Paper vs steel wood

[brit_in_oz]

Hi

Could someone tell me what the best way of finishing off a surface is that has been varnished over? I have read a lot of these sies that recommend steel wool rather than sand paper or wet and dry paper. Why is tis?

Also with wet and dry or sandpaper, even at 1200 grit i cant seem to prevent a gloss finish gettinga matt look to it, so its either leave the surface imperfections alone or live with a dull surface..whats the best to fix this? (I used Wattyl stain and finish in one over standard pine, sanded between layers to 360 grit)

[Harry72]

If you attack this all in one wattyl stuff(its polyU and stain) with anything you will need to do the area/panel otherwise it will end up patchy looking.
If the color is to your liking, lightly rub over with the steelwool to denib(removes the dags) and then coat with a clear polyU over top, let it set fully for a few weeks then buff it with a fine grade polish compound(Ubeaut EEE is good)or use automotive swirl remover polish.
Why steelwool over sandpaper, it doesnt clog as much with polyU, and wetrub/water can be fraught with danger if you sand through the protective coats as water can get under the polyU and lift/bubble it if not fully dried before recoating. You can still use it just gotta be careful, 1200 isnt that fine either thats why it looks frosty 2000 will get you a low/medium sheen...