Wood polishing: the choice of means for finishing. Technology

You have used the right finishing compounds and applied them correctly. On the surface of the product, a strong protective film and you like the way it looks. What to do next? Perhaps nothing. In some cases, it's time to take finished project from the workshop for everyone to see. However, most of the time the final coat is not good enough for you to be proud of your work. Carefully examining the surface with your eyes and fingertips, you can easily detect dried dust particles, shagreen or roughness. Get rid of these defects with polishing. This operation consists in leveling the coating film and giving it the desired degree of gloss with the help of fine abrasives. You can achieve a perfectly glass-smooth surface using a simple technique similar to sanding the underlying wood surface. We can't let you feel finished surface with a polished lacquer film, but you can see the difference by comparing photos A and B.

First of all, you need to polish products with surfaces that are located in plain sight, which are often touched. These include table tops and doors. Start honing your skills on them. Polishing is not difficult, and it more than pays for the effort expended.

First, let's list the polishing methods

COATING POLISHING METHODS
Coating type	alignment	Matte or semi-gloss	Mirror gloss
Oil or oil varnish polish	Waterproof sandpaper No. 320 and finishing composition as a lubricant	Polishing with white abrasive pads with wax paste	unattainable
Polyurethane, alkyd-oil varnish, formulations on water based
Nitrolac and shellac	#600 waterproof sandpaper or white sanding discs for random orbit sander	Polishing with a wool roller with polish or white abrasive pads with wax paste	After receiving a silky- matte gloss polish with wool and fine polishing paste or sandpaper №800-1500

First necessary condition for polishing is a coating film, which must be thick enough not to rub through it. To do this, at the previous stage of finishing, it is required to correctly apply several thin layers of varnish. In addition, patience is needed. Allow the film to dry completely before polishing. Remember that insufficiently hard, elastic film cannot be glossed. Depending on the finishing compositions used, film thickness, temperature and humidity, drying of the coating can take up to a month.

If you want to achieve a mirror finish, it is especially important that the surface of the wood under the varnish is perfectly smooth. Fill open wood with a special filler paste or use a wet sanding method.

You will need various abrasives (photo C). All abrasive materials create small risks-scratches on the surface of the film, the size of these scratches affect the reflection of light by the surface (Fig. 1). The finer the abrasive particles, the smaller and finer the scratches and the more shiny the surface will be. Large abrasive particles leave rough scratches, and the surface will have a dull sheen. A well-polished glossy lacquer looks like glass, reflecting light and surrounding objects.

Any other varnish contains some amount of matting additives, mainly in the form of small particles of silica. These additives reflect light in different directions, giving the coating a soft sheen. You can reduce the gloss level of the finish, but you won't be able to make a matte varnish as shiny as a glossy one, so you should determine the desired gloss level in advance and choose the appropriate finishing compound.

Glossy varnish provides more options. Its gloss can be easily reduced down to matte. If you decide that you overdid it, you will be able to return it to its original gloss. Remember that on not too shiny surfaces, coating defects become less noticeable, and on glossy surfaces they appear clearly. To obtain a mirror gloss, the coating film must be very hard. Such a film can be obtained using shellac or nitro-lacquer for finishing. Polyurethane, pentaphthalic and water varnishes give a softer, more elastic film and generally cannot be polished to a high gloss. The surface will be best case, semi-matte with a slight silky sheen. Oil varnishes and oil varnishes almost always remain matte, only slightly increasing the shine.

Grinding and polishing: if done correctly, it is quite simple

Start mastering the technique of polishing from the very easy way. Apply a layer of wax paste on the surface finished with oil-lacquer polish. When the coating is completely dry, use a soft swab from nonwoven fabric spread a paste of a mixture of soft beeswax and hard carnauba wax over the surface (photo D). Rubbing the paste, you smooth out all traces of dust particles, making the surface smooth and pleasant to the touch.

