The old timer at the Denver lumber yard told me to stop sanding between coats of lacquer

This guy, must have been 70 years old, saw me at the register with a fresh pack of 320 grit and just shook his head. He said I was wasting my time and actually making the finish weaker by breaking the bond between layers. I ignored him for like three more jobs (stubborn, I know) but finally tried his method on a maple kitchen set. Two months later and the finish is still perfect, no adhesion issues, no orange peel, nothing. Has anyone else been told to skip the intercoat sanding or am I the only one who got this wrong for a decade?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_fiona1mo ago

Buddy of mine did the same thing on a table and it delaminated like crazy.

ross.angela1mo ago

Grab some scrap wood to test your finish first, it saves a ton of heartache later.

elizabeth_williams1mo ago

Tbh @ross.angela my scrap pile is mostly just firewood now haha.