: I've having a tough time getting that final "mirror" finish on my
: deck. I'm using "Flagship" varnish and I've had one of two
: issues. On the first coat, per instructions, I thinned it just a bit with
: T-10 thinner (recommended by the Flagship maker) and applied with a good
: brush (badger bristle?). I got quite a lot of what appears to be
: ultra-fine dust. (This is even with cleaning deck surface thoroughly,
: using a well cleaned, quality brush, using new, non-contaminated container
: for the varnish, using an air cleaner for an hour before varnishing, ad
: nauseaum...)

: For coats # 2 & 3, I used unthinned varnish and the brush, etc. Results
: were a bit better, but I must have applied the varnish a bit heavy/thick
: because while the grit was largely gone, there were noticeable ridges (at
: least to me) in the finish. I presume this was due to the fact that the
: varnish is a bit thick and needs a bit of thinning to flow properly.

: I'll sand it down...ONE MORE TIME :-) ...but would REALLY like to make the
: next coat the last coat for this year!

: Has anyone else had issues trying to thin Flagship varnish with T-10? Perhaps
: T-10 is contaminated somehow and needs to be strained before using it?
: (I've only used a tablespoon or so at a time anyway...) I'm afraid to stir
: the thinner in too vigorously for fear of creating bubbles which will of
: course show in the finish as well. Is there an alternate thinner to try?
: Maybe running the air cleaner a bit longer prior to varnishing? What am I
: missing here?

Byon,

There are no shortcuts to this process that I have found. Most of us are not able to get a totally dust free environment. Accept the dust in your finish or wet sand with 600, 800, 1000, 1500 & 2000 grit paper, then polish out with fine rubbing compound and then a good quality glaze. The quality of this finish is astounding! But be prepaired. It is a lot of work and those first scratches are heartbreaking