Finishing Question

[rich]

Hi All,

I'm finishing a walnut box with an oil/urethane top coat, satin, using a rag, then 0000 steel wool. It looks great! EXCEPT in a few places where I missed the final sandpaper. On one side, you can see where the previous sandpaper scratches (150 grit?) were, just in a 1 x

2 inch area. I now have 3 coats of oil on.

If I continue, will these visually go away, or do I need to re-sand with 220 grit to smooth the wood, then start finishing again??? Are there any nasty surprises if I redo a small area???

Thanks for the help!

Regards,

Rich.....

[David]

you need to re-sand. several more coats won't hide the scratches. if they did, who would bother with careful sanding, Rich? Trust me, they aren't gonna disappear unless you sand them out.

dave

[Ba r r y]

I agree.

Since the project involved only clear finishes, and no dyes or stains, it's a no-brainer.

[rich]

Well, I guess I knew the answer, but thanks for the comments. Out comes the 220 tonight. But I must say, that finish sure looks nice, wish I had found out about it earlier. One of the things about being new to the hobby!

Regards,

Rich.....

[George]

If you are able, try a cabinet scraper to get the finish out of the way. Come to think, if you're good with it, you might be able to leave it unsanded after fine scraping.

Anyway, heat from power sanding might have some undesirable effects.

[Larry Jaques]

On 13 Nov 2005 18:07:33 -0800, with neither quill nor qualm, "rich" quickly quoth:

If you have flat surfaces to finish, try a cabinetmaker's scraper, too. It leaves a nice finish without grit embedded in the wood. Here's one link, google for more: (click image for larger ugly image)

[rich]

I did get a scraper a few weeks ago from Rockler. Was quite impressed with it! I'd never used one before, well, maybe in 7th grade Wood Shop. With the wood flat, it did make a great surface finish. I'll use it and see what it looks like. Thanks for the suggestion!

Regards,

Rich.....