Fixing failed lacquer finish on going saga

[mike wacker]

So first attempt I attempted to sand off the existing failed lacquer that I applied too thick and at too low temps with too little time before putting the Grand Daughter's table and chairs set under the Christmas tree. Not going to happen prettily. Lacquer would not come off evenly so was left with spots of fairly thick lacquer and spots where the thin outer laminate of the Baltic birch top was starting to be sanded thru.

Not wanting to go back to the lacquer route I bought a quart of water based poly and a foam brush. I think the foam brush was a bad idea even if they were called out as an option on the can. Couldn't get the finish to go on flat with out double brushing. Double brushing was not recommended and the uneven streaks I left reinforced this. Not caring too much as I have left over material to make new top and its only 4 screws so this is a learning experience.

I'm going to put the forth coat of poly on this evening (I sanded most of the steaks out between the 2nd and 3rd coats) trying a Bestt Liebco "Water Based Clears" polyester blend brush and see what my experiment looks like then. If I can get a smooth finish, then I'll try a new top. We're only talking a child's 15x24 table top so I can afford to experiment a little.

Any one spray water based poly? If so with what equipment?

Thanks for being there,

Wack

[Andy Giddings]

Surprised to hear that the WB poly wouldn't lay flat with a foam brush as that's what I use for small jobs all the time. On the rare occasions I've had issues, its been because the temp has been very high (Summer in Texas) so I've had to thin with water.

WB poly sprays very well with an HVLP turbine. I use General Finishes High Performance which sprays fine with a 1-1.3mm spray cap on a Fuji setup (some brands may be a lot thicker so verify the viscosity/spray gun setup if you choose different products).

[Mike Henderson]

I've sprayed it with success with a conversion gun. Seems to flow out pretty well - easy to shoot.

Mike