Photo: A – B: During spray coating, the so-called orange-peeled pebbles often form on surfaces (left). To make such a surface smooth and shiny, you can use polishing (right). C: Polishing pastes can be found in car cosmetics stores, a roller made of sheep wool and sandpaper - in the construction supermarket, and felt block, Abralon discs, abrasive sponges and pads - in specialized stores selling everything necessary for professional finishing. D: Minor scratches on a walnut table finished with an oil varnish finish can be buffed out with non-woven abrasive pads using Briwax dark brown wax. E: When dry sanding nitro lacquer with fine paper upper layer film turns into white dust. Change the paper frequently to avoid clogging. After finishing sanding, clean the surface with a cloth or compressed air.

The probability of rubbing the coating film through is small, and the product acquires a soft shining sheen. Surfaces finished with shellac, nitro-lacquer or alkyd-oil varnish tend to have more defects than those treated with oil-lacquer polish. Often you can find dust particles, brush marks, bubbles and streaks. If the defects are minor, polishing will be as simple as in the previous case. At the same time, numerous microscopic risks-scratches are created on the surface of the film, giving the coating a soft sheen.

Open pores, bumps and other defects will not disappear anywhere, but on a semi-matte surface they will be less noticeable. You can use mineral spirits, soap, or any other lubricant instead of wax, but it's best to repair defects while applying wax.

More defects - more work

Now imagine a thicker coating film with somewhat large quantity defects, among which dried dust particles are more common, especially on slow-drying oil-lacquer coatings. Most of them are easy to scrape off with a knife blade after the next layer dries. Hold the blade large and index fingers almost vertically and carefully scrape the surface, making smooth movements towards you.

Be careful not to scratch the film. Dried dust can remove by grinding, but the blade allows you to do it faster and with less effort, especially on flat surfaces. Curvilinear, profiled and carved areas should be sanded. The scraping method also reduces the risk of penetrating film damage, as occurs when sanding at the edges of flat surfaces. The finishing composition applied in liquid form seems to tend to the middle of the surface, forming a thinner layer along the edges, where it can be easily damaged.

Spray finishing allows for increased film thickness at the edges but achieves smooth transition with a brush or dipping is almost impossible. After scraping off the dust particles, it is required to additionally grind the coating in order to even it out and get rid of other defects. This operation will not take long if the dried layers have been sanded down in succession during the coating process. For film leveling, water-resistant silicon carbide abrasive paper wrapped around a bar with glued felt, felt, cork, or rubber is best (photo E). If dry sanding is desired, stearate-coated paper (usually grey) is the best choice. This paper contains a soap-like substance that prevents the abrasive from clogging. However, it should not be used when an additional coat is to be applied. For sanding water-based varnishes and polyurethane, it is better to use waterproof paper with silicon carbide (usually black).

If you prefer wet sanding, choose a plain waterproof paper without a stearate coating. Lubricants protect the abrasive from clogging with coating particles that stick together into tiny lumps and get stuck between the grains of the abrasive.

These lumps can leave noticeable marks on the coating film. Soap water, white spirit, kerosene, wax or oil can be used as lubricants. Experiment with them to get a feel for their properties. With soapy water the process is more active, but the paper clogs faster. With oil, sanding slows down, but the paper stays clean for a long time. Speeding up the process may seem effective way saving time, but this often leads to through grinding of the coating (photo F). The likelihood of this exists when using any lubricants. You can remove a large area of ​​the coating, creating a hard-to-repair defect, and not even notice it until the grease dries.

To even out the coating film, sand gently and little by little. Then clean the surface and shine a bright light on it. If shiny areas are visible, the surface is not yet leveled. Continue sanding the entire surface, not just the shiny areas.

Each new layer of the composition on (nitro-varnish or shellac) softens the previous layer and firmly connects to it, forming an almost single layer (Fig. 2). However, each layer of so-called reactive (or polymerizable) compounds dries as a separate layer, which can create problems when sanding and polishing. If you sand the coating unevenly, you can remove some of the top coat and affect the bottom, resulting in irregularly shaped areas with sharply defined light borders. Level the coating film so that it looks and feels good, then apply a layer of wax paste using an abrasive sponge, as in the previous cases.

Figure 1 (top): How polishing changes gloss

Figure 2 (bottom): Two types of coatings: solvent-based and polymerizable

Each new layer of a composition based on organic solvents, such as nitrolac or shellac, is firmly connected to the previous one, so this coating is easily polished. Polymerizing (reactive) compounds like polyurethane form separate layers. Sanding through the top layer results in unsightly streaks.

