Thank you for this tutorial, it is super helpful in smoothing out some layers of poly that dried uneven on a mirror frame I refurbed.

Great video, this part is always skipped in the tutorials I've read/watched online so it's nice to see someone finally demonstrate and explain, thank you!

Great video! I already have a good system for refinishing down but still learned some things from your video and your answers in the comments section. Thanks!

You really have a way of explaining that's detailed, focused and ,at least to me, exude as genuine. I feel you are a fantastic instructor. Thank you for the much needed tip!

Thank you so much for this tutorial. As this is my very first staining/poly'ing so this was an awesome and informative video. You answered many of my burning questions like sandpaper grit between coats, drying time for oil-based poly and number of coats that should be applied to my trash picked dining room table. Great video.

Thank you for this. I wish I'd seen this before taking my orbital sander to sand between topcoats. Now I'm going to apply two more coats following your method to restore some of the excess poly I took off. Thankfully I'm using water based, so it dries very quickly.

Thanks for the detail on this video. I’m confident I’ll finish my table well now.

Glad I watched really clarifies the between coats sanding high grit paper 1 swoop across with a block for even coverage got it 👍

After a zillion videos that weren't super helpful I came across this. Very straightforward, simple, and to the point. Best video I've seen by far, not even close. Now to finish staining my stairs!

Your tutorials are so informative ~ thank you so much!!! I actually feel confident trying Polycrylic thanks to all the great info you present / demonstrate so clearly!

Very good info.. Back in the 1990s I was doing some wood working projects, and my sanding was back and forth.. I can see this is much better in keeping the surface all the same "as in flat". As soon as it warms up, I'll have to do a little wood working again, so I'll use this technique from now on..

Thank you! This is so helpful. I was always afraid to sand between coats because I didn’t want to scratch my finish with sand paper, and steel wool seemed too aggressive. I’ll look for 400/500 grit and start expecting better results!

Thanks, you addressed some of the little details I needed answers to

This is a great video. The sanding technique between coats is what I was looking for.

Thanks!!! Getting ready to refinish a musical instrument and this will help tremendously!!

Exactly what i was looking for -- thanks for the brief yet real-time demo. Over-sanded my 1st coat of Poly and am receivong contradictory advice from expert friends 😉 So I am using your feather technique with 600 wrapped around a palm-sized block. I know how much work it is to clear the set for filiming, and to light, narrate, and edit these pieces -- so very many thanks from all os us 👍👍

People may do it differently but what you've explained makes perfect sense and will probably solve a lot of the issues I've been having. Thank you !

I love your video your saving my current project very detailed!

Excellent tutorial. Thank you so much Bethany.

Good video. Have come back to it a few times for a bench top I'm making. Thanks!

Great vid!! I love your technique for guiding the foam pad/sand paper across the entire length. I have 3 shelves for a stereo rack to do tomorrow, so your video came in real handy👍👍 I too use General Finishes Top Coat Datin.

Thank you! This is the video I was looking for to show me the in between coats

Great info, you rock !!!!

Great video, but what I’m really impressed by is that you have responded to every comment! That’s amazing!

I sooo needed this tutorial. Thanks

Thank you for this video. Very well done.

You weren't lying! That is a gorgeous dresser!! Thank you for the tips on this. I am finishing up my chess set and didn't want to screw up on the last steps lol. I am using 1000 grit as it's what I have and seems to use well for that!

Very good video, thank-you! 🌸

Thanks, this is very helpful!

Thank you for a great video! I am painting my very first piece of furniture this weekend. Eeekkk! I’ve sanded, used the red bullseye primer, will now get the block and sand paper before I paint. I’m so nervous!

Hi Bethany, I assembled a wide wood framing for a sculpture relief I made. The top surface is 1/16" rosewood veneer. (A test of MinWax Polycrylic Clear Matte finish made it look too shiny, so for this project the veneer will be unfinished.) An ultra thin crack no one can see allowed one tiny bit of Gorilla glue to seep through. QUESTION: how to remove it without wrecking the veneer's appearance? There are many internet recommendations, but you are the best--so hence the question. Thank you, Rob

Thanks for the tip. You thoroughly explained the steps and definitely answered a question I had. By the way my client dog is name Biscuit I love it.

Bethany-sister of wise whisper: thank you extremely much for this helpful video! 🙏🏽💛

Will be trying this method on a mahogany study desk I just built for my daughter, hoping to have the same great results you have had with it

So I've definitely learned to try a less is more approach when sanding between coats. It usually winds up with me getting materials together and getting situated and thinking well I might as well put some elbow grease into if I want it to look good. But your advice has me thinking twice about that. Say have you ever used wet sanding when spray painting? Messy yes but it keeps the sandpaper moving and cutting if a paint surface isn't 100% cured.

