What am I doing wrong?

[Richard Verwoest]

I am using General Finishes Seal a Cell. Sanded to 220. Wood is Walnut, air dried. I'm in California, temperatures are 70 degrees or so. I am using this finish straight from the can. Looking over it with a raking light, it looks streaky. Any thoughts or suggestions?

I am using old t-shirts to apply, small areas at a time as this is a large piece.

Thanks for any and all help...

[Jamie Buxton]

Thin it some. The thinner allows the liquid finish to flow out more evenly.

[John TenEyck]

I suspect the streaks mean that you have not yet filled all the pores of the wood. IMHO, there is no need or good reason to thin Seal-A-Cell; it's already very thin and if it's not then it's gone bad and you shouldn't use it. Assuming yours is good, wipe on a very generous coat and keep it wet for 10 - 15 minutes by adding more wherever the wood looks dry. Then wipe off whatever is still on top of the wood. Let that dry 24 hours. Sand lightly with 320 grit and repeat. It should look good after two such treatments. If you still have streaks do it once more. If you still have streaks then, something is either very strange with the wood or you aren't wiping it off uniformly.

John

[steven taggart]

Make sure you are mixing the finish completely. Streaks, especially white looking streaks, are from the flattening agents used in the finish