still have a couple of more polyurethane coats i need to apply to my cornhole project boards. Thanks again!!
Great video! The answer to my smooth coat finishing problems. I have now watched Beverly Bailey Line Road videos, and I find them all simple and informative. BUT, I am new to wood finishing. I have searched for the 3m pads mentioned in the video, but can't tell which is which. So many choices with the words "fine" and "superfine". 3M site has nothing under the words "rubbing pad" as used in the video. Anyone who can comment with the specific words to find the right pads?
I think this might only work well for lightly colored surfaces. I tried this on a table top last night. I had stained them a dark black cherry color and applied many (8+) thin coats of poly/mineral spirits mix (because it's cold in the garage). The last coat was thicker and thus had bumps and bubbles. The result of following these steps was a lot of "foggy" areas, similar to if I had just hand sanded with 320 grit and then wiped with a tack cloth. It was nice and smooth to the touch though.
Hi Timothy! Scrolling through the comments here and I have a similar issue. I follow these steps with a dark finish and even the sanding after several poly coats seems to ruin the finish. I've tried this on two different railing projects and it happens each time. I've ended up deciding to leave it as it is and forget about the sanding and buffing because it seems like it ends up making it worse with dark colored woods.
Didn't even ask us to like and subscribe....for that reason I'm going to like and subscribe
I just want to say I am fed up with 30-minute videos that are full of irrelevant rubbish and hardly tell you anything. This is the opposite, its brief, practical and well explained - tells me just waht I need to know and demonstrates it. Thanks!
@Fretboard Burner
It looks like you're completely outvoted. Hardly surprising really.
@Fretboard Burner you didnt read his full comment........you misjudged it completely.. FOCUS
Ive figured out theres about 3 different kinds of vids that often are lumped together. Clickbait where the title promises, and the content doesnt deliver. Then theres the ones where the title promises, but delivers only after 15min of ranting. Those I simply call TV shows, or entertainment shows.
Then theres the ones that promise, and deliver what they promise. Those I call honest shows.
And I can certainly see how it would piss a guy off who hops on youtube to learn himself over a hurdle in a current project (often in a hurry), only to be subjected to straight up clickbait or someone telling campfire stories for 10min before getting to the point of the video.
Tegridy!
@Fretboard Burner I'm tired of people being tired about other people being tired.
This is great a great video.
my god, i love when a video gets right to the point. this is everything i needed to know and then some. thank you
Exactly. God bless all the experts who go into extreme detail but sometimes you just want a direct, right to the point video!!!
Wait, no 3-minute intro? - Thank you! - Grateful for that!
Yeah too bad he can't get the audio right. He needs a microphone and to not hold the camera so close when he is sanding. Its annoying to hear all the sanding over him talking. But if he wants to hold the camera so close he needs to mute the microphone on the camera
Perfect video, this is the problem I'm having currently. Have applied 2 coats now will apply 1 more and buff custom doors. Thank you for explaining with no fluff.
They do that because there trying to make longer videos so they can grow there channel but I agree it is very annoying lol
Just finished refinishing my old family dining table and was so disappointed in the end result! You just saved my project! Thanks SO much for this video! SO HELPFUL!
disappointed as how? do you mean d other way round
I've been doing wood working as a hobby most of my life. When I got my cordless sander, it came with pads like you have here. I never knew what they were for until now... Thanks! I learned something new.
Yo Peaves that’s the packaging, throw it away.
Not all hero’s wear capes. Thank you for saving 25 minutes of my life.
Just what I was looking for. I’ve watched all kinds of videos but this is the first one I’ve seen that I can clearly see a difference in the appearance of the wood after each sanding application.
Thank you so much for posting this video! You literally saved my project - I painted our vanity top and no matter what method I used to apply the topcoat, I couldn’t get a smooth finish. I was contemplating using pour on epoxy when I came across your video. After receiving the supplies, I had a smooth finish in 5 minutes. Thank you!
This video is SO HELPFUL and concise. I’m working on my first furniture restoration project and this helped immensely with my finishing process. Thank you!
The technique works fantastically! I had just completed six coats of poly on a new 36x72 rustic dining room table. Not only did the procedure work for the poly, but I also used it in removing finishing paste wax. What a super idea, thank you.
I can’t wait to try that on my next project. Thank you for the
Information. I have never had a dust free environment to apply finishes so I had to live with a less than professional finish. Great video! Thanks again.
