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I think the whole 'no sanding between coats' trend is a huge mistake
Last week, I was finishing a maple table for a client in Portland. I used a water based top coat, and I did a light sand with 320 grit paper between each of the three coats, just like I've done for 15 years. The finish came out smooth as glass. Then I saw a video from a popular finisher saying you should never sand between coats on modern finishes, that it ruins the chemical bond. I tried that method on a test piece last month, and the finish felt rough and looked cloudy. Three years ago, I had a similar issue with a polyurethane job on a set of chairs where I skipped the sanding step on the advice of a forum post. The finish peeled in sheets after a year. I get that the chemistry has changed, but my hands and my results tell me a light scuff is still needed for a good mechanical grip. Has anyone else had a finish fail because they didn't sand between coats?
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reeseperez23d ago
Oh man, that "no sanding" advice sounds like a great way to get a finish that looks like a bad sunburn.
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juliashah28d ago
That "smooth as glass" result you got is exactly why I stick with sanding too. I had a dresser top where I skipped it, trusting the new "chemical bond" advice, and it looked exactly like your test piece, kind of dull and rough. It's hard to argue with a finish that peels off in sheets, like your chairs did. My gut says that light scuff just gives it something to hold onto, no matter what the bottle says.
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