The abrasive produces extremely fine, uniform "scratches" that go in the direction of the wood grain, helping to hide both brush marks and the "orange peel" texture common to sprayed finishes. Rubbing Out Arm R Seal & Questions Rubbing ... varnish, oil, or polyurethane. Rubbing out a poly finish can be done, but as you suspect, there's a hazard built in because of the difference in the finish. In other cases, I will use rubbing out techniques to dull down the finish. – piojo Apr 25 '17 at 10:45. there is a reason why it's extremely popular. Even after a finish dries to the touch, there is an additional period of time before the finish is up to full hardness. poly isn't really a bad finish. In some cases when I want a satin finish, I will apply a coat of satin as the final coat. Some people have posted that steel wool should never be used with a water Bourne finish due to rusting issues, but I can't see how it would rust if the finish is cured and used after the final coat. February 2019. My approach to Arm R Seal is to build all of the coats with gloss, wiping it on, wiping it off, then letting it dry overnight. Fortunately rubbing to a satin finish is easier:1--Sand the surface flat so there are no ridges, brush marks, depressions, dust specks, etc. Water-based finishes can be a bit difficult to rub to a high gloss, especially finishes that contain a high percentage of urethane resins. Perhaps they are referring to between coats. Lacquer is an evaporative finish. And since it dries faster than any other finish, I'd try rubbing it with a brillo pad or scotchbrite (and water or oil as lube) after a few days or a week to get an even dull sheen rather than a strong gloss. Any tips on rubbing out a water based finish? Rubbing out a finish means working it with a mild abrasive such as pumice or steel wool. ⚛ The information about Rubbing Out Polyurethane Finish 7 Easy Steps To Rub is completely presented here. sure, it might yellow over time if left out in the sun for years and years at an extreme case but it's also extremely durable and wear resistant. Anyway, here’s a general guideline for wait times. my walnut coffee table i've had for years and years was finished with 4 coats of polyurethane and i NEVER use coasters. I use wet/dry paper and a wood block to do this. Polyurethane is a reactive finish; the finish is actually in layers. The harder the finish, the better it responds to rubbing out. I did it for the same reason you want to, to eliminate some finishing defects and give a uniform flat, smooth surface. Ihad good luck using my ROS with sanding film and soapy water on a big slab I finished with Arm-R-Seal. The second (and subsequent) coat(s) remelt the coats preceeding it, allowing the finish to flow together. If it's well cured you should have no trouble rubbing out a polyurethane finish. Lacquer, Shellac, Water-Based Finishes: 1 week The contact detail associated with Rubbing Out Polyurethane Finish is also mentioned to make it easy for a user to contact the furniture seller. But this is something to try as a fun experiment, not if you need a guaranteed result. Yes, this terminology is very hard to discuss with a straight face.