2000 grit on Poly

[Dan White]

I'm going to try hard and feel those ripples. I'd swear they aren't detectable by the touch. I even wonder if the ripple has something to do with varying thicknesses of poly rather than an uneven surface. If the butcher block surface itself isn't perfect then there would be different amounts of poly even with a perfect surface. Maybe it is more an optical effect? ... Anyway I'll look some more on Friday. I did do some additional sanding today on another section to see if I could get rid of the slight ripples. I used 400 grit and then just a few passes with 2000 and the ripples were still there.

I'm not sure I need the finish any better than what I've got but I'd like to see what is possible as long as I'm still experimenting. I'll give the 1000 grit a try on a paint stick and see what happens. Maybe I'll post a pic link for the heck of it if I can get a good shot.

thanks, dwhite

[mp]

You could do that. Or spill coffee over the entire surface to even out the stain.

[Dan White]

Ha! Now there's thinking outside the box. Should I use regular or decaf?

dwhite

[Mike Marlow]

The real answer is to get it to the finish you like and stop there. No point in getting anal about it. So - if you like it where it is then ignore my comments and give yourself a pat on the back. Seriously - I'm not being a wise guy. If however you want to dabble with it more or if you want something to look at in the future, then grab that paint stick as I suggested before and wrap it up and lay it down on the project and do a little sanding. If you have low spots, they'll show up immediately as unsanded areas. If you see nice even sanding marks on the entire surface then you're flat. But like I said, the finish you strive for is the finish that makes you happy. It is after all, all about pleasure.

[Dan White]

Great advice. I'm more in the playing around with it mode to be sure it is what I want protection-wise. Plus I'd like to know what finishes I am capable of and how hard they are to get. I felt the finish again today and I stand corrected that the waves can be felt if you really pay attention. It is also apparent that these waves are due to slight differences from piece to piece in the butcher block wood itself (the laminates). Anyway I did the paint stick trick and it showed up the high spots as you said. I can even see the different layers of poly being sanded down if I look at just the right angle. I used 400 grit for this and even then it took some work. It did get much flatter but I had to stop before I completely finished.

I probably won't go this far when it comes to doing the relatively large surface area I have to do, but is is nice to know there is a way to make it really flat if I want to down the road.

Thanks again, Mike.

dwhite

[Mike Marlow]

You can also use something larger than a paint stick to take down a bigger area at a time. The paint stick was just a common thing that I suggested. I really would not go any coarser than the 400 you're using though. It will be difficult to get the scratches out before you run out of finish. I'd try to stay at and above 600 even if it takes longer.

[Dan White]

K, thanks,

dwhite