Problem with target superclear 9000 on hard maple...

Hi,

I brushed on 4 coats of Superclear 9000 and let it cure for six days prior to trying to rub it out to a high gloss. I'm using the Micro-mesh abrasive paper to do the final sanding and polishing, I'm going for a mirror finish on my raised panel doors for our kitchen cabinets. All I am finishing with is the Superclear, no stain or anything else.

The problem is I'm getting slight orange peel after going through the Micro-Mesh sequence up to their 12,000 grit. I'm thinking either I am sanding too much or maybe 4 coats is not enough. I did dilute the SC by maybe 10 to 20 percent with water to cut down on the brush strokes but the coats went on a bit heavy so I though I had enough on there. I am wondering though, since I have covered the panels with nothing other than super clear, and diluted it, maybe I need 5 or 6 coats?

It almost seems, on close inspection, that even though the high spots are very glossy after the final sanding, that the low spots are unfilled or only partially filled grain and maybe I need one or two more (undiluted) coats to fill the grain, maybe I should not dilute it and just lay it on wait another week and try sanding again...

Because the orange peel seems to follow the grain, and is not random but the low spots are in the grain, are very small, elongated, and go along with the grain, not in a random pattern...

The very small amount of the orange peel gives a satin finish but not the mirror finish I am trying for.

Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated...

Have you contacted Target with the problem? A phone call to thier tech department is always productive and frequently answered by Jeff Weiss himself. As I understand it, they also have an excellent forum where questions can be asked.

Yes I've posted over on their fourm and have talked to them a few times, have not called them about this particular problem yet, just was hoping to get a few opinions from folks here also, who may have had the same or similar problem...

My first thought is to determine if brushing this finish, rather than spraying, is causing an issue with too much thickness. The specifications for the Superclear suggest a 1mil coating is ideal and that alone suggests spraying is the intended application method, although there is one bullet that suggests brushing/wiping is possible. The application specifications are at this link. In my own experience with these excellent acrylic products, too thick of an application can cause a lot of issues including the orange peel you describe.

Hi Jim,

How is is possible to determine thickness when applying by brush?

I used my "mill gauge" this afternoon. I brushed on a final coat of Waterlox satin; left about a 2 mil wet thickness.

Darn why was I working on a Sunday afternoon?

pardon my ignorance, but what is a Mill gauge?

The only thing I could find to measure coating thickness is this: http://www.ndtzone.com/PaintGage-FNF...Meter-p11.html and it's for metals not wood...

Also found this but it's two grand - http://www.davis.com/catalog/product...u=5978402&pfx=

Is there anything cheaper?

Bottom of this page.
http://www.homesteadfinishingproduct...ccessories.htm

Item # A8231 $2.75

So am in correct in assuming wet film gauges are just a couple of bucks but the instruments to measure dry film on wood start at well over a thousand bucks?

Yup, that is correct.

Sean,
I just posted an answer to your question on the Target forum before I saw your post here.