A perfect and foolproof wood finish

Even if your wood was smooth before coating, it will feel rough after the finish dries. That’s normal and easy to overcome. As surface fibres absorb finishing liquid, it causes them to stand upright, then harden. It’s called raised grain, and the third step is all about removing it. A quarter-sheet palm-style finishing sander is the tool of choice here. Add 220-grit paper to your finishing sander, then gently go over all flat surfaces. It’s important that you don’t remove the finish; just get rid of the raised grain. A couple of passes back and forth with the sander will do the trick. Use handheld sandpaper on edges and rounded profiles, then vacuum the whole project to remove dust.

Repeat the coating and sanding process three times in all, then apply a fourth coat and let it dry without sanding. If your shop was clean and you were careful with the vacuum, then you’ll have a pretty good finish at this stage. Not perfect, but pretty good.

If your project has lots of flat surfaces, grab your random-orbit sander again, along with a fine rubbing pad. Sand the surface of your wood very lightly to remove all hardened dust specks and bumps, then place a 6″ x 6″ fine-grade rubbing pad on the wood with the random-orbit sander on top. Work over the entire surface until everything has an ultra-smooth, matte finish. Switch to a superfine rubbing pad and repeat if you want a gloss.

The only thing shinier than the wood will be your smile.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Use a random-orbit sander with a 120- or 150-grit disc for initial sanding. Carpet or a pad on the workbench prevents scratches on the workpiece.

2. Brush on water-based urethane.

3. A quarter-sheet sander removes raised grain.

4. For the most durable finish, apply four coats, sanding between each. As a final touch, work your random-orbit sander back and forth with a superfine rubbing pad