Buffing a Finish

Here is a Question posed at www.woodworkingtalk.com – my answer’s below.

I’m sure this has been covered here before, but I guess I will ask anyway.

After applying a coat/coats of polyurethane, will using a buffer (like a car wax buffer) on the finish help to smooth it out if the finish has streaks? I do not do a lot of finishing at all, but want to start.

If this is an acceptable way of smoothing the finish, what type of pads are recommended…teri cloth or what?

My answer:

To ‘finish your finish’ make sure your last coat has dried thoroughly. To get a great finish rather than buff by hand – ideally you need to use a electric hand held buffer ( I use a Makita ).

Use an Abralon pad 600 to 1000 grit on the buffer.
Lightly wet the pad and move the pad around the whole of the surface before switching machine on.
Let the weight of the machine alone apply pressure on surface.
Keep dampened pad moving around in circular pattern.
Make sure that pad is damp at all times.
When surface has been covered evenly there will be no shiny spots.
Change pad for sheepskin bonnet.
Apply burnishing cream over bonnet.
Move bonnet so that cream is smeared over whole finished area.
Switch machine on low speed and use circular pattern.
Keep the bonnet moving.
When you have an even sheen all over.
Use another bonnet that’s dry and clean off any residue.
Then finish buffing in line with grain.

Hope that helps!