Should I go the other way H vs V

[RayV]

A while back I had trouble finishing a table top with Varnish over BLO (tiny bubbles in my finish, makes me feel sad). With help from the wreck I got it right by thinning the varnish more and applying it with a rag instead of a brush.

Thinking back I had no trouble with the legs and apron of the table. Aside from the size of the top compared to the size of the apron the only difference was I was applying the finish vertically on the apron and horizontally on the top. A quick google only leads to "less likely to have dust problems when the piece is vertical".

How do you orient a piece when applying finish, horizontally or vertically?

Does it matter?

[Chris Friesen]

More likely to have runs when the piece is vertical.

Chris

[Malcolm Hoar]

Hoizontally. Because:

1. Less risk of runs
2. I can see the job better
3. My bench is horizontal ;-)

Even though there must be more exposure to airborn dust particles.

I recently refinished a whole bunch of kitchen cabinets with an oil based poly. I used a (Wooster) foam brush and was most impressed with it. It's a relatively idiot proof way to apply a nice thin and even finish, free from brush marks and bubble problems. Yes, I did thin the poly a little too.

Also, bear in mind that a very light sanding between coats will ensure that imperfections from dust particles and bubbles do not accumulate as you apply successive coats.

[RayV]

I also tried the Wooster brush on H2O based poly and it worked great. I even took the time to rinse it out afterwards instead of throwing it out. Worth the extra buck or two over the cheaper brushes.

Now if I could could just convince myself to stop buying cheap router bits...