I'm looking for some finishing gurus to tell me what I did wrong, and how to straighten it out.
I built a chess table out of walnut, cherry and padauk, and we want a satin finish on it.
My first coat was 50-50 mineral spirits and Helmsman matte finish varnish. I let that sit in the house over a winter or two. It was not glossy at all.
This week I took it back out to the shop to finish it.
The second coat I applied was straight Helmsman wiped on with a rag. It appeared glossy.
I used four ought steel wool to smooth it, then applied 50-50 Helmsman matte to mineral spirits with a rag.
It dried glossy.
Four ought again, and 50-50 brushed on for the final pass.
Below is the picture of the top. It's glossy as can be.
The legs are solid cherry, and are not glossy, but in fact are matte.
Either I don't know what matte finish is, or I've done something wrong.
Who can explain why this is so glossy, and just as important, how can I get this to a satiny finish?
I was thinking of steel wooling again and leaving it that way, but I clearly now have no idea what I am doing. Satiny legs and glossy top is puzzling me. I want everything satin.
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