This is a "just the facts, ma'am" type of guy, never entranced by his own voice and talking more about his accomplishments than about the work to do, an awesome fella, THANKS BUDDY!
AHH thank you so much! I have been making fine furniture for years. I can get to the mirror look, but it takes me so long. This is a much more efficient method. I love RUclips, insofar as learning woodworking, etc, I learn so much that makes my products better and better.
Bob Ross of woodworking. Love it! Thanks!
You, sir, are a savior. Tried this today on my satin polyurethane finish for my butcher block counter top. All the little nibs and fibers that deposited from the atmosphere smoothed out nicely with the 3M pad after a 24h dry time. Since I'm going for low gloss that pad is my final step!
Cool stuff. I don't have a ro sander so I'm just buffing by hand with ultra fine pads. I'm using them between coats, buffing until the surface is white and smooth, and then wiping the dust off with a very lightly damp paper towel-seems to be working quite nicely.
My husband built me a maple table. He does a lot of woodworking but I usually do the finishing. I can't wait to try this last step on my new table top! Using Minwax matte finish but when I tried it on a scrap piece and it was beautiful! Thank you!
I tried this today and it worked beautifully. I couldn't believe anything I put polyurethane on would actually turn out so well! Thank you so much!
I'm a little late to this discussion, but...I have been using the Scotch pads, and particularly the grey ones and sometimes the green ones, for several years now, on my random orbit sander to get whatever degree of shine that I want for that particular piece of wood. But what I do is cut the Scotch pad to fit the sanding disc and this helps the sander from wanting to sling the Scotch pad off the sander. I also like it because I can get a shine but still have the wood look more or less natural and not have it look like a piece of plastic.
This works great. Did it on cheap pine from Home Depot i used to build my keezer collar. After the inital sanding, i applied 6 coats of Minwax high gloss polyurethane, lightly sanding between coats with 320 grit sandpaper. Sixth coat dried for 24 hours, then sanded with 400 grit, then wet sanded with 600 grit, then went over that with 0000 steel wool and then followed up with white 3M final finishing pad from Lowes on my orbital sander. Fantastic finish; smooth as glass and a nice warm glow.
Did you hand sand with the 400/600 grit sandpaper? I just applied my final coat of Poly and I'm trying to figure out what to do next.
YOUR VIDEOS FREAKING RULE!!!!!
~22 year retired Marine in South Dakota🇺🇸
Agree with everyone else. Thank you for being easy to understand and straight to the point. This helped a lot.
This was the most helpful video I have ever watched in regards to finishing with polyurethane. Saved my project! Thank you
Glad it helped!
I agree with everyone one here saying the same as im about to say.... this guy gave useful information with no fluff in under 5 minute. Great info
WOW. THANKS! THIS MAKES SO MUCH SENSE!
I’m just refinishing my first table, and just finished the last coat of polyurethane. I was wondering how to make sure it stays shiny after the last sanding. You’re EXTREMELY HELPFUL!
For those who can't find 3M rubbing pad in your country, 3M might be calling it with different name. In my country, Malaysia, they call them as 3M Scotch-Brite "hand pad". The model number would be 7445(this is the white color) and the other is 7448.
Bang.. Lepas sanding pakai 3m pad tu tak payah cat lagi sekali ke?
@@akmalsufi5833 Ya, tak payah nak cat lagi. Itu kira step paling last sekali
@@thegoldenseed cara ni leh apply tak kalau saya pakai toa gloss 2 layer lepastu tiru step ni.. Sebab risau cat dia terkeluar plak.. Ke untuk cat PU ja
@@akmalsufi5833 hmmm. Tak pernah cuba dgn cat gloss. Sepatutnya cat takkan tanggal. Cuba kat kayu spare yg tak pakai dulu. Tgk effect dia cantik ke tak. Lepas tu baru buat kat semua kayu lain. Tolong share result dia.
@@thegoldenseed ok bang.. Saya try dulu.. Nnti saya share result
Best demonstrative speaker on RUclips.
Well done.
I was stumped until I watched your video. I did not have access to a 3M buffing pad but did have some cheap scrubbing sponge with a pad on the one side. Worked great. Thanks for the pad idea.
Thanks for getting to the point. Quickly moving to each step and showing a brief demonstration. ❤️
I've been looking into alternatives to poly as it's a pain to maintain a dust-free environment. I've moved towards Watco Danish Oil which has varnish and Waterlox which is resin-modified Tung Oil. Both soak into the wood building coats slowly but without any of the nuisances like brush marks or bumps. Once several coats are applied you can buff them to get a sheen. Danish Oil is good for light use and Waterlox is for heavier duty use and is more waterproof.
