bad weekend mistake - satin over gloss on polycrylic?

[Nathan Callender]

So, I am pre-finishing the insides of my kitchen cabinets before assembly with minwax polycrylic. I had been using the satin sheen and I bought a new can to finish the project and didn't realize that I inadvertently got high gloss. So, half the pieces are gloss (and brush strokes - that stuff doesn't lay down flat!) and the other half are satin finish. Annoying to say the least. My question is, can I sand lightly (say 220/320/400) and do just do one more top coat of satin to get all the pieces to match?

Next time I won't be in such a rush, but I didn't even think to check as I was under the false impression that polycrylic only comes in satin.... doh.

[Jeff Jewitt]

Satin finish over the gloss will be satin again. Just sand it enough to level everything out and you're good to go.

[Nathan Callender]

Thanks Jeff - that's what I was thinking but didn't want to assume.

Two other quick questions that are somewhat related. I'm stuck with 3/4 gal of gloss. Is there a flattener that I can buy to add to reduce the sheen, or is it just going to be simpler to suck it up and go buy some satin?

Also, to make the weekend worse, I left two brushes dry with the polycrylic on it. I know there are tricks to reviving laquer based finishes that dried on a brush, but does anyone know of a trick to clean up polycrylic that's dried on a brush?

[Howard Acheson]

While you are buy a new can of satin finish, buy a can of paint brush cleaner. Check the label, most paint brush cleaners work on waterborne acrylic finishes.

[Nathan Callender]

Thanks again - that's going to save me a couple of brushes. I wish I knew that stuff existed a while ago. :-)