Brushing Polurethane

Mr. D

i always struggle getting my finish nice when brushing. spraying on this job is not an option. seems like i always have to sand too much in between coats when brushing. it seems i end up doing something like this about once a year so i'm wondering if i just need more practice or maybe just a few good technique pointers.

gideond

What kind of Poly are you using? I've used Old Masters and Sampson recently. Both give me a very good finish. I'm using a white china bristle (Wooster Old Salt) which is softer than a black bristle. I have used Duron's poly in the past, which was made by Valspar at the time and that stuff was nasty. I try to brush on really light coats and sand with fine steel wool in between.

Mr. D

using old masters with a purdy all paint brush

gideond

I usually brush it on fairly heavy until I get the whole piece done and they run the brush in long strokes all the way from one edge to the other. This pushes any excess off and leaves a uniform layer to flow out. It also avoids excessive brush marks of course. This is oil based poly isn't it? If it's waterborne that's the whole problem.

Richard

ditch this brush, grab a nice white china purdy

sanding between coats is normal, make sure you use tack cloth to wipe. excessive brushing will cause air bubbles <---bad, long strokes are key

see if this combo will help you

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Rich

gideond

Yeah the brush probably isn't helping but I've used synthetic brushes in poly before with no problems. It just needs to be a soft one. The brush shouldn't cause you to have to sand excessively though. Not getting the dust off could. It's definitely necessary to wipe off the dust after sanding.

MarvinWilleyJr

Don't over brush, and work fast! White China as mentioned is a given if spraying isn't an option. Also consider thinning a little to give you a little more work time.