A harder finish

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7
I just finished a dinner table for my wife's cousins with four coats of wipe on minwax poly clear gloss. Looks great a bit shinny for me and it scratches easily. My question is is there something that might be harder and can I put a coat over the poly.
 
Well, Polyurethane is usually considered a pretty tough finish. I'm a little surprised that it scratching easily. Sounds to me like it hasn't cured fully or didn't cure correctly. Tell me a little more about the application process you used. What was the temperature when you applied it and when it was curing? How long did you wait between coats? As for the shine, once it has cured correctly, it can be rubbed out to a satin sheen, but we can cross that bridge once we figure out why its still soft.
 
Let it cure for a month, and it oughtta get a lot harder.

Next time, though, try using Behlen's "Rock Hard Tabletop Finish." I've had it on my dining table for about fifteen years, and it still looks like new.
 
Harder Finish

I put a light coat on than tried to make it a bit thicker each time I applied an additional coat. I let it dry for about 10 o 12 hours in between coats. One coat in the morn and than one in the eve for two days. I applied it inside it was probably about 70 to 75 degrees, about 15 feet from a wood stove. I appreciate any ideas.

William
 
I put a light coat on than tried to make it a bit thicker each time I applied an additional coat. I let it dry for about 10 o 12 hours in between coats. One coat in the morn and than one in the eve for two days. I applied it inside it was probably about 70 to 75 degrees, about 15 feet from a wood stove. I appreciate any ideas.

William


Your application should have worked assuming you sanded between coats of poly. If you didn't sand between coats that could very easily be the problem. Assuming you did, the only thing I can think of is that the polyurethane was old and had gone bad. There are finishes that you can apply over poly but if the poly is soft I'd be really scared to apply anything over it. I'd give it a few more days to cure and if it's still soft I'd strip it off and start over. You can pick up chemical stripper at any home improvement store.
 
Harder Finish

Thanks for all the info and I will wait a bit and see if it gets harder. It is a bit old and it has been a bit more humid here than usual. I really hope I wont need to strip it but if I must I will get something new.

Thanks,
William
 
As a finisher I want any finish I do to last but I also want a finish that dose not look PLASTIC, There are many finishes that can be done that will last 15 years....... but you have to work at it to complete the finish. Prep , prep, prep and prep, all that for the finial coat and wooling and waxing.
I've been on this campaign against CV for a while now and I even had to use the CHit last week to match a conference table that had damage on once side. But wooling it out gave me a little satisfaction, took some of the plastic look away .
 
I've used M.L.Campbell post-cat for years and stayed away from polly. that being said I was looking for something i spray or brush in the field that would do well inside or out. I came across a two part marine varnish for bright work that you can also get with a flatner. you can apply wet on wet with no sanding and build 4-5 coats in a day let dry and block down then apply a final top coat. and i must say i love it. it is made by C Tech and it is callled bristol they are out of florida.
 
Harder Finish

I appreciate all the help from all. It still hasn't seemed to completely hardened, maybe just not as hard as I was looking for. I am most likely going to strip the top and apply a marine grade varnish and hope that it doesn't look to different from the legs. The legs would be way to much work to refinish. I am really bad at finishing, cross my fingers and hope for the best has been my motto with it. Thanks again for the help.
 
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