How to Buff Polyurethane to a High Gloss

Great work. Help! Do these techniques also work on water-based polycrylic topcoat?
I tried searching the answer in the comments - apologies if this question has been asked/answered.🙏🏼 in advance, thank you.

Excellent video. Extremely helpful.

15 coats.
More's Law.
Some is good, more is better and too much is just right. Sir...guess you were going for the deep looking finish. That's all good. But be advised. The thick finish will show dings and dents easier over time. The poly is not harder than the wood.
If someone burns through 15 coats with 2000 grit they might want to consider a different hobby. After years of aggravation I finally mastered the art of spraying poly. Seems to be a superior finish.
A well done video. Thanks.

Hi!
Thank you for very useful video and great tips – immediate subscription! I tried to do something similar, but something went a bit off, so I’m kindly asking you for an advice: I have a wooden IKEA table. Its top made of several wooden blocks, so it’s not a single sheet of wood. I dyed it using water-based dye, and covered it with the first coat of polyurethane lacquer.
The thing is that after applying the first coat I can see that the surface gone patchy – some wooden blocks are glossy and smooth, and some – dull and a bit rough to the touch, where the wood absorbed the lacquer.
I was going to use fine sandpaper to even the surface after the first coat of lacquer.
But now I’m a bit confused as I don’t know if I could damage the dye layer on the dull patches and expose the wood, as it is obviously very thin.
What would you suggest to do in this case? I was going to do at least three coats of lacquer with sanding in between.

does this polish hold up to people putting things on the table? Drinks, bowls, keys, etc.

The only problem is the table is too good to use now.

I just did some kitchen countertops. With 7 coats of poly and then did the wet-sanding method you did. But by hand with 2500 grit sandpaper wrapped around a 2" x 4" rectangle pad. They have been sitting for 3-4 days now and they are pretty good. But I wouldn't mind getting them even smoother and with that extra bit of shine.

So at this point can I go in with the buff pads and polish?

I have the same Dewalt Orbital Sander as you. Can you reply with a link to the exact buff pads you use? And a link to the the exact polish?

Very informative! How slippery is/was the surface after the final polish?

Really helpful! Thanks for taking the time and effort to help us all!

Can't get this to work with the ultimate polish. Never seems to shine

Can this buffing process be used on 10 coats of polyacrylic? thank you!

Great video. Can this buffing process be used on 10 coats of polyacrylic gloss? thank you!

15 coats of polyurethane? The one I got says 8-10 hours between coats, how long did it took you to apply the 15 coats? Cause I wonder if I need a different product

Solid method. everyone will have different levels of experience, product preference & approach to finishing their specific project but this method will not let you down in the big scheme of things. Cheers!

That is drop dead gorgeous.

Nice work!! Got a crazy hair in my butt and decided to poly all my original artwork. Ugh

Is that just a five inch orbital sander?❤

Can I leave the bark on the edge if I varathane the bark

Thank you for the informative video. I'm having a problem with my varathane poly leveling out. Perhaps the 2000 grit pad will do the trick.

Orbital orbital orbital

Awesome vid ... thanks!

Is the poly you have water based or oil based ? Are there any repercussions of watering the water based poly when sanding with 2000 grit ?

Good to see I'm not the only one who was thinking of using McGuire's compound for automotive clear coat. Great video.

Thanks!

Does water based polyurethane have to be applied with the grain? I have a table that has four sections at a 45 degree angles. I've used tape at the joints to keep from sanding and applying finish across the grain. I'm running out of patience 😢😊

Do you have to put a clear coat over a poly wipe on multi layered finish?

can you use this process to get out brush strokes as well

Thanks for a great video it’s helped really well thanks again Marcus

How would it work to sand and buff a piece of furniture like a chair or something that isnt completely flat? Ive got an old chair i refinished and wondering how buffing by hand would help the chair.

I loved your character in cabin boy! Lol, good work

What type of polish?

Can you do the same thing on water based clear coat?

Made this easy and not over bombarded with information making it seem intimidating for a beginner.

I have the same sander, and always wondered if I could use it as a buffer. Just getting into this, so learning all I can. Thanks for the video

Great video!!! Thanks for that!

Very good video, and thank you for the "Tell" about curing -- i.e., the equivalency of curing time and gassing-off ✅

What kind of polyurethane? Water based or oil ?

👍

Thank you, Jeff, for this very clear and helpful video!
I don't have an orbital sander so I'm doing everything by hand. I have a pine tabletop on which I've applied 4 coats of semi-gloss oil-based poly. After each coat stopped being tacky, I put the tabletop went outside to dry. It's been low-humidity & downright hot here (northern CA), so I felt ok polishing it 2 days after applying the last coat. This coat had some brush stroke issues, so I wet sanded those spots very lightly with 600 grit paper (I now regret that) to smooth them down then I wet-sanded everything with 2000 grit. It now feels smooth as GLASS! BUT one issue: Those spots I lightly sanded with 600 grit are still slightly cloudier than the rest. This isn't visible when looking down on the surface, just from the side. What's the best way to even out the sheen? Hand rub the dull areas with a super-fine pad and polishing compound? Do that to the whole surface? Wet-sand the dull spots with 2000 grit? (Please tell me I don't need to apply another coat of poly or rough-up the whole surface again.) Thanks for your help!

This is the exact video I've been looking for, also am making a slab table. Have 4 coats of poly on waiting to cure before I wet sand with 2000. Was worried to use my orbital so I got the square sheets but I think I'll try it this way. I have some left over turtle wax from a different project I can use to polish. If it doesn't come out like I want I got plenty of 220 haha.

Would a magic eraser work?

Thanks Jeff for a great video. I have a question, on my guitar body , I have 5 coats of gloss wipe-on poly, cured for 10 days, sanded with 1000 & 1500 orbital buffer. Buttery smooth....using Mequires polishing product for buffing but cannot get a mirror shine. Have I cut thru the poly? I had 5 coats of Tru Oil as a base before poly.

Does an vehicle buffing polish like that leave an oily residue? Want to not have any residue that can rub off onto books and other delicate items on the shelf.

Awesome video ! Thanks dude

Thank you for this tutorial! Clear and well explained. I have an oak buffet which is new, having a lacquer finish. It doesn't have bumps, very even and nice. But it's not smooth as a glass, and is a bit satin pulling on mat: I'd like it to be semi-gloss, or at least with a bit more sheen than satin. I thought about simply applying paste wax with a grade 0000 steel wool, then elbow grease to vigorously make it shine a bit more. But now, seeing your video, would the same process work on top of a lacquer finish (the problem is that I don't know how many coats of lacquer were applied)?

I like to use soapy water on paint . Would using soap hurt this piece. I also go up to 5000 grit.

I love the video - and approach. I recently applied this same approach when redoing my dining room table. What I noticed was that the buff seemed to wear off after a few weeks - and the areas where I sanded it down with the 2000 grit appeared to become a little hazy... what did I do wrong and can I do to correct it?

Thanks for this great video. Concise yet with all the basics and really helpful tips and caveats. Best single video I’ve come across on this topic. You’re a legend! 🇦🇺

What would be a preferred polish over poly to get that high gloss finish?