this post was submitted on 02 Jan 2024
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Woodworking

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NataliePortland@lemmy.ca
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Please help me choose a clear coat, I'm overwhelmed (lemmy.world)
submitted 10 months ago by hi_its_me@lemmy.world to c/woodworking@lemmy.ca
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I made my wife a floating shelf out of poplar. The wood has a nice light color and we’d like to leave it relatively natural. I’m overwhelmed by the clear coat options and don’t have a lot of experience with natural wood look. Any recommendations? Any help is greatly appreciated!

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[–] NataliePortland@lemmy.ca 21 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

Wipe on Poly is my go-to! Make sure you choose the 'satin' because glossy will look bad. It's quite easy to use. Here's how I do it :

  1. sand the wood to 220 (you might do 120 first then 220)
  2. lightly moisten the wood to raise the fibers
  3. sand again with 220
  4. Now you can wipe on the poly. Wear gloves, and use a paper towel or a foam brush to wipe on a VERY THIN coat all over.
  5. allow to dry inside (doesn't dry great if it's too cold), which should only take 2 hours or so
  6. LIGHTLY sand again with 220. Just a little. Don't remove the layer, just touch it a little.
  7. Do a second light coat just the same
  8. Lightly sand again
  9. Third coat. No need to sand this time.

If you get all the surfaces that's good because then the wood is impervious to moisture and will not be able to warp. This coating is also water-resistant to spills. One thing Is that the lid always sticks to the bottle with this brand and can be hard to remove. Another user here has suggested to me using vaseline on the threads of the lid. IDK. I always have to use tools to get the dang lid off.

Post pics when you're done! We would love to see it.

[–] hi_its_me@lemmy.world 7 points 10 months ago

Thanks for this! The process is pretty similar to what I’ve seen some people on YT recommend. I’ll definitely share some photos when done.