Boom! fantastic tip! fantastic presentation! all RUclipsrs need to watch this and realize you don't need fancy graphics and begging for followers. you just need good information. thank you!
To the author: this is without question one of the most useful videos I have ever viewed about finishing techniques. So thanks so much for creating this! However, I don't think the title of your video really does justice to what you are offering here. It is not just about how to get glass-smooth results with polyurethane. it is really about glass-smooth results AFTER THE FACT. Yours is the first how-to video on wood finishing with poly that I have ever viewed that talks about the process AFTER the finish has been applied and has dried. All the other videos I have viewed (and I have viewed lots) talk about how to achieve better results DURING the process - namely between coats. I would strongly suggest you add a couple of words to your title to emphasize the 'after the fact' benefits that truly distinguish your technique!
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I just bought my first unfinished dining room table that I want to keep it as natural as possible. Your video was EXACTLY what I needed to know.
I have been using sandpaper until now and was not happy with the results. After watching your video, I slapped a pad on my random orbital sander and this made all the difference! This is way less aggressive than sandpaper and delivers uniform results. Thank you!
Hi Chris! I'm glad my video has been of service. Thank you very much for letting me know. Bye for now, Steve
Brilliant! Thank you! This clinches a very long overdue project! God bless!!!
Well done, thank you so much!! I restoring a sailboat interior which had some water damage and black stains, I bleached out the stains and found out from the former owner that it had polyurethane on the finish so I ready too make her beautiful again!!
Many blessings Sir!!
I watched this before and I am trying to remember to do this actually. Nice video.
What a perfect video. Exactly the problem I'm trying to fix. Great tips! Finishing a guitar with wipe on poly and this will help a great deal. Very concise!
I come back to this video every time I poly a project to remind myself how to get great results. Thank you so much for creating this video!!!
Thank you! I tried to roll on my last coat of poly using a fine roller.... YIKES it created sharp peaks in it. Had to sand it back down with a 220 and then found the fine 3m pad in my auto detailing store. I even tried 2000 grit sandpaper which was just a waste of money. This pad and a cheap sander did the trick for me.
This is exactly what I needed! Thank you so much!
I agree whole-hardheartedly, I have been doing this procedure for years, with very satisfying results.
Question for you.. i just yried this and result was smooth but cloudy .. i purchased the buffing pads he suggested and used random orbial sander.. any suggestions
@@angelawhalen8890 It could be for a couple of reasons, here are three:
First, the wood might have not been dry, poliurethane works best when applied to lumber or wood with 15% of humidity ir less. So there might be some humidity trapped between the wood and the finish.
Second reason, could be the sanding and planing job; you must always aim for the flattest surface and evenly sand the latter up to 150-180 grit(over 320 is overkill). Then sand in between coats with 400 grit and increase the grit every 2 coats. Typically you will apply only 4 coats, so you could start with 400 and en with 800 grit. But if the surface isn't flat or haven't been sanded properly, there are going to be low spots that you'll miss with the next grit, and hence the bad results. Marking with a pencil is used as a good reference to see if you are sanding properly, and if there is a spot where the pencil mark remains, mark again and sand until it disappears, only then move to the next grit.
Reason number three is the polishing job, in almost every video out there, people cut the video since the polishing job takes some time, take your time to do it but don't, I repeat DO NOT, use the pencil technic once you started applying the finish, since you will mess up the finish. Try to do the polishing job with a light reflection so you can see which part needs a retouch.
Hopes this helps!
Hey Steve, I learned this when I was a kid. You can use pumice stone then rotten stone on a damp chalk board eraser to get it super smooth then after that we put a coat of paste wax on it. That is what I was taught oh about 50 yrs ago lol and that is of coarse what I do when I want a very smooth finish.
Hi Merle,
Thank for your note and comments. I used to use pumice then rottenstone too, but I switched to rubbing pads because they're faster and less messy. There's no need to make up a slurry with water. I still have my jars or pumice and rottenstone in the shop. Haven't opened them for 35 years now.
Thanks for watching!
Steve
I just did this to my new desktop and it looks like smooth glass! This is a great tip!
I'm currently working on a set of Cornhole boards and brush strokes are literally killing the finish. This is exactly what I needed! Hopefully this works on oil based polyurethane as well. I will be trying tonight!