Thanks for the tips! Would you use a more gritty level sand paper after your first layer? A tip I found helpful last time was from a video of youtube where they used a 3m rubbing pad on an orbital sander after the final coat. Made the poly ulta smooth and more glossy

Excellent tips!

I liked your vid. Keep up the good work 👍

Nice job Madelyn. TY

This is the EXACT tutorial I was looking for. I was getting so frustrated after having to redo my whole bench again! This sanding technique leaves such a perfect finish. It really makes a difference. Thank you for saving my project!

Bethany, 1rst rule - DONT let anyone tell you, you are doing anything wrong if you are getting the results you like. You sand between top coats very different than me, but it surely doesn’t make you wrong. If you worked for us, we would say, “Do what gives you, your best results” We had 2 gentleman working for us, one used a Dremel to replicate applied carvings & one used his own very expensive Swiss made, carving knives. You can imagine the conflict between those 2. At the end of the day, you couldn’t tell a difference between their finished carvings & they took relatively the same time to make. It’s the tools & techniques that work for you ! Absolutely agree with you on the tack cloth. We don’t use them at all & have very professional results & we do nothing more than blow the dust off & then wipe the piece with our bare hands. 3 coats is a relative target. You are actually, visually gauging mil thickness of your finish. On rare days, you can hit the sheen you like in 2 coats, but rarely in our case. The older & more dry the piece or softer more absorbent grained wood, we have sprayed as many as 10 coats. Most often 4 or 5 coats. Our staunch rule is this - If you step back after your last coat & ask yourself, “Does it need another coat ??” Give it another coat. We spray everything. Our 1rst coat is always light, 2nd coat is wet & heavy as it will have good cling to the 1rst light coat & 3 coat is just a good solid final wet coat. Coats beyond 3rd will most often be lighter as we go. & yep, we sand between each of the coats. You do beautiful professional work. You stick with what gives you results you are happy with. Don’t let any of the “arm chair warriors” or “seasoned professionals” tell you that you are doing anything wrong. Pick & choose your techniques based on what makes sense to you ! Keep up the gorgeous work, your skills are worth every penny you charge & much more.

Great video. Thank you for a great explanation Awesome

Excellent video!!

Thank you for such an informative video. Definitely going in with a gentler hand as I sand my primer and begin painting. What do you recommend for people who do not have a vacuum in terms of cleaning up dust particles after a sanding?

Good day, Thank you for this detailed video, which is really a very major issue for final results. I have a problem when using varnish, when I used furniture wax or water based, both dry so quickly making lumps!!! Note: I varnish painted wood. Thank you in advance for your reply and time. Regards

Great video really helpful, thank you!!

I'm new to furniture redo's, I did one bathroom cabinet with some transfers on it but I think I used polyurethane instead of polychrelic.and now it turned yellow😢.plus, I never did 3 coats and never sanded in between coats. I am so glad I watched your tutorial. I learned so much I may attempt to do a small table. Thank you for sharing your knowledge 😊

I love your videos, there very helpful in my furniture restoration project. Question: I just stained my surface, once it dries do I sand prior to applying my 1st poly coat? Thanks!

Im a learning how to do this on my pellet gun wood stock. It has really nice wood but the old finish was almost non existant. Scraped it off then sanded it really smooth. Stained ebony miniwax. I just put my first layer of poly 5 minutes ago. Ill sand it lighty tomorrow after its nice and dry. I want to keep the coats even so sanding like you will be good. Its satin finish also from minwax. I like it.

Hi Biscuit ♥️ I’m doing an 84”x42” dining table 😩 tried foam roller, then Purdy brush, both result in uneven texture due to this HUGE surface, I can’t make it across w/o going over some areas that have partially dried, which drags/results in texture in those areas. Have been using 320 grit between coats to try to sand down those raised areas a lil more than the rest (but not obsessing), thinking I’ll finish all 8 coats, THEN buff down to smooth surface using 400, 600, 800, then 1000 grit. Today I decided to try the SPRAY Can of polycrylic for my 7th & 8th coats... should I sand down those textured areas that’ve been piling up (they are stripes, due to my overlapping brush passes) BEFORE I spray? Or after? I’m ok with a more Matte finish (from buffing) if it looks even. Thx so much, I love ur personality and videos!

Thanks! I’m using the recommended synthetic bristle brush to apply my polycrylic on stained wood baseboards, but it left so many tiny bubbles, especially on the curved parts. Unfortunately didn’t see your video and I used the 220 grit recommended on the can. After my second coat if i get the same bubbles, will the 400 grit be enough to get rid of them?

Thank you for the info! Sanding down the initial top coat scared me as I didn’t want to go through to the stain. On the instructions GF provides I think it says 220grit between coats but the 500 grit definitely does the job. Thanks again.

