How to improve poly satin finish to large table top

[ozymandius]

I have made many attempts with my restoration project to finish the surface of this large (3.65m x 1.4m) 5-legged silky oak table with Estapol satin. I have never attempted spraying. Because of the large area, minor brush/roller/dust imperfections were always present. Warming the poly to various degrees did not help. A Wattyl rep advised me to cut it back again with fine automotive cutting grits and finish with a good quality oil. Any advice on this or similar procedures from experts out there would be much appreciated.

[jong]

I find that diluting the poly with 50% mineral turpentine and applying with a lint free cloth works best.

[ozymandius]

Thanks jong. I have tried various levels of dilution with turps and using a well-washed, dried and vacuumed lint-free pad. This has certainly helped but the overall finish was never as good as I could get with smaller pieces. The bloke from Wattyl said that the problem (due to the size of the surface) was probably due to the fact that the market these days calls for quicker drying poly even in cooler climates, and on such a large surface this quick drying causes streaking. (Faster with turps). I think that is why he suggested I try very fine sanding followed by an oil rub. This would be new for me.

[Harry72]

PolyU nowdays is meant to be used straight out of the can, unlike the older gear which was thinned about 10% when spraying in average weather.
Ozy, if your getting brush/roller marks on a flat horizontal surface your either overworking it or not putting enough on, poly does like to flow out unless its mixed with oils/thinners and worked on with a rag.

[ozymandius]

Thanks Harry. Yes, I have usually had good results with poly U on smaller jobs by not working it too much. However, this last job has spooked me and I am reluctant to start recoating the table top again. It actually has quite a few sanded coats on it now. That is why I was considering a very fine sanding followed by oil as advised by Wattyl. If that failed I could recut and try to recoat with poly U again. I was hoping someone else out there who had tried the oiling process might let me know me if it worked.

[jack620]

Ozy,
I finished a 1.8m x 1.2m jarrah dining table with poly + oil many years ago. The result was superb. I put on one coat of estapol sanding sealer followed by 2 coats of Estapol satin. I then fine sanded to remove all brush marks. Then I applied Feast Watson Fine Buffing Oil with 600 grit wet and dry using a sanding block. Use light sanding pressure! Let it tack up, then wipe off the excess. The following day polish with a wax paste. Have a look at the Feast Watson website.
Rgds,
Jack

[ozymandius]

Thanks Jack. I will look at the Feast Watson site and copy what you have done. Did the finish stand up to everyday use?

[jack620]

Did the finish stand up to everyday use?

Can't say- it's always had a surface protector on it. It's the great dilemma. Do you leave the table unprotected so the world can see your woodworking skills or do you cover it up to stop it being scratched? With two young kids I've opted to cover it up. Maybe I'll unveil it when they leave home. :U

Having said that, with this finish you can re-apply the buffing oil with a cloth to blend out any scratches. I reckon it would hold up to abuse better than a high gloss PU or lacquer.

[ozymandius]

Thanks again Jack. In all my early restorations I used Estapol, mainly to protect any better pieces from my kids and their friends, always intending to strip and french polish once the kids left home! Wasn't a good idea as the grandkids started to appear. I never covered tables etc and found the hard polyU a good friend over the years. Perhaps I will now move into a new poly/buffing oil phase of my life and leave the french polishing for a few more years!

[krenov]

I have just recently refurbished the top of a large jarrah coffee table I made several years ago having never been satisfied with the polish and wax finish I applied at the time. I am much happier with the result this time which was using wattyl matt estapol and then rubbing in wattyl scandanavian teak oil - which I understand is a mix based on linseed oil. The method I followed was pretty much as per the instructions on the can. Before I started I used a range of sand papers finishing with 400 grit to get ALL the original finish off - this took ages and I didn't stop until I was sure all I was seeing coming off was new saw dust. I applied two coats of estapol matt a day apart with light sanding in between and then (as per instructions) left for 48 hours before another light sanding and then applying the oil finish. This was applied by tipping a generous amount of oil onto the top and then rubing it into the surface with 0000 grade steel wool. It did take quite a bit of elbow grease before I was satisfied that the oil had been taken up uniformly - initially there were some shiny patches which I took to be the estapol still creating a barrier. Keep on rubbing until it comes good - it will. After you've gone as far as you think you need to, simply wipe off any extra oil with a soft cloth. I have now got a warm natural looking finish that still will stand up to hard treatment - most table tops need to be able to do so. I also believe that if it ever needs any touching up or scratches removing this should be relatively easily done. I would encourage you to have a go - it's not that hard to undo or repeat a step until you get it where you want it. Too often in the past I've given up on the finishing stage after creating a furniture piece and have often been disappointed with the final look. No more. Good luck!

[ozymandius]

Krenov, thanks a lot for that informative post. I am in fact now going down that track. The fine sanding is completed and I am about to apply an oil, in my case Feast Watson Fine Rubbing Oil which I bought after I received Jack620's post. I've got a bit of a crook shoulder at the moment (temporary I hope!) so I might lay off for a while untilI can be sure of giving it "plenty of elbow grease" with the 0000 steel wool.

[ozymandius]

Well guys I took much of the advice and finished the job today. I fine sanded the Estapol satin with 400 grit, applied Feast Watson Fine Rubbing Oil with 0000steel wool and cleaned off the excees as per instructions on the can. I was a bit disappointed at that point as the oiled finished looked a bit streaky. A few days later I applied u-Beaut EEE-Ultrashine (hoping to rub off the streakiness, which it did). I ended up rubbing that on with 0000 steel wool in small sections and polishing off almost immediately. I then applied u-Beaut Traditional wax, again in small sections with immediate polishing off with a soft polishing cloth. I am delighted with the result.

The only problem.... my wife wants to know where I am going to put a 12 foot table so she can reclaim her garage!