Can you please give an update if you used it on oil base polyurethane!
It should work the same provided you let it dry for 2-3 days or more.. because oil base hardens very slowly compared to the water based.if you don't let it dry enough you will gum up the abrasive quickly.
Thanks for the tips! Your flannel and hands remind me of my dad 😔who passed earlier this year. Keep up the great videos
Well, this beats my finishing trick. I just call everything I make 'rustic.' Then all of my sins are automatically forgiven. smh
This is my life hack. I didn't say you could use it! 🤪
@@mwc821 Bet i've been doing it longer! lol!
I wish I had seen this two weeks ago!!!! Great video and THANK YOU!!!
Thank You and greetings from Poland
Thank you so much. I'm a fair to middlin woodworker and had no idea about this process.
Thank you so very much. I have searched and searched for a solution to this problem. I can't wait to try this... I thought it was just me.
Wow! That is gorgeous! Ty you so much for this valuable info and so straight to the point
scouring pad on the orbital sander. pure genius. i frequently use scouring pads in finishing and it never occurred to me to try it on my orbital.
Thanks my friend that's going to make my current project easy. Straight to the point, I got it and will do it.
Hope your well and safe
I'm going to be trying the buff with the 7441 white pads next week, thank you for the tip! Also, I gotta add..since I spend my days with wiring, your service panel in the shop is immaculately done.
Good Morning and thanks for your note. Great to hear from you. Let me know how the buffing goes.
I'm not an electrician, but I do all my own wiring from pole to plug. I've wired three buildings so far, and I like to apply the same care and craftsmanship to wire placement as I do with woodworking. Thanks for your kind words about the panel you saw in the background.
Bye for now,
Steve
@@baileylineroad So funny - I didn't even notice a panel, I was so fixed on the wood finishing. :)
Thanks Steve! Just tried this technique today. Worked great. You just elevated my finishing game. Thanks again.
Good Morning Drew!
That's great news. Thanks for letting me know. What sort of project have you tried buffing on so far?
If you like this video, you should sign up for my Saturday morning newsletter. at www.baileylineroad.com.
Take care and thanks for watching,
Steve
I used this technique on a nightstand I built for my son. Finished with oil based polyurethane.
@@baileylineroad awesome video! I refinish furniture and this technique is going to be a game changer for my work! I am having trouble finding these exact pads though :( even tried using your link where you purchase. Maybe they've discontinued the ones you used since this video is over 4 yrs old. If you happen to see my comment would you please post a link to the exact square pads you used 🙏 thank you!
thank you for making this video, ill be doing this on my guitar. I didn't know how to finish it after applying the poly but now I do. Thanks
I learned this technique from one of your other vids. It's great. I'm waiting for more 3m pads as we speak so I can finish my latest project. Thanks
Cheers Steve! This has changed everything for me
Guys, try cutting your finish between coats and before the last coat with a razor, 3 fingers, slight bend, and using it like a cardscraper, almost no pressure to smooth out the rough coat of finish, then scrub with a fine sponge for a few second to prep for next coat, apply new coat, then use this guys technique and wax and buff!
This technique worked really great on my 5 workbench/miter station tabletops stained with classic gray and finished with polyurethane. Leaves a high end furniture piece finish. Now it’s time to beat them up a bit!
Thank You for the video, helped me out a lot. 👍🏻👍🏻
This is absolutely the content I was looking for! Thank you
Glad it was helpful!
I wasn’t aware I could sand in between paint coats. I thought I was only supposed to sand in between primer coats. Thanks again! 😊
Mirror, mirror on the wall, my wood's so shiny I don't need you at all.
Thanks for the video, was helpful. Also everybody uses pine for these demonstrations but we can't see the change. It would be much better if a darker wood like walnut or cherry were used
Thank you so much. Worked great on a guitar project of nitro lacquer and nitro clear coat.
This is the most useful information I found after seeing some 30 videos.
Good Morning! Thanks for your kind words. I'm glad you found my video useful. That's great to hear.
Drop by my website baileylineroad.com for a visit sometime. You'll find lots of stuff there, including tool giveaways, articles and videos of interest to hands-on, how-to people.
Bye for now and thanks for watching!
Steve
@@baileylineroad Thanks Steve, for taking the time to respond. Yes, I visited the website and it is full of useful information. I will see them more.
@@vimalneha Thanks for letting me know!
