Continuing my painted wood furniture saga . . .
by
Louise
+7
I've been working too long and too slowly on upscaling two simple office chairs. I painted the wood parts hi-gloss red and then yesterday finally starting coating that with spray polycrylic. The directions say to spray light coats with a sweeping motion and to sand with something like 220 sandpaper between coats -- and to use 3 coats of the poly. So I sprayed on the first coat yesterday. HOWEVER, it doesn't feel smooth and glossy at all. In fact, you might be able to see the tiny pin-size roughness of the surface. It nearly feels like 220 sandpaper, but not quite that rough. Was my spray coat TOO light? I fear if I sand this, however lightly, I'll simply remove all the poly. I'm beginning to think now that I should use liquid poly. If what I've sprayed so far is indicative of what the spray's going to look like, then I'm pretty sure the liquid poly will be much shinier. And if I change to liquid, should I still lightly sand what I've already sprayed onto this painted wood?
7 answers
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Hello, this looks like it wasn't properly sanded before painting and then a bunch of dust got onto the spray. Don't get discouraged, because painting and finishing is not as easy as it looks. I suggest you sand again. A rough surface will give you a rough finish. If the painted surface is nice and smooth, spray your poly on the dust free furniture in a completely dust free room. This kind of stuff happens to everyone. Spray poly and liquid poly both have their pros and cons. Neither will make your furniture smooth with out a good sanding first. You'll figure it out and this will look fantastic. Good luck!
Bryan's Workshop
on Jul 16, 2016
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Bryan's so right..... I've had some projects that seem like they should be easy...and turn out not so easy. The best part is you can keep working (if you've got the patience) to get it right. :-)
CK
on Jul 16, 2016
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I totally agree with Bryan and Connie..Frustrating, but their comments are great! Good luck..You'll be glad you took the extra steps!
Kaal Huggins
on Jul 16, 2016
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Try using a much finer grit of sandpaper for your sanding, like 500 or higher, and a tack cloth after each sanding. Be SURE to wipe ALL sanding dust off completely, that will catch in your paint and give it a gritty feel/appearance. Sometimes I use a handheld vacuum to get every speck off in addition to a tack cloth. Let me know how you make out. :)
Susi
on Jul 16, 2016
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Sometimes, while I love to paint outside on a breezy day, too much air movement can roughen up paint or sealers. The moving air, while it's taking away fumes can also be depositing dust, pollen, etc., into the wet surface. Each successive coat of sealer will 'melt' or dissolve a tiny bit into the previous and will smooth out with each new coat. Sanding and wiping well between coats of paint are a must. Set up cardboard with patio furniture for a wind screen when painting outside, there are even pop-up paint tent shelters if you have over hanging trees..
M. M..
on Jul 16, 2016
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I use chalk paint in most of my furniture projects. No need to sand before hand (unless there are huge blemishes.) Easy application and the finishing wax provides fabulous protection. Curing takes a little longer but is worth the final result.
Chana Malkah Harris
on Jul 16, 2016
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You can get very fine sandpaper at the auto parts stores... good luck, I know it can be very frustrating after doing everything like the directions, I do think painting outside could have been the issue... if there is anyway you can make a paint booth, with old sheets, cardboard, etc... I think you can sand your chairs, lightly, and if need be, do one more coat of paint, then try sealing again... maybe with a brush on poly, versus the spray..
Nancy
on Jul 16, 2016
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