Should I go the other way H vs V

Question

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 · Accepted Answer

More likely to have runs when the piece is vertical.Chris

Malcolm Hoar · Answer

Hoizontally. Because:1. Less risk of runs2. I can see the job better3. My bench is horizontal ;-)Even though there must be more exposure to airborn dustparticles.I recently refinished a whole bunch of kitchen cabinetswith an oil based poly. I used a (Wooster) foam brushand was most impressed with it. It's a relatively idiotproof way to apply a nice thin and even finish, freefrom brush marks and bubble problems. Yes, I did thinthe poly a little too.Also, bear in mind that a very light sanding betweencoats will ensure that imperfections from dust particlesand bubbles do not accumulate as you apply successivecoats.

RayV · Answer

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...

Should I go the other way H vs V

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