How to achieve a mirror finish

If you want a surface finished with nitro-lacquer or shellac to shine like a mirror, first level it as described earlier. Then continue polishing, gradually moving to finer abrasives, until the desired result is achieved. You can use abrasive paper with a grit of 800-1500 units, polishing pastes and microabrasives, the grit of which is measured in many thousands of units.

Leveling and polishing pastes, as well as polishing liquids (polishes) for cars, suitable for our tasks, are easy to find on sale, and they do an excellent job with furniture coverings. Most leveling pastes that have an orange or pink color allowing you to achieve a matte finish. After using them, move on to white polishing pastes for a glossy finish.

These pastes can be rubbed over the surface by hand or by machine. For their application, a piece of felt or a swab with a short pile is suitable. It is better to polish the coating with a sheep's wool roller (photo G). These rollers are commonly used in hardwood floors and can be found in hardware stores. A special polishing machine will help speed up the processing of large flat surfaces, but you can also use a regular eccentric one. Many models are equipped with an additional sole for polishing (look at the manufacturer's instructions).

Photo 2: F: If the coating film is thin, it is easy to rub it through with sandpaper and expose the wood, as happened with the mirror frame. G: The lambswool roller is comfortable to hold with two hands, applying pressure in the right places. Polishing compositions are sold in auto cosmetics stores, car dealerships.

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Smooth and shiny wood surface:...

To make the wooden surface after varnishing resemble glass, and to look into it as in a mirror, the varnish is polished. The usual varnish coating does not give the expected effect. All the villi of the tree, which were smoothed by sanding, rise from the varnish and violate appearance products. Before the viewer is a shiny, but uneven canvas.

There are several options for how to give wooden surface mirror shine. The most famous of them:

• wax coating;
• varnishing;
• actually the polishing process.

Let's consider all the processes in detail.

Preparatory work

Do-it-yourself polishing work begins only after covering the product with several layers of varnish, when it has already dried well.

The process requires abrasive materials and the polishing composition itself, which is called polish. After processing, depending on the polish, the following types of coatings are obtained:

• when using nitro-varnishes or shellacs, a surface with a glossy sheen is obtained;
• the coating acquires a semi-matt appearance after water-based, pentaphthalic or polyurethane varnishes;
• Matte shine is given by oil or oil-lacquer formulations.

Waxing

The process is not difficult and can be done by hand at home. When processed with wax mastic, the natural texture of wood is more clearly manifested, visually the surface becomes soft and velvety. The method has proven itself on hard woods - such as ash, walnut, oak. soft rocks such as birch, alder and linden for greater effect pre-toned.

The process consists in carefully filling the distances between the villi of the wood with wax until a smooth surface is obtained, followed by the application of varnish.

Wax technology

1. Wood, which was previously cleaned of pile by grinding, is covered thin layer mastics. At the end of drying, the surface is wiped against the fibers with a soft cloth. After applying the first layer, all irregularities in the form of pores and cracks must be filled with wax. The surface becomes smooth.
2. Withstand the product or flooring two hours warm.
3. Do-it-yourself application of the second layer is done with a soft cloth. When applying mastic, gradually increase the pressure on the surface. As a result of processing, a smooth matte surface should be obtained.
4. The final polished look is obtained by applying a thin layer of shellac-based furniture varnish.

This method has disadvantages. Waxing is not resistant to moisture - even a small drop leaves its mark.

Surface varnishing

The process is to fill all the micropores with varnish and prevent the formation of a new pile. The result is a film that is resistant to water and dust, a surface with a deeper and richer pattern. Processing is carried out with a cotton swab, which was previously wrapped in a clean cloth made of canvas that does not leave a lint on the surface to be treated.

The sequence of do-it-yourself work

1. Generously apply varnish in two layers. During processing, all irregularities must be filled with varnish.
2. Remove all varnish from the surface with sanding materials. The varnish remains only in cracks and pores.
3. Apply the second layer. These two coats are considered a pre-made primer.
4. After the secondary coating, dust is carefully removed.
5. A third, very thin layer is applied and left in a closed box or room for a couple of days. During this period, not a speck of dust should fall on the product.
6. Apply top coat once or twice.

