Getting a Perfect Polyurethane Finish

[Bill Boehme]

If you have ever seen the vases made by Steve Sinner, you know his high gloss finishes are absolutely perfect. I found his video that goes into great detail explaining all of the "how and why" details of his process. I found his finishing video very enlightening and think it is worth sharing.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVQEJf7KkoQ

 

[Phil Hamel]

Nice! Good info to know. My cheapness has me using Poly from who knows how many years ago!
Will throw out immediately!

 

[Tom Albrecht]

Thanks Bill, It does not surprise me to see what a slow, deliberate, and careful job he does, considering the perfection of the tools he makes. It was fun to catch glimpses of his shop in the video, looks like a cool place.

 

[William Leigher]

Thank you for posting this. It is a superb tutorial.

 

[Darryl Fective]

He makes it look easy. I like to use their Fast-Dry Poly. I brush on first coat(s) then apply final coat(s) of it (thinned with mineral spirits) using a a piece of a microfiber towel. I like his system, but I'm usually doing the finishing off the lathe. I've never liked foam brushes, but I never soaked them like he does either.

I bought some zero-loss bags on Amazon for storage. They seem to work well and I'm actually getting thru whole cans now, rather than throwing away product that has gelled or skinned over. The included rubber funnel failed pretty quickly, but the smallest funnel in the cheap assortment from Harbor Freight works well. I made a piece of wood with a slot that holds the neck of the bag while filling. (otherwise you need 3 or more hands)

 

[Tom De Winter]

When I saw the topic title I thought I'd mention Steve's process and add a link to his video. Then I saw that his work is the subject.
His work is always impeccable.

 

[robo hippy]

That lathe is the original 3520A. The B and C models won't spin that slow. Interesting technique.

robo hippy

 

[Doug Freeman]

The included rubber funnel failed pretty quickly

That’s unfortunate, mine continues to work well. One thing is the bag being filled needs to be filled with air, to displace liquid from the can. After filling, just set the funnel aside and let the finish cure inside of it. The dried finish can then just be peeled off.