# Bar top finish help



## birdog (Mar 30, 2008)

I'm working for a G.C. that does alot of "Lodge theme" basement jobs with stained mill work and all wood bar tops. I don't have alot of experince with stains and finishes. My problem is the bar top. Used Porter stain then Porter fast dry Poly with a little thinner for the top coats, sand and tack between coats. I'm on the 4th coat and each coat has contaimination -bubbles,dust particiles,fish eyes etc. I apply the finish at the end of the day when guys are gone. Use white natural bristle from porter. Used 0000 steelwool and 400 wet/dry sand paper to sand out the contaiminates but the finish is dull not the gloss finish I need. Please help with any advice. I there a way to polish out the dull areas to bring back the gloss finish ?

Thanks for any help.


----------



## Charles Neil (Oct 21, 2007)

Birddog, yes you can buff it out,sand it slick using some soapy water and about 800grit or finer wet/dry paper,then rub it out starting with some "rubbing compound" (automotive) and finishing it up with some "polishing" compound,(if you can sand it up to say the 800 or finer skip the rubbing compound as it is pretty course)...obvoiusly using a buffer to do the job is alot easier,but most dont have one,and if you are not somewhat experienced it can do damage, to save your arms rubbing, there is a product called "SUR BUF" ,I know Woodcraft sells it,its a buffing pad that attaches to your random orbit,hook and loop...as to the contamination issue,i would suggest you use a coat of Seal Coat or any dewaxed shellac as your first coat over the stain,as it will seal down most any contaminate,second clean the surface with some naptha,wipe on with clean cloth and remove with a second clean cloth,make sure your tack cloths are not the stckey ones,they are usually linseed oil varnish on cheesecloth and will wctually leave a small amount of residue that dont set well with polys,go to the autobody supply and get the ones denoted for use with waterbased products, they are more expensive,do a great job and no residue...The key to rubbing out a finish is to first make sure you have a heavy enough film to rub, if you would normally do 4 coats do 5 if you are going to rub it, secondly it has to be dry and hard ,uncured finishes do not rub well,and in my opinion avoid gloss finishes on wood,especially with a poly,polys are one of the most difficult finishes to rub out as they as designed to resist the very thing you are trying to do,which is to create a very very fine scratch,that is not seen by the eye,you can achieve satin and semi gloss sheens by simply sanding with the grain and using finer sand papers,a decent gloss can also be achieved in the same manner, ...using the sand with the grain with wet (black silicon carbide) and some soapy water method simply sand with about a 800 to 1200 grit for satin,jump to a 1200 to 1500 for a semi gloss,and a 2000 to 2500 for gloss,and whenb you have a nice even sanded sheen ...throw on a coat of wax and you are done,....rubbing out with simple sandpaper does much better than most other methods,as it will give a consistent and even scratch pattern,the compounds ,rottenstone and pumice ,the sheen will vary depending on how much you rub.....all of this takes a little getting used to ,but the end result will be worth it,just be careful to avoid sanding through,your finish,and be sure the finish is dry...a little expermenting is in order....to sum all of this up the object is to create a even scratch pattern,with a fine scratch that the eye doesnt see as a scratch...same as a jeweler buffing a ring,put it under a magnifying glass and you will see the scratches,but to the eye its shiny,There are many products that can help you in rubbing finishes and the autobody supply is the place to find them,as well as very fine sand paper....good luck


----------



## Big Dave (Sep 16, 2006)

In my opinion you need to get away from the poly and use this. You will end up with results like the pic below. It's an epoxy that is hard as a rock when dry.


----------



## Big Dave (Sep 16, 2006)

Oh, you can just scuff the finish you have on now and pour this directly over the top.


----------



## aclose (Nov 11, 2007)

Dave,

can you use that epoxy over an oil finish like Tung oil? do you need to mix the entire contents up before using or i there an easy way to try out a little of it on a scrap to see how it looks? i'm curious because i have a veneered table top that i'm planning on finishing. right now i'm playing with some scraps of the veneer to determine which finish gives me the 'look' i'm after. but i can imagine that the epoxy gives you a very durable finish.


----------



## Big Dave (Sep 16, 2006)

I would probably use a finish like Zinnser seal coat to go between the tung oil and epoxy. I'm no expert finisher but I like using seal coat to help bond different finishes. You do not need to mix the entire contents. Just mix a 1 to 1 ratio and your good to go. I buy it by the gallon and use as needed.

As a general rule this type of finish is not a good choice for fine furniture. It's too commercial looking and takes away from the piece.


----------



## stuart (Jan 20, 2008)

that pix is great...finish.... whooo so sharp!


----------



## birdog (Mar 30, 2008)

Just wanted to say thanks for the help with my project. I'm going to use epoxy for this and any bar top in the future.


----------

