I’m on my 4th or 5th coat of varnish and I’m nearing the end of the road. My question is how to finish this process. I’ve searched the archive and found lots of info on preparing and between-coat sanding, but what is the final step? Is it a layer of varnish or sanding up to a really fine grit? Although I’ve got much better with every coat, I cannot for the life of me get a perfect coat without sags or any thicker spots or drips…especially around the deck loops. I also have some unusual contours do to some creative bending that turned out a little different than expected. Yesterday I tried wet sanding with 180 on the worst sections, then as a test moved to 320, then 600, then 1500…but still didn’t come close to the mirror finish the varnish reaches after curing and with no sanding. Can you actually sand back to that look with a higher grit and perhaps buffing or car polish…or should it really end with one last coat and no sanding?
thanks in advance,
James