Is finishing supposed to take forever?

[kliu]

I'm about 90% done with my first big project, a 2-person "C-shaped" office desk. The project took a little over a month, mostly weekends.

It's turning out great, but it took a lot longer than I thought it would. The cutting and assembly of the desk probably took 1/3 of the time. But the finishing took forever.
Precondition -> Stain x2 -> Poly -> Sand -> Poly -> Sand -> Poly

Like the staining took so long since I had to stain both sides, and the 2nd layer takes forever to dry. I didnt even bother to stain a 2nd layer on the bottom. But I'd wait half a day for the side to dry completely before I flipped it over to stain.

In the end, I stopped preconditioning (no noticable difference) and switched to a fast-drying poly and mineral spirits mixture so I could wipe on the poly. I even avoided sanding between poly layers since the wipe-on finish turned out pretty smooth.

Is finishing always so painful? I'm sure it felt even worse for me being my first big project. Would the colored poly/varnish finishes come out as nice?

That being said, I am VERY happy with the results. The finshing process just takes away some of the desire to do other projects (that require a nice finish)

[Otter]

Let's see. The last Humidor I did was about 10 hours of planning, jiging, cutting and gluing. 3 to 4 hours of sanding and tuning. 2 weeks of appling finish. 1 coat every 24 hours for the first 3 coats, step 2 was 1 coat every 12 hours for 3 days, step 3 1 coat evey 6 hours (yes getting up in the wee hours to apply) for 7 days. and on the last day a coat of wax and buff evey 4 hours.

Keep in mind that each coat took about a hour or more to do. Burnish, blow wipe and apply finish. I do over rub my finish, keeping it moving till it starts to tac, then leveling and allow to dry.

YES it seems to take forever, but the results are worth the effort.

[leehljp]

I agree with Otter. Yes you can do it quicker and sometimes the quick finish does well, but that is the exception. I think of a good finish as the "presentation stage" or what people are really going to see. A so so finish on a great piece of craftsmanship renders the piece as a so so piece of furniture.

[don_hart]

Yes finishing is often the longest part of the project. Staining is often the longest having to wait 8 hours before applying the poly. That is one of the reasons I often use wood that will require no stain. I like the look of unstained wood with just a gloss poly apllied. Stain doesn't just color the wood it also will obscure the grain some.

Now this doesn't mean I do not use stain. I will do this when I need a paticular shade of color just like anyone else. I just preferr to use wood that is the right color instead if possible.

As you have found wipe on poly can greatly decrease the finish time of projects. I use a naptha/poly mixture that gives a good dry time. I have found I will get a great finish by applying 3 coats of wipe on poly and then sanding the finish very smooth then applying several more coats without sanding.

[kliu]

It did turn out nice. Just the anticipation was killing me. Plus the fact that I was doing a built-in desk, so I was without a real desk for a few weeks.

Now that I know what to expect, it wont be as bad next time. I do like how the finish turned out. The wipe-on works well. I can adjust the ammount by thinning and it dries fairly quickly.

You really laern so much by just doing a few real projects. There were so many things I did that right afterwards I would be like "Duh, that would have been so much better if I just did <blah>"

[JR]

Before getting into woodworking I did a few finishing projects from the u-finish-it store. I learned then how long it takes.

Even so, after spending weeks on the planning, cutting, assembly and so on, it's hard to be patient. You want the thing in position, doing what you built it for. I have a tendency to rush the finishing phase, which in the end makes the project less than it could be.

JR

[BobSch]

quote:Originally posted by don_hart

As you have found wipe on poly can greatly decrease the finish time of projects. I use a naptha/poly mixture that gives a good dry time. I have found I will get a great finish by applying 3 coats of wipe on poly and then sanding the finish very smooth then applying several more coats without sanding.

I use the same system Don does — stain then cut my poly 50/50 with naptha and wipe on. The naptha is more volatile than mineral spirits and cut the drying time considerably.

[Mainemarc]

quote:Originally posted by leehljp

A so so finish on a great piece of craftsmanship renders the piece as a so so piece of furniture.

So true, so true. Ironically, after being alterately frustrated by how long finishing takes and disappointed when I tried to rush jobs, I seem to be entering a new phase where I'm chosing to spend more time on more elaborate finishes.

The control and level of effect I can have on the final look of the piece makes the lengthy finishing steps seem more tolerable. Mind you, I'm not saying fun, but at least less of a drag.

[LarryG]

I'm guessing that a lot of us -- I know this is true for me -- have been suckered by watching Nahm, David Marks, et. al. spend 29.5 minutes building a project and then spiriting it off to the finish room during that last thirty seconds before the credits roll. These guys make woodworking look easy in more ways than one ...

[jnesmith]

quote: 1 coat every 24 hours for the first 3 coats, step 2 was 1 coat every 12 hours for 3 days, step 3 1 coat evey 6 hours (yes getting up in the wee hours to apply) for 7 days. and on the last day a coat of wax and buff evey 4 hours.

What type of finish were you using Otter?

[Otter]

Edit: Sorry for the topic hijack[V]

quote:Originally posted by jnesmith

quote: 1 coat every 24 hours for the first 3 coats, step 2 was 1 coat every 12 hours for 3 days, step 3 1 coat evey 6 hours (yes getting up in the wee hours to apply) for 7 days. and on the last day a coat of wax and buff evey 4 hours.

What type of finish were you using Otter?

I have a 3 step thing I whip up.
My base is Arm-a-Seal from general finishes

Step 1 is 3 parts 100% tung oil, 2 parts Arm-a-Seal, 1 part mineral spirt. (seal and build, the first application is a flooding and moving around with a batten for as long as it takes to absorb it all and/or soak the batten. that batten is then stored in a jar and used for the rest of the finishing for that project.)

Step 2 is 1:1:1 of the above.

Step 3 is 1 part Arm-a-Seal and 1 part mineral spirts.

The results

[ironhat]

Otter - 1. what the heck is a batten? A wadded up rag that you use for the same project? 2. I've also never heard of Arm-A Seal - available at one of the Big Box stores? 3. That box makes me sick (because I've never done anything that nice!). Good on ya, sir!!

[LarryG]

1. I think he means "batting," and excuse me all to **** for playing Language Police.

2. Arm-R-Seal (not Arm-A-Seal: strike two, Otter) is an oil/poly wiping finish made by General Finishes.

3. Otter hasn't ever done any work that nice, either. He lifted those JPGs off David Marks' web site.

Just kidding about #3. Nice work, Otter.

[Otter]

quote:Originally posted by LarryG

1. I think he means "batting," and excuse me all to **** for playing Language Police.

2. Arm-R-Seal (not Arm-A-Seal: strike two, Otter) is an oil/poly wiping finish made by General Finishes.

3. Otter hasn't ever done any work that nice, either. He lifted those JPGs off David Marks' web site.

Just kidding about #3. Nice work, Otter.

Larry got me, I get in a hurry and just flub it.

[Otter]

quote:Originally posted by ironhat

Otter - 1. what the heck is a batten? A wadded up rag that you use for the same project? 2. I've also never heard of Arm-A Seal - available at one of the Big Box stores? 3. That box makes me sick (because I've never done anything that nice!). Good on ya, sir!!

Wadded up rag.
as Larry said it's Arm-R-Seal (there is one called Seal-A-Cell) and I get it from woodcraft, but you might try ACE

Thanks for the complament<sp?> i think []