2nd Build SHB-4

[Stuart D]

Well that's vexing. It turns out the clear poly I've bought isn't actually dilutable with my turps. Which is vexing as I poured the whole pot in.

Did you get water based poly, rather than oil based poly? All oil based poly, irrespective of what it says on the tin, can be thinned with white spirit to make it easier to apply and cure faster.

Having just been through the same process, I found it more beneficial to mix up little batches as you go along. Doesn't matter so much then if you decide it's too thick or thin, just amend the next batch. After the initial couple of 50/50 coats, I mixed a slightly thicker batch for the next load of coats, with a thin batch at the end. Not that I'm an expert of course!

[blinddrew]

I'll check the label again but I thought I was buying oil-based. Either way, it's not mixing. I'm going to try and pour the turps off the top and we'll take it from there.
Let's face it, if it all goes to poo then really it's just a case of buying another few batches of sand-paper and starting again.

[Stuart D]

If it's just sitting on the top, then that would suggest that it's water based.

[Simon Barden]

What poly are you using? And what does it say to clean your brushes in?

[blinddrew]

Yeah, guess what. You're right. Turns out it's water-based poly. Ho hum. I think I've poured/wicked most of the meths off the top. On the positive side, without the meths it doesn't seem to pick up the colour as much.
Anyway, I shall plough on and see what happens. Fundamentally it's just a lump of wood that can always be sanded down to start again.

[Simon Barden]

If it's proper turps, at least it will smell nice.

[Stuart D]

And handy if you've got lice as well.

Presumably, being a water based finish, it can raise the grain slightly? I seem to recall it did when I used it on my banisters recently. I don't think you get the slightly golden hue that you get from oil based varnish, which might or might not be a good thing.

[blinddrew]

The stain was water-based so that should have covered the bulk of the body but I might get some of that with the chamfer - but it hasn't on Hal.
So we'll see how it goes.

[blinddrew]

Prepping for the burst on the back:

Some tidying up to do on the front:

And knocked up a footstool/storage box whilst waiting for things to dry:

[blinddrew]

Well the front tidied up ok (eventually, some major headaches with stain smearing):

The back has not gone so well. Things have behaved very differently to the test stick (you let me down Hal!) and not in a good way:

It's actually taken a lot of effort to recover it to this point.