All resulting smudges subsequently form spots. To avoid this, the surface is covered with a very thin layer of varnish, while trying not to destroy the film formed during the previous movement. Everything is done evenly, efficiently and quickly, without stopping. It is better to rehearse on a control copy. Works can be done with both shellac varnish and oil.

Lacquering with oil varnish

When working with your own hands, you must take into account that it dries for a long time. For a primer, a solution of 200 g of varnish per 1 liter of water is used.

The dried and polished surface is covered with a thick brush with liquid varnish. If the solution becomes thick, you can add turpentine. The brush is moved evenly, without sudden movements, the excess is removed. Do not allow the formation of bubbles when moving the brush.

Polishing

This technology gives the most beautiful texture, well preserving the pattern of wood. It turns out a surface resembling a mirror. The main thing is to do it simply and with your own hands. Not all materials lend themselves well to such processing.

Wood with a large texture does not tolerate polishing.

Work order

1. Prime the surface with varnish in three layers. After the first coat, sand and carefully remove dust. Then apply two coats of varnish on the dried surface.
2. Polishing is performed with a swab, the polish is applied in a thin layer. Dry and abrade with abrasive materials or grinder. The process is very long, it is better to use the technique. After each application of polish, the surface is dried and sanded again. As a result, gloss begins to appear on the surface. To prevent sticking of the tampon during operation, add a couple of drops of oil.
3. Polishing is done with polish with a small amount of oil added. Rub the surface with a swab until the desired shine is obtained. In order not to dissolve the previous layers, oil is added in an amount of only 1-2 drops per 10 cm². Repeat the work several times. Between the processing of the layers, the coating is wiped with a rag soaked in a solution of polish with water.

Failure to comply with the technology and sequence of work or an insufficient number of layers will affect the result. The first do-it-yourself work is best done on a test plate. The above recommendations will help give the varnish a mirror shine, create a smooth smooth surface.

To date, the level and quality of finishes wooden furniture are receiving more and more attention. One of the most difficult, but also the most sought-after finishes wooden products is a high-quality high-gloss finish with lacquers or paints for wood. Glossy furniture visually expands the space, adds light to the interior, creates the effect of additional space. At the same time, the growing demands of the end customer in terms of the level and quality of the glossy coating are constantly forcing furniture manufacturers to improve the technique and methods for obtaining such a high gloss.

One of these methods is polishing the final layer of varnish. The quality of varnish polishing plays a very important role, since the appearance and attractiveness of finished wooden furniture will depend on the result. There are a number of basic rules that must be strictly observed when polishing varnish or any other paintwork.

First of all, it is very important to know how some polishing materials differ from others.

Abrasive polishing paste

Abrasive polishing paste is a solid product that comes in the form of bars different sizes h different grain size abarazive. Such products are intended for polishing on automatic multi-drum polishing machines (from 1 to 12 drums).

Abrasive polishing wax

Polishing wax is a semi-liquid composition with various degrees of grit, which is intended for polishing varnish with flexible end washers or on automatic machines with one or two paired drums or cross drums.

polishes

Polishes - liquid compositions with different properties for automatic machines, polishing orbital machines or for polishing varnish with hand-held soft discs made of foam rubber or natural wool.

Additives

Additives are liquid mixtures specially designed to dilute the wax and wet the surface of felt or fur polishing rollers.

Basic rules for polishing varnish

Before you start polishing the lacquer, you must first choose the right polishing paste, wax or polish according to the type of lacquer (varnish film) and select the polishing disc or wheel. Among the factors that have the greatest influence on the results of polishing, the following can be distinguished:

• lacquer film hardness - high lacquer film hardness is the basis for obtaining the best polishing results. If the varnish film does not have sufficient hardness or is not dry enough, then due to strong heating (due to friction during polishing), it can be severely deformed. To date, MIRKA has released for manual and machine polishing a non-friction heat polishing polish.
• grinding quality - the finer the grit and the higher the quality of the polishing wheels, the better the results of the polishing paste. Polishing pads for orbital polishers should be selected according to the type of varnish to be polished.
• pressure of the polishing equipment on the varnish film - the temperature on the polished surface must be maintained within the optimal range from 20°C to 40°C. Exceeding this temperature regime if the hardness of the varnish film is insufficient, it leads to its deformation and negatively affects the final gloss level of the coating.

