# Refinishing kitchen table- Varathane Questions



## tumblweed1 (Dec 2, 2010)

Hey all,

Im new to this forum and found it while looking for help with refinishing my kitchen table. Im hoping your expertise can help me out as this is the first wood-working type project I've ever attempted.

I am almost finished, however am running into issues with applying Varathane. I've stained the table with 2 coats stain, prepped for Varathane and applied two coats of Varathane Semi Gloss.

Between the 2 coats of Varathane I let it dry for 12 hours and felt the top-it was a bit rough (air bubbles and drying effects). I then lightly hand-sanded with 320grit (wet-type, if that matters) sandpaper. This left a sanded-dirty look to the first coat of Varathane which is to be expected as the gloss has been scratched. 

WHAT DO I DO NOW??

After tacking off, I have applied a second coat of Varathane and let it dry 12 hours. I am now thinking of sanding it with 600grit paper to perhaps minimize the sanded-look to the dried top and remove brush strokes. Will this help?

What I am worried is that the feel of the top after it is sanded is what I want- it feels smooth as it should. BUT the look of it after sanding leaves dust and the typical sanded-look. 

How do I complete a third and final coat of Varathane, while still having the smooth feeling of being sanded, without sanding and ruining the finish?



Any help is appreciated!


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## CanuckGal (Nov 26, 2008)

I have never sanded a final coat of varathane. One you have your second coat sanded smooth as you want it, try thinning the varathane - 50% thinner, 50% Varathane, (makes sure you use the proper thinner - mineral spirits for oil based, distilled water for water based) and apply one last coat of this. Should get rid of the sanded look and leave a smooth finish.


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## tumblweed1 (Dec 2, 2010)

Okay, I finished the project after speaking with a very knowledgable lady at the wood finishing store in town.

She explained some of the following and I made sense of the rest:
After applying the first coat of Varathane the surface is naturally a bit rough from the wood grain reacting with the varathane. Applying a second coat and sanding, then a third coat will ensure it is purely the varathane layers that you'd be sanding and not that borderline thin varathane-wood grain. 

All in all, I was easily able to add my third coat, which still had a bit of drying roughness to it, and then I sanded it without any issue of scuffing the surface.

Pictures to come! Whenever I hit my minimum number of posts before I can post pictures.


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