Home Improvement : ‘Quality’ Finish Does Not Come Out of a Can : None of the work takes much skill, but it does take an abundance of patience and time.

Despite improvements in products and tools, it is still practically impossible to get a truly fine varnish or enamel finish right out of the can. No matter how good the enamel or varnish, and no matter how carefully you apply it, it’s just about impossible to get the smooth, deep, silky finish that says “quality” without a lot of old-fashioned work.

None of this work requires much skill. But it does take an abundance of patience and time. The basic technique is to apply several coats, sand between coats to smooth and level the surface, and then polish with fine abrasives to bring up the desired level of gloss. Here’s how it goes:

MATERIALS: Start by selecting a quality oil-based alkyd finish. If you want it to be clear, choose a gloss varnish. If you want enamel, which is nothing more than varnish with colored pigment in it, choose a gloss enamel. But in either case, make sure it’s an alkyd formula (read the ingredients list), not a polyurethane. Alkyds are easier to rub out than polyurethanes.

Next, you’ll need some sandpaper and rubbing compound. Get a couple of sheets each of 220-, 320-, 400- and 600-grit silicon carbide Wet-or-Dry, plus a can of automotive rubbing compound. If you can’t find these items in your hardware store, an auto parts store will have them.

GETTING STARTED: If you are working over an old finish that’s in reasonably good shape, sand it thoroughly with 220 paper. This will knock off any high spots and create some tooth for your new finish to grab onto. If the old finish is in bad shape, strip it to bare wood.

If you are working with unfinished wood, sand it carefully with 120-grit aluminum oxide paper and a rubber sanding block. If you are working with hardwood, follow this up with another sanding, using 220-grit aluminum oxide. There’s no real need to go this fine with pine, however.

STAIN: If you plan to stain, now is the time to do it. Let your stain dry thoroughly and you are ready for your first coat of varnish. I like to thin my first coat about 15% with mineral spirits. This helps it penetrate and really get a grip on the wood. No need to be real painstaking with this coat. Most of it will sink in and disappear anyway. Just try to get even coverage. Then let it dry at least overnight.

SAND: Next day, sand very, very lightly with 220-grit aluminum oxide paper. Don’t overdo this. All you want to do is knock off any stubbly whiskers of wood that may be sticking up and create a rough surface. In this and all other sanding steps, be sure to use your sanding block. This will act like a plane, smoothing down high spots to create the level surface you are looking for.

SECOND COAT: Apply this unthinned. Use a quality brush and flow the finish on across the grain. Once the coat is on, go back over it very lightly, using just the tip of the brush and very little pressure. The bristles of the brush should just barely bend, as shown in the sketch.

If you have troubles with bubbles in your finish, it may be caused by wiping the excess off your brush on the rim of the can. You can prevent this by stringing a piece of coat hanger wire across the rim of a shallow can as shown in the sketch. Wipe your brush on this “strike wire” instead of the can and your bubble problems should be over.

Let this second coat dry for a full day. Then sand it with 220-grit silicon carbide, used wet. I like to keep a dish of water by my side and dip the paper, sanding block and all into it every now and then. Using the paper wet like this will keep it from clogging and speed its cutting action. Don’t sand too vigorously at this point or you risk cutting through to bare wood.

THIRD COAT: Wipe your work clean and dry with a rag and apply another coat, just like the second one. Again, let this coat dry for a full day and repeat the wet sanding operation. Sand a little more thoroughly this time, and when you are finished, examine the surface of your work carefully. If most of the surface is dull from sanding, you are getting close to the end of your job. But if the work shows lots of glossy areas (low spots that haven’t been touched by the sandpaper), you still have a way to go.

FOURTH COAT: Put this on and let it dry. When this coat dries, your work should be fairly smooth. But typical of gloss finishes, it will look garishly bright, almost like plastic. More sanding and rubbing will solve this.

So, wet sand as usual. Do a very thorough job of sanding, but this time switch to 320-grit paper. After sanding, examine your work. If the whole surface is uniformly sanded, let your work harden up for a week or so. If the surface still shows signs of uneven sanding, put on one more coat and sand it with 320 until the entire surface is smooth. Let the finish harden for a week or so.

FINAL SANDING: After waiting a week, wet sand with 400-grit paper, then repeat with 600 paper. This will produce a satiny surface so smooth you can’t resist touching it. It will also soften the finish a bit, so let it harden for a couple more days before the final step.

POLISHING: Using your automotive rubbing compound and a damp rag, give your entire piece a thorough rubbing. This is a lot like waxing your car, but it takes longer. Figure on about 30 minutes of work for an area the size of a card table. Keep using fresh rubbing compound and new rags as you go along. Gradually the surface will begin to shine and eventually it will take on a deep rich gloss with a wonderful silky feel, nothing like that bright shine you get with an unrubbed gloss finish.

TUNING: For an even brighter shine, you can follow up with an automotive paste wax. But if the shine you get is already too glossy for your taste, you can tone it down by careful rubbing with very fine, 0000 steel wool.

SHORTCUT: Rubbing the final coat is a lot of work, but it’s definitely worth the effort on a piece of fine furniture. For something a little more utilitarian--a kitchen table for example--you can get by with a simpler approach. Skip all that rubbing and simply use a semi-gloss, eggshell or even flat varnish or enamel for your final coat.

If you apply this carefully in a clean, dust-free room, it should dry to a surface smooth enough for all but the most critical work. It will not, however, have the look or feel of a rubbed finish. Only rubbing can give you that.

DR, PATRICK LYNCH / Los Angeles Times