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QUESTION: I had grain raising on a almost new table top and decided to put a better polyurethane coat on it. after several tries, i figured out how to do that.After it dried , I saw alot of sander scratches, so decided to resand and try again. Now I am running into a patchy problem and afraid to sand further due to the thin veneer. I already sanded some off on the corners. this has been a 14 day nitemare. pleas advise me how to not ruin this starburst veneer. Thanks for your time !! Cheryl
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ANSWER: Hi Cheryl, uh-oh- this looks pretty bad......please tell me again what steps you took.Was this a newly purchased table? It's very likely NOT polyurethane, and so one cannot use Poly over the original finish. One can't just take a sander to a finish,or sand aggressively with coarse sandpaper, you will ruin it, making it necessary to strip and refinish. If you had a little raised grain or rough spot, you might have been able to lightly hand sand with some 600 wet/dry sandpaper and recoat it with the PROPER finish, or even possibly rub it out without having to do so, but this type of work needs to be done by someone with skill and knowledge/experience with finishing...... what grit were you using? and with a random orbit sander or hand sanding??
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Greg, the table came from china 6 months ago. lots of nicks and scratches right away like it didnt have a good finish to start with. Sanded with 220, then 360, coated it with high gloss & got lap & brush marks. resanded, then dust and bugs. resanded, and got a good coverage with thinner and a foam brush, but saw sander scratches. resanded with 220, then wet sanded with 360. Now I'm very close to the veneer and hand sanding with 360 dry, but the patches worry me. will they show through after i put poly on it? thanks for your time Greg !! Cheryl
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These look like "witness" lines to me, where you sanded through the finish exposing either the next layer, the old finish, (which likely was something other than Poly), or even the sealer coat. Certain finishes like Varnish and Polyurethanes will do this when sanded through. It will definitely show after applying the next coat. You would be farther ahead to strip it all off down to bare wood and do it correctly from the wood layer.Post back- Greg
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Answers by Expert:
Greg Scholl
Expertise
Questions on Woodworking, wood finishing and refinishing of all kinds, repairing furniture and wooden objects, Architectural details, Woodturning, carving, tool usage, product usage, some chemistry as it applies to woodworking and related interests,cabinet making and furniture construction/design, etc. I have experience with all manners of colorants, finishes, paints, stains, dyes, glazes, and coatings, wood species recognition and usage,tool recommendations, blade types and recommendation,techniques and methods for many Woodworking related issues, etc.
Experience
Fine furniture restorer and cabinet maker for over 30 years,serving high end Antique dealers, Interior designers, Collectors in the CT area. Consulting for area Painting/Decorating and Building contractors on non painting issues..(staining, wood prep.,clear finishing, floor restoration and architectural detail restoration and repair, etc.) Sold, built, serviced, setup Home, Industrial, and Commercial stationary woodworking tools for a major tool retailer in CT. for three years, sold hand and power tools , provided knowledge, parts replacement, service, and on site service, Trade show Demo, and training as well.
Publications
Published in Fine Woodworking Magazine (12/97), included on Fine Woodworkings first "Best of Fine Woodworking" CD-ROM (2002) ...("27 year compilation of expert know-how")
Education/Credentials
Art School at Silvermine Guild in Norwalk, CT., 9 year apprenticeship in a European run Cabinet and Restoration shop in CT., various classes on subjects having to do with the field. Seminars from major Tool manufacturers, Skil/Bosch, Delta, Powermatic, Ritter, Porter cable, Milwaukee, Dewalt/B&Decker, Performax.
Past/Present Clients
Many varied clients including work on Martha Stewarts' Westport, CT. show house, many fine Antique dealers and private collectors in and around Fairfield County and in Woodbury, CT. (the Antiques capital of CT.), Golden Age of Trucking Museum, Wilton Historical Society.
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