# How many coats of wipe-on poly?



## ETBee (Feb 10, 2010)

I've used wipe-on ploy for most of my recent efforts because it helps me avoid the runs, drips, and sags I suffered with brush on. But I'm never sure how many coats is 'enough'. For instance on an end table I might put 4 or 5 coats on the sides and legs and 8 or 10 coats on the top, allowing each to dry for a day and rubbing with 0000 steel wool in between coats.

At the end of it all, on wood like red oak I can still feel the pores of the grain. Should I keep applying more poly until it feels like glass or is it normal to still feel the grain on a finished project?


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## RetiredLE (Jan 20, 2011)

I am a first time user of the wipe on poly as well. I have found that you need a whole lot more coats to get a decent finish than with the spray on stuff I was using. I have decided to go back to the spray on stuff and add a heat lamp to the mix to reduce runs/drips.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

If you don't want to feel the grain, and you want to fill the pores and get a super slick finish, use a grain filler (AKA paste wood filler). Follow directions and you may only need one application. That should cut your wipe on coats close to half as many.












 







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## ETBee (Feb 10, 2010)

Thanks, Cabinetman. I'll experiment with the grain filler next time. But at least I now know that adding more coats of poly will probably never get to "glass smooth".


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