You could have made the algorithm slam this video in my face 2 weeks ago! Thanks a bunch

Your way is the best! It's funny for being a man, the woman explains it the way I can comprehend. Thank you Madeline

Thank You very much!!

Very pretty!

Wish I followed your instructions before tackling my project lol Sanded, stained, first coat of poly, looked flawless. Then I lightly sanded with 320 by hand and applied second coat of poly. I now have microscratches all of my live edge piece. Infuriating. Good thing I started with the bottom. I will be doing YOUR METHOD to the top.

Excelente, thank you very much, i used your technique and it was wonderful

Glad I’ve seen this, even if it’s too late for most of my current project. I’ve been getting so frustrated being able to see micro scratches between coats and my solution was to just sand more in the hope it would buff the scratches out. It mostly works, probably because I’m just removing more poly 🙈 turns out 220 grit between coats is really just too low.

Great tutorial! I guarantee I would have done every single thing you said not to do!

Hi! Will this techniques work with cabinets? I used the rustoleum cabinet transformations kit and the protective top coat leaves streaks and I hate it! Before I put it on the doors I wanted to know how to make those smooth and I came across your video.

Hello, retired corpsman here/newbie woodworker learning alot watching your videos. Subscribed and rang the bell. Thank you for sharing your knowledge... God Bless...

Very nice video. Should I sand between staining?

Very good. I wish I saw this video before I ruined my finish on my table top. I followed the instructions on the can and used a 220 grit sandpaper that took off some of my stain. Don’t know how to fix this without starting over. Can you help me⁉️❓

Hi! I’ve been watching your videos about polycrylic to make sure I do my dining set correctly! I’m so glad you’re also showing how lightly to sand! Question, after I apply the paint which I have done to the top of the table and legs, do I sand THEN do poly, sand, poly, etc? I’m worried about the sander taking the paint off! Or one coat of poly then sand?

about to put poly on a dining set, thank you!!

Hello! First off, thanks so much for your tutorials! They have helped me so much. I have come across an issue with my wood pieces and hoping you can help! My Poly clear satin has cracked over my entire piece! I did two coats. I'm guessing it was the second coat that cracked because I didn't notice the cracks prior to applying the second coat. Have you had this happen? Is there a way to fix it? Thanks so much for your support 💜

Hi Bethany, Thank you for this video. I wish I had found it sooner :) Could you please tell me what grit should I use to sand between coats if the finish turned out streaky? There are visible strokes on the table top even though I wiped it with a grain. I used the GF top coat satin and I used a rag when applying this gel ( I think I might have wiped off too much of the topcoat and now the finish looks uneven. Would sanding and applying another coat or 2 help to solve this issue? Thank you. Joanna

Thank you!!

Hi, I just found your channel today. Since I don’t have a shop vac, I was wondering if I could use an old cotton t-shirt to wipe in between?

Tac cloth, from my own experience with using it, once you go over a piece to get all the dust from sanding, wait 1 hr before applying any finish. I made a mistake doing a trivet for my brother and on the 4th coat I only waited 30 minutes after using a tac cloth. The result was about the size of a 50 cent piece that was hazy and not as smooth. After that, I wait 1 hr minimum before I apply any top coat or final coat.

Hi Madeline, I am using India ink for guitar build project. I am grain filling the body, then coating the body in India ink. I am hoping to achieve a really nice satin finish. Any recommendations to achieve this? Great tutorial!

After the last coat, do you buff with extra fine grit like 1000? Great video, thanks

Thank you, straight to the point. Especially cleaning after sanding. 😁🙏🏽

Thanks for this super video. You are an outstanding teacher!

Interesting.... the other day I used a tac cloth and my next laquer application had lots of small dry craters. Now wondering if it was wax residue blocking adhesion.

Thank you for an excellent set of instructional videos. Wow! Question: It is difficult to find a felt block for sanding at a reasonable price. Amazon has a decent block from a 3rd party, but they charge an unreasonable shipping cost. Nothing at ACE hardware or Home Depot. Suggestions? RF from San Francisco Bay Area.

I am poly-ing a brand new wood exterior door. I think it will be tricky to get from the top of the door to the bottom in one nice swoop. Also the door is a 9 lite door-- and I can't really sand the beveled bits that go down to the windows. So for the 2nd coat, I will focus on all the flat surfaces.

Thank you, Bethany! You show things that no one else does....appreciate it!

Maybe to add a little , I vacuum and then use a microfiber cloth. That works well for me. Thanks for your tips. Going to go buy a brush to use on my shop vac. Thanks again.

Will 220 grit be okay? That what I bought since that’s what it suggested on the can! I’m doing it on my kitchen cabinets

I'm working on a dining room table. I used Benjamin Moore Advance Akryd black paint (never again!). I'm trying to use a Polycrylic (Minwax) matte finish. I sanded that top coat of paint as you demonstrated (awesome video!), but I have terrible streaks now. Will the Polycrylic cover the streaks, or just enhance them? I don't know if I now need another coat of paint before the Polycrylic. I'd be ever so grateful for your response, after an afternoon of tears!

