# Help with fish eye problem on my bar top



## sergeantnic (Feb 10, 2010)

I'm almost done building my custom 8 foot bar in my Florida room and have just about finish putting polyurthane on everything.

I've got 2 or 3 coats of thinned down poly on the bar top and noticed 4 small fish eye type crates in the finish that will not take poly. I've tried sanding the area down to the bare wood and restained and still having the same issues.

All the reading I've done says to add some fisheye eliminator to my poly and recoat the entire surface.

Is this the only way to fix it? They are small and not very noticable but driving my up the wall. Is there anything I can cover them with that will then allow me to put another coat of poly on?

Any and all help is appreciated. This problem is driving me nuts.


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## timbertailor (Oct 4, 2009)

sergeantnic said:


> I'm almost done building my custom 8 foot bar in my Florida room and have just about finish putting polyurthane on everything.
> 
> I've got 2 or 3 coats of thinned down poly on the bar top and noticed 4 small fish eye type crates in the finish that will not take poly. I've tried sanding the area down to the bare wood and restained and still having the same issues.
> 
> ...


I do not find that adding a product to the mix fixes fish eye problems. The usual cause is contamination. This could be a problem that came with the wood. Almost any petrochemical, oil, or synthetic product can contaminate the surface. It can also be deep into the wood. I have had to start over on more than one cabinet that was so deeply contaminated that even after sanding over a 1/4 inch deep, the contamination was still present.

Try to eliminate any potentional problems. From the wax you use to clean your table saw (nothing silicone based) to wearing disposable gloves while handling wood ready for stain.

Try a good sanding and start over on that surface.


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