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!!! You just helped me take my finish ability to the next level!!!!!!!
thank god you came upon this video i was watching the one from 2010 and i loved the finish on the wood with the blue colored stain and then it was gone that quick so thank you for following up ...
Stud... I raise my Johnny Black to you sir! Best to you and yours!!
Very nice video, thank you I've subscribed! I just finished a project yesterday with water based PU. However, I wet sanded it down with 1000 grit 3M paper, and then used a rubbing compound, and buffed it to a high sheen, by hand. I then used car wax on it, and the results were amazing. Do give it a try. Thank you for taking the time to make this video, for guys like me, who really appreciate ideas that can turn out great work! Your efforts will help millions. Good luck, and God bless!
What pad/cloth did you use for hand buffing?
great simple solution to a verry frustrating problem, thanks!
Thank you for that very instructive video. Very well demonstrated. I use spray on poly for my gameboards and sometimes the finish needs a little help.
You just helped me create a finish I am so proud of! Thank you💛
Steve, your video is a godsend for me! Thanks ever so much! Happy new subscriber here. 💛😎
Thank you! Very simple information and straight to the point. 10x thumbs up!
Can’t wait to give this a try! Thank you for the vid.
This ended up being very helpful for me. Thanks so much!
Liked, subscribed. To the point, as this soft spoken gentleman.
Wow, thank you so much for making this very helpful video, just finished my kitchen cabinets and I didn't quite liked the results on the polyurethane part, after watching watching your video I now know exactly what to do finish the job right,so glad I found your videos thanks. 😊👍👍
This video is directly to the point. Just what I need. Thanks!
I use the white pad on my oiled projects. Gives a fantastic finish.
Wow! I'm excited to try this method. I have several pieces to buff and I've ordered the 3M pads. I'm wondering, though, at what point in the cure can I begin to buff? After it's dry in say 24 hours, or do I need to wait a month for a full cure? Thanks again for such a helpful video!
I do wood turning and do it a different way. I was taught if you want a high gloss finish, the wood must shine before finishing it. So I go to 2000 grit sand paper on hardwood. Then I use wipe on poly and apply with the blue paper towel. Keep applying and rubbing equivalent to three coats. Continue rubbing thru tacky stage until dry. It will have high gloss if high gloss poly.
Thanks for providing this vid...I only have a one speed orbital sander so I guess ill be using the hand method. I didnt even know there were these other types of finer scrubbers -- will come in handy as i still have a couple of more polyurethane coats i need to apply to my cornhole project boards. Thanks again!!
Subscribed!! Thanks so much for putting out great content without all the nonsense RUclips is famous for. I’m looking forward to your next video!
You made that look easy. I will have to try that.
U changed the game... 👍
Thank you for turning the volume down for the loud bits
Awesome video. Shows results and how to obtain the results!
Good tip, will need to give this a try. Thank you!
Great video! The answer to my smooth coat finishing problems. I have now watched Beverly Bailey Line Road videos, and I find them all simple and informative. BUT, I am new to wood finishing. I have searched for the 3m pads mentioned in the video, but can't tell which is which. So many choices with the words "fine" and "superfine". 3M site has nothing under the words "rubbing pad" as used in the video. Anyone who can comment with the specific words to find the right pads?
Exactly what i was looking for, buffing a wood surface, thanks.
I think this might only work well for lightly colored surfaces. I tried this on a table top last night. I had stained them a dark black cherry color and applied many (8+) thin coats of poly/mineral spirits mix (because it's cold in the garage). The last coat was thicker and thus had bumps and bubbles. The result of following these steps was a lot of "foggy" areas, similar to if I had just hand sanded with 320 grit and then wiped with a tack cloth. It was nice and smooth to the touch though.
Try doing some wetsanding with 500 grit and 1000 grit, should shine it right up
Hi Timothy! Scrolling through the comments here and I have a similar issue. I follow these steps with a dark finish and even the sanding after several poly coats seems to ruin the finish. I've tried this on two different railing projects and it happens each time. I've ended up deciding to leave it as it is and forget about the sanding and buffing because it seems like it ends up making it worse with dark colored woods.
FANTASTIC result, thank you so much. Please do more videos!
Fascinating results 👍
Wow that was amazing, thank you!
Must be how the Amish built and finished my master bedroom furniture set.
I can't wait to try this! Thank you! New subbie
This video was soo helpful!!! Thank you so much for showing this technique.