Originally Posted by
fender3x
I would be very interested in how you made your logo. I really like it!
Offhand, I would say that you need to add more clear. Enough so that you can sand flat without going through. Depending on your finish that could be a few or a quite a lot. I use a brush on finish...and I use 6-10 coats. People who use TruOil will wipe on 30-60. I have the least experience with spraying...I think you are using 1x which will require more...but how much more I am not sure. Until you are confident about not sanding through.
There are lots of kinds of clear. I tried to figure out what your clear is made of, but without much success. If you are using a clear that is solvent based like shellac or nitro, the layers melt into each other. It should not be a problem to put on lots of layers. You don't really need to sand much in between unless you have a bug or bubbles caught in the finish, since the new layer will dissolve into the last layer.
If you are using a water-based finish it attaches, but does not melt into, the layer below it (at least not much). I have had good luck with the water based finishes I use, but I have heard that there can be problems if anything comes between the coats. It's important to follow the directions carefully.
As with all things finishing, it's a good idea to test first. I know you tested your stains on some scrap wood. This would be a time to do multiple coats of your finish to see how it looks and how it sands back. I have several "finish test coasters" on my desk.
How do you sand a curvy-es body? With great care. Sanding block wont work. I use 2"x2" piece of EPS foam (as comes in packing) for the flat or convex parts. I use a 1 3/4" wood dowel in the concave parts of the sides. I use fingers for the concave parts of the top and back. It's hard and you have to be careful. When in doubt I use fingers and go slowly. I try just sand very small areas at a time with fingers. Especially with the coarsest grits. With the coarsest I will sometimes try not to put more pressure than the weight of the sandpaper on the finish. That's not really possible, but the idea is to put only enough pressure on the sandpaper for it to work, not enough to "dig in" or sand through.
This is one of the reasons I haven't finished my current project. I need to have a few uninterrupted hours to go slowly and to concentrate while I do it.
You may have better luck with this than I do. My hands are definitely not those of a surgeon! Also since I apply with a brush, I have brush marks to take out. Spraying puts on thinner coats, but doesn't doesn't have brush strokes. I think most people think that's a good trade ;-)
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