# Getting the ripple effect out of clear coat (polyurethane)



## livalil74 (Nov 8, 2013)

What are some good ways to get the ripple effect from your clear coat. I use 700 grit paper and work it out but end up with many coats added to the project to get a final smooth finish. I like glass smooth finishes. Whats your way to finishing out your clear coat using polyurethane. below is my current project I will post pictures of the current stage I am in the middle of clearing it now. I am taking the red paint off.


----------



## tc65 (Jan 9, 2012)

First I'd recommend this short article on polyurethane.


----------



## livalil74 (Nov 8, 2013)

*Thanks Tim*

I will post a picture here in a min of what i am talking about when this coat dries. they are slowly coming out now with light sanding in between the thin coats. its almost like shallow dimples int he finish i always have to use a really fine paper and a buffing wheel to get the glass effect not so much on flat serfaces but like this gun stock i am doing it is hanging and gravity is involved.


----------



## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

How are you applying the finish?











 







.


----------



## livalil74 (Nov 8, 2013)

*pics hopefully you can see it.*

you can see the slight dimples in one of the pics by seeing the light reflection being broken up by them.


----------



## livalil74 (Nov 8, 2013)

*cabinetman thanks for the welcom and reply.*

with a foam brush don't like hair brushes as they seem to leave more lines and bs to mess with during the finishing process. :thumbsup:


----------



## livalil74 (Nov 8, 2013)

*Very soft fine brushes*

seem to work ok but cost a lot of money. I guess if i could find a way to get all the poly out of them i would use them more often lol.


----------



## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

livalil74 said:


> with a foam brush don't like hair brushes as they seem to leave more lines and bs to mess with during the finishing process. :thumbsup:


I think you might be seeing variations in the finish as it's filling in the grain depths. A foam brush can carry air, and that may be a contributor. I would thin the media with mineral spirits, and use a smooth cloth folded in a smooth pad and wipe on thin applications. When each has cured, you can sand with 320x. When you get a sufficient build, you can start wet sanding to higher grits with wet-or-dry silicon carbide paper and water. When you sand out to about 1500x, you can rub with rubbing compound, and then polishing compound if you want that high gloss piano type finish.


















.


----------



## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

What I'm seeing is the open grain of the wood. The wood should have been filled with a pastewood grain filler prior to finishing. It can be fixed though but it will take multiple coats and wet sanded between coats with 220 grit paper. The finish will fill the grain you just have to get enough in the grain to do the job. 700 grit would be better before your final coat. It's just not aggressive enough for working out the unevenness of the finish. 

For the type of finish you are wanting I would recommend getting a sprayer to apply the finish. It would make for a lot less labor. You are not only having to sand between finish but also remove the marks made by the brush.


----------



## MNsawyergp (Jan 31, 2012)

Sanding between coats should get you to an even surface eventually. Yes, you should have used a wood filler,but now you have to deal with what you have. As you sand between coats with 320 or 400 grit, you should see the dimples as unsanded after the first passes. Those dimples need to be sanded out before the next coat. Just be careful not to sand too deep, where you get to the wood and change the color.

One other note. If the dimples still show up on future coats, then it is a finish application problem. You may need to add a retarder, such as odorless mineral spirits, to make the poly dry slower and flow out better.

Once the last coat has cured for several days, you can use 1000 grit wet or dry sandpaper to buff out the finish and use micro fiber buffing pads (Mirlon 18 series by Mirka), which come in 1500 or 2500 grit, to bring back the sheen.


----------