Polishing polyurethane varnish

Polyurethane varnish begins to be polished with an abrasive with a large grit P320, continues to be polished with an abrasive with a finer grain, and finishes with polishing paste P800 and a foam disc (if the varnish has a very hard film) and polishing paste P1200 with a polishing disc made of natural sheepskin.

Surface grinding should not be done in only one direction. When changing the grit, the direction of movement of the polishing disc must be changed to perpendicular. Subsequent polishing must be carried out in the direction of travel of the last polishing disc.

Polishing varnish system from MIRKA

In woodworking, the most commonly used polishing pastes (for one-step polishing) and (for initial polishing or polishing very hard lacquers).

To give an irresistible shine and color saturation to the car after painting, the varnish is polished. This procedure differs from ordinary wax polishing, as it is a complex work that requires various equipment and car cosmetics. But the result of a properly polished lacquer surface can be its incredible smoothness, as well as the complete absence of various scratches and bumps. Moreover, the body will acquire a reliable protective layer capable of withstanding the effects of harmful external factors.

But do not forget that polishing cannot begin immediately after painting the car: paintwork materials must dry and harden properly, which usually takes up to 3 weeks. During this time, the varnish will settle, “exposing” various repair defects in the form of scratches, dips and smudges. The manifested flaws are eliminated by grinding, and only after it you can start polishing the car. This is especially true for cars of dark shades and colors.

The garage, which will temporarily turn into a repair room, must be prepared in advance. Clean the room of dust and dirt in order to prevent it from getting under the abrasive, which will inevitably lead to the formation of new, intractable damage to the enamel and varnish. In addition, it is necessary to get rid of direct sunlight on the surface of the car during polishing, otherwise the polish will begin to set ahead of time. It is better to use fluorescent lamps installed on different height, which will effectively detect surface defects. For the same purpose, a hand lamp is also useful.

Before the polishing of the car begins, its surface must be carefully prepared. For this:

• Thoroughly wash the car from accumulated dust and dirt;
• Paste with masking tape (or completely dismantle) elements whose polishing is not provided;
• For better removal of dust residues, blow the car by turning Special attention to hard-to-reach places;
• Degrease the surface of the body ( special solvent or anti-silicone).

And if the first two points can be carried out on the street, then for the latter it will be necessary to place the car in a prepared room, in which further operations and final polishing will be carried out. Having completed preparatory stage, you can immediately proceed to the main procedures.

Stage 2: Body sanding

Before polishing, the car is carefully polished (provided that the entire surface has dried well after the preparatory procedures). The coating layers must be hard to withstand the mechanical impact of the tools and prevent the abrasive from quickly "loading".

Required tools:

• grinder with adjustable disc speed;
• rubber block or planer;
• container for clean water;
• polishing wheels of two degrees of hardness: soft (dark shade) and dense (light);
• Flap clean soft tissue(without villi).

Materials:

• emery (abrasive) paper with a number from 1500 to 3000 (selected depending on the quality of painting and the degree of damage);
• Polishing paste (with abrasive, non-abrasive and special finishing).

Technology

Surface grinding can be done either with a special tool or manually. The second option involves the use of a rubber or felt bar wrapped in sandpaper. Such an impromptu tool is ideal for manual polishing of varnish, with its help smooth and uniform movements the surface is brought step by step to desired state. At the same time, it is not recommended to make special efforts on the body, so as not to “remove too much”. However, grinding with a bar is only First stage elimination of small surface defects.

As the skin wears off and becomes greasy, it will need to be replaced with a new one. When working with an irregular or rounded part (openings, grooves, rear-view mirrors, etc.), it is recommended to stop using a bar.

The procedure can be performed in two ways: dry and wet. Usually used wet. Wet means regular wetting of the body with water or other inert solvent. The sandpaper is also periodically wetted to remove dust and dirt. This technique allows you to effectively deal with the formation of dust, improving the entire grinding process and extending the tool's trouble-free service life.

If the surface of the car is covered with a nitro-lacquer composition, a waterproof “sandpaper” soaked in white spirit is taken for work. This "wet" sanding method is used only if the bodywork has a waterproof coating (one of the following):

• epoxy;
• melamine alkyd;
• nitrocellulose;
• oil varnish.

