Can you polish Varnish?

[Rudderman]

I applied 4 coats of International Schooner varnish on my deck. I was just wondering if slight imperfections like small specks of dust can be polished out? Or will I do more harm than good. The finish is very good but there are just a couple specks of dust bugging me!

 

[petrolhead]

Re: Can you polish Varnish?

Dave, sand them out with very fine (2000) wet or dry (used wet), then just wax the whole lot with the best wax you can afford. I can recommend 3M's Marine Paste Wax, you'll need to take out a second mortgage to buy a tin, but it works better than any other I've tried and a tin lasts a very long time. I use it on my cars now too!

 

[ED21]

Re: Can you polish Varnish?

Stand farther away & wear sunglasses <br />Bugs & dust always seem to find wet varnish.

 

[KaGee]

Re: Can you polish Varnish?

Originally posted by Ed:<br /> Bugs & dust always seem to find wet varnish.

Better than SEAGULLS! <br /><br />LOL!!!

 

[jim dozier]

Re: Can you polish Varnish?

It has been my experience that you can polish polyurethane varnishes but not the other varnishes. Polyurethane is harder and will polish.

 

[Rudderman]

Re: Can you polish Varnish?

I think I'll take Ed's advice and stand farther away & wear sunglasses.

 

[Winger Ed.]

Re: Can you polish Varnish?

I'd let it dry for a few weeks to cure, finish shrinking, and get as hard as its going to.<br /><br />With any relatively soft finish, be careful working on it. It will burn easier, and you'll sand or polish all they way through it easier than you think.<br /><br />Just use very fine or mild compunds or 'cleaner wax'. Stuff labeled 'cleaner wax' has abrasives or rubbing compunds already in it. If you see Johnson's cleaner car wax--- it has about the harshest and coarsest abrasives in it of about anything on the market.

 

[sarconastic]

Re: Can you polish Varnish?

if you really want that to shine, try using 0000 steel wool. For this to work the finish has to be absolutely dry. You can shine it up to a mirror finish with a little elbow grease. This alos takes less of the finish off than using regular wet/dry sandpaper.<br /><br />Good luck

 

[Rudderman]

Re: Can you polish Varnish?

Yeah its still pretty soft at the moment so I'll leave it for a month or two. I'll try the 0000 steel wool trick on an inconspicuous area first to see what happens..