: 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

Theoretically... yes! You ( people in general ) should be able to apply that last coat and let it smooth out and that's it.

In practice however, it takes LOTS of practice, talent, proper brush technique ( I use old wornout T-shirts ), proper viscosity of finish material and a whole lot of luck! I did cabinet and furniture work for years and could never come up with that perfect combination. I just went to the sprayers and got it that way.

You are correct, it will take a little elbow-grease and several trips over the boat with different grits, down to a good polishing/rubbing compound, but you CAN get that glass finish. And, you can't even think about that until that finish is totally cured!

However, when you DO get that jewel finish, you will not want to put that boat in the water. And the first scratch in your glasslike finish and you will totally lose it...
It's all part of the game...

Enjoy!!

Rehd