The main thing in grinding is not to overdo it, otherwise you can easily throw yourself a lot of work to update the entire paintwork layer and carry out a new painting of the car.

Stage 3: Polishing

Abrasive polishing of the varnish, performed after painting the car, effectively combats surface defects and its haze, endowing the paint rich color and glitter. The procedure can be carried out both manually and with the help of specialized polishing equipment. As a material for processing, an abrasive paste is used, applied and carefully rubbed into the surface of the car. small areas. At the same time, manual polishing is carried out in a circular motion, and mechanized cruciform (i.e. horizontally and vertically). Due to the availability and high quality of the final result, today they almost do not resort to manual polishing, preferring a grinder.

Car polishing requires the use of different types paste. First, with deep processing, coarse abrasive paste is used. For example, No. 74 from 3M. After that, the size of the abrasive fraction is gradually reduced, up to the use of soft pastes that do not contain abrasive in the composition. Dark-colored cars should definitely be treated with a non-abrasive paste at the end of polishing. Otherwise, numerous flaws in painting and varnishing, remaining after the initial processing, will remain on the surface.

Polishing with abrasive paste contributes to an excellent result. However, apart from right choice paste, you should responsibly approach the selection and polishing wheel (made from foam rubber of various densities). The ideal processing option involves the use of two circles at once: dense (hard) and soft. First of all, the surface is treated with a dense circle (it is usually white), then, to bring the result, it is replaced by a soft one (usually black).

All photos from the article

final stage woodworking is like the finishing touch to a painting. A smooth shiny or glossy surface begins to "sound" quite special. The color becomes deeper, the pattern appears brighter, emphasizing the perfection of the product. Careful polishing of the material will not only emphasize its beauty, but ensure its safety for a long time.

Chic, shine - beauty

What can and should be polished, with what and how - these are exciting questions for those who want or are forced to do this difficult but exciting business. Polishing wooden products - brand new walls or restored countertops, performs an aesthetic and protective function ().

Pros and Cons of Lacquer

Take a closer look, you are surrounded by many things made of wood, the treated surface of which shines or glows matte:

• decorative crafts;

• decorative cutting boards, spoons;
• walls / floors;
• furniture;
• laminate (there are also such lovers).

But polishing wooden products is not always appropriate and safe, these include:

• spoons, if they are intended for food, not decoration;
• kitchen knives - a very smooth handle is more difficult to hold, and if it falls, the decorative layer will inevitably crack;
• gun stocks (for the same reason).

Finishing agents

The choice of varnishes is huge and each of them has its own specifics:

• alcohol covers luxury furniture - their price is high, the most luxurious varnish is shellac;
• alkyd - wear-resistant, used to cover parquet;
• acrylic - fragile, reapplication is required;
• polyurethane and alkyd with the addition of fungicides are good for outdoor use;
• water-soluble are remarkable for the absence of harmful fumes;
• solvent-based resistant to detergents, but the air is not ozonized;
• oil - cheap, "healthy", but give the surface yellowness;
• nitro varnishes dry the fastest - from 15 to 25 minutes, give a strong shine and are very durable.

A few words about wax

As already mentioned, the use of varnish or varnish is not always advisable - for dishes, children's furniture it is better to use drying oil or wax paste. It is wonderful that it is not difficult to prepare wax paste at home, and the main ingredient can be bought from the "medoviki" in the market.

Wax paste, if desired, can be made liquid or solid, depending on the amount of turpentine - solvent. In the classic version, the components are mixed in a 1: 1 ratio. The wax is heated in a water bath, but a microwave oven is also quite suitable, then turpentine is poured into it with constant stirring until a homogeneous consistency.

Note! The procedure for preparing material with your own hands at home will require compliance with increased security measures. Be sure to ventilate and the absence of sources of fire - turpentine has a pungent odor and is highly flammable.

In conclusion

Every day, throughout our lives, we subject things to tests - touches, blows, put them in the scorching sun or a damp terrace. Often thanks to decorative coating it is possible to save / restore furniture, decor elements or art objects for a long time.

If you want to get super glossy on your furniture, the video in this article will reveal all the secrets of this process.