Your videos are fantastic. Thank you for sharing your knowledge. I need help 😩 I thought I was doing everything right but screwed up. I’m painting 2 end tables. Using satin latex paint. What I’ve done so far; I lightly sanded with 220 grit, applied 2 layers of bullseye 123 primer, applied 2 layers of paint. Applied 1 layer of polycrylic all wrong. First time using it. One table with a roller, can see roller marks. Tried a brush on other table and that looks worse. No bubbles but overlaps with texture. I was hoping that would all flatted out I guess 🤦🏻‍♀️. I tried lightly sanding again with 220, to try and flatten the raised areas, now I realize after watching this I did that all wrong too. I now have tiny spots where paint was sanded away down to the primer. Idk where to go from here. Do I sand and apply primer again and basically start over? Is that even how I’d do that to correct it? Do I go with a distressed look and keep going forward. I appreciate any and all feedback.

Hi! I am doing poly on fan blades I gently sanded & white-washed twice (bc they ended up not being real wood, composite w/a woodsticker). I have to be really careful not to accidentally scratch the white washing off. Do you think it would be safe to do two coats of polycrylic before sanding the first time?

I was always wondering about how to sand in between, glad to find finally someone explains it and shows it in real time! What brush would you recommend for apply a top coat? And what would you do when working on a really long or large surface? I always have trouble to blend as it dries up when I work in large surface... also my brush always gets dry and sticky after working for a while... Shall I wash my brush and restart to paint? I always ended up getting a lot of bubbles when I wet my brushes. Sorry for so many questions, I’m really excited to see your tutorials!, I saw your tutorial of applying the topcoat using a brush. What brush did you use? And what would you do when working on a really long or large surface, as it is hard to go from one end to the other in one go... also my brush always gets dry and sticky after working for a while... Shall I wash my brush and restart or spray? I always ended up getting a lot of bubbles after I get my brushes. Sorry for so many questions, I’m really excited to see your tutorials!

Do you use this same method of sanding and paper grit on the wood/stain prior to the first coat of poly? Or do you use a heavier hand and grit? Thanks!!

Thank you , great information! 2 thoughts: Is 600 grit paper too fine for finishing between coats? Is clear shellac a good option for a live edge dining room table?

Good work and it works for me as well. I have a question if you answer them. What to do when you are staining a maple table and you find that it has some old stains deep in the wood. Looks almost like mildew. I sanded to bear wood three times and the marks are still there. Thanks and HABD. HABD is a new word I created to say Have A Beautiful Day. Thanks.

You can also cut 3x6 blocks out of 1/2 mdf and glue your sand paper on there. A round over on the edges saves your hands.

how do you get the dust particles off the final coat. I am on my 5th coat every time it looks great but just does not feel smooth.

Awesome video, I'm finishing a coffee table and end tables i made from live edge Pine slab. Gonna apply topcoat tomorrow. How long do you wait between coats?

Hi, I have just spray painted my kitchen. Currently it has a fantastic finish, except when I touch it, there is a rough texture. I want to make that smooth. I plan on spraying over the final color coat with a clear coat, to give it gloss and protect the paint. Watching your video, I believe sanding the way you did for the first and second coat and then applying a final clear coat, will that give me the smooth finish I want? the current top coat is a water based dark blue/navy color and is matt. I have not sanded this final top coat. Any advice please? Thank you

Hi Bethany thanks for your response! I have one other question if it's not too much to ask.. when you do the very last coat of poly, do you sand it lightly or just leave it? Thank you!!

Would this same method work on existing hardwood floor? I want to add another layer of polyurethane to it

Hey - great video! I recently painted a buffet cabinet I have. I scuff sanded it first, primed twice, and did one coat of a medium blue. I started to lightly sand the paint coat and it went a strange lighter colour. Like it looked like it was splotchy. Any ideas?

After staining do you do a light sand before applying the polyurethane..? Thanks

Hey madeline have u ever came across a milky finish I am doing some treads and I am using a satin polyurethane I thinned it with some mineral spirits my third coat came out milky I read online that petroleum jelly could fix prob so I did that and let it sit for 2 days I wiped them off today on some it actually worked and removed it and some are still milky looking I don’t know what to do now ?

Great Tips but I have Question (?). What to do with wood that has cut designs in my wood (???). Thanks John in the Philippines Retired. .

Thanks for the tutorial. Do you only apply to the top or do you also do the sides and drawers as well?

Hello, a question, if for example if I want to finish with varnish and then wax, I leave the last coat without sanding? Thanks for sharing!!