# Rockhard table top finish - Issues



## johna1213 (Apr 29, 2015)

See picture, if not on post click my photo next to my avatar. 

I am finishing a walnut breakfast bar with Behlens Rockhard table top. I have finished the bottom and sides and now applying the 5th top coat. I never had issues with getting brush strokes but they just started to appear on the 4th and 5th coats and it look bad! Below are my steps from one coat to the next

1. let previous coat dry 24hrs
2. sand top with 320
3. Paper towel off sand dust
4. Terry cloth remaining dust
5. Blow off any left over dust
6. Use tack cloth to get any remaining dust
7. Stir varnish
8. Transfer into cup
9. Apply to table top with wooster brush made to apply oil varnish, long strokes and just enough varnish to cover last coat. Temperature 75 with 55% humidity. 
10. Clean brush with mineral spirits (10min soak) then a rise with water, shake and pat dry. 
11. repeat

I am beyond frustrated with this product and how finicky it is and the very slow curing time of over 2 times the suggestion. If i cannot figure this out i am going to sand to 320? and apply arm-r-seal. 

Making this worse is that I have not been able to cut wood to finish my kitchen for a month now due to the time to dry between and all other bs with this product. 

Need help before my wife sets fire to the slab


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

What you are doing is accumulating brush marks. The 320 grit paper isn't coarse enough to remove one layer of brush marks before add another. Then after four coats is starting to really show up. Applying a finish on a top is just difficult with a brush. From where you are I would sand the finish with 220 grit paper using a hard rubber sanding block. This will tend to take off the ridges. Eventually when you get enough finish on you can start using finer and finer paper until eventually you wet sand the counter with 1500 grit paper and buff it with rubbing compound. It would just save you a lot of work if you would get an air compressor and a sprayer. With a sprayer eventually you could just spray the finish coat on and let it dry and you would be done without any further rubbing or polishing.


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## johna1213 (Apr 29, 2015)

Steve Neul said:


> What you are doing is accumulating brush marks. The 320 grit paper isn't coarse enough to remove one layer of brush marks before add another. Then after four coats is starting to really show up. Applying a finish on a top is just difficult with a brush. From where you are I would sand the finish with 220 grit paper using a hard rubber sanding block. This will tend to take off the ridges. Eventually when you get enough finish on you can start using finer and finer paper until eventually you wet sand the counter with 1500 grit paper and buff it with rubbing compound. It would just save you a lot of work if you would get an air compressor and a sprayer. With a sprayer eventually you could just spray the finish coat on and let it dry and you would be done without any further rubbing or polishing.



The brush strokes didn't show up on the other side and were almost immediate on the other side and i sanded them off between he 4th and 5th coat. Spraying is not an option for me.

I am guessing that 10% mineral spirits would help the product flow and lessen the brush strokes. The product didn't seem to move much after application so maybe the batch is bad.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

If you are looking for a product to make it flow out better try Flood Penetrol. It will make the finish brush better however it will make it take longer to dry. You might also shop for a softer paint brush too.


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## NickB (Sep 24, 2013)

Steve Neul said:


> If you are looking for a product to make it flow out better try Flood Penetrol. It will make the finish brush better however it will make it take longer to dry.


I'd definitely use the penetrol, but I'd probably use a sponge roller over a brush if you can't spray.


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## Toolman50 (Mar 22, 2015)

The finish you're using dissolves the previous finish below it. Your brush strokes seem to be pulling through two or more layers. 
The slower you go and the more strokes you take, the worse it gets. 
You will need to allow everything to completely dry. Use fans. 
Re-sand with 320 to get flat and remove all brush strokes. 
Buy the right brush. Brush wet from end to end. Avoid rebrushing. 
Work fast. Allow to dry thoroughly. The end.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

The Behlen rockhard finish is a urethane varnish. It goes on like an oil based polyurethane. It doesn't melt into the previous finish like lacquer or shellac.


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## Quickstep (Apr 10, 2012)

Steve Neul said:


> What you are doing is accumulating brush marks. The 320 grit paper isn't coarse enough to remove one layer of brush marks before add another. Then after four coats is starting to really show up. Applying a finish on a top is just difficult with a brush. From where you are I would sand the finish with 220 grit paper using a hard rubber sanding block. This will tend to take off the ridges. Eventually when you get enough finish on you can start using finer and finer paper until eventually you wet sand the counter with 1500 grit paper and buff it with rubbing compound. It would just save you a lot of work if you would get an air compressor and a sprayer. With a sprayer eventually you could just spray the finish coat on and let it dry and you would be done without any further rubbing or polishing.


 
Steve,

When he sands aggressively enough to level the brush marks, will he create witness lines that might show though the next coat?


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

Unless he sands through the finish, sanding aggressively should only knock down the ridges from the brush marks. The next coat should fill any scratches made by the sandpaper.


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## punkin611 (Sep 17, 2013)

*applying varnish*

4 coats?? looking at the top I'm sure you didn't THIN the varnish with mineral spirits. Thinning is the only way I can make it look like I sprayed it. Thin varnish with 40% or more with spirits will allow the varnish to flow out before it dries. An old salt about 80 in the boat repair yard 50 years ago taught me that. He was slapping on a coat of varnish with a old crusty brush that looked like you sprayed it.


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