I usually stain my wood before varnishing (with homemade oil stain) so the oil would interfere with that. But of course if I wouldn't stain then I could sand it with oil.
Incredibly informative and humorous! 😂 I had to rewind several times to check on the beard shave! I’m just starting out in wood working and I love that this video showed in (semi) real time the process that you go through. Thank you!
Watching this video again 4 1/2 years later, and I just picked up that applying the last coat super thin allows it to harden faster so particles have less time to land and stick in the finish. Thanks!
Matt, thx for the vid. After curing and you use 1000 grit to lightly sand, are you finished? No mineral spirits or anything at this stage? Also have you tired to thin this product as you proceed through the coats? I’ve heard it thins well......thanks again for your help.
Hey Matt - I’m also an arm-r-seal fan. How do you avoid witness marks or streaks given you apply pressure after applying the material. A constant issue for me in coats 4-5. Thanks.
I've got a fairly large table top, 6' wide. I'm concerned about dry time. Oh, I live in Florida with temps in the 90s. To get arm-r-seal on quickly, I'm thinking of using a foam brush then wipe off w pad. Your thoughts?
Lol, had to roll it back and see if you had more hair at the beginning of video! Thought I was losing it for a moment. Also, that wood is being beautiful!
I've watched this video about once a year for the last five years to remind me of the process. Your attention to detail and helpful descriptions are greatly appreciated!! Do you thin the arm-r-seal with mineral spirits at all? As an aside, your next video should be a "my finishing process for a good facial shave with 120 grit"!
I was impressed when Jay Bates swapped hats at the cuts, way to commit with the beard. That is one pretty piece of wood and thanks for the finishing tips.
Love the beard shaving in stages!! Wow, those panels are amazing. Beautiful finish, and excellent technique. It's the little things that really make the finish perfect! Nice work Matt!
Just curious about what to do with those rags (applicator pads) after use. Did you throw them away and always use new ones or there's a way to recycle them?
woodworking - working days AND nights long. seems it's quite the same for all of us - novice and profs)) btw: why dont you use scotchbrite? it's much easier not to fuck up the finish using soft abrasive between layers.
Hi, Matt. Very generous and informative videos, thank you. Do you ever use fine scotch-brite pads between coats? I've found that they reduce the risk of cutting through on sharp edges and rarely cause those occasional deep surprise scratches that sometimes occur with sandpaper. By the way, I never even noticed the beard thing- I was too busy watching what you were doing.
Very cool matt. Thanks for posting. I used Arm r seal for the first time a couple of weeks ago.( BEFORE WATCHING THIS VIDEO) . I used curly cherry for a clock. I really liked how it brought out the grain. I wish I would of watched your video first though. I sanded to 320 and I think I sealed the grain a bit. i compared it to spray lacquer on my build video. It was a huge difference. Now I know for next time.. thanks again.
Thank you so much for making this video. Usually the finishing process is kind of skipped on videos without much detail and you made a lot of sense with this one. Beautiful work!
Ok,(and you had to know this was comming) , is it a requirement to shave off the mustache before final coat? : ) you know I'm busting your chopps. That piece looks amazing and I could see more of that great epoxy fill in there too. I use that same wipe varnish but I've never tried the 1000 grit sanding. Guess I will now. What I did try was wrapping the appilcator pad in a piece of panty hose. It helps to eliminate some of the lines of finnish on the finial wipe. Great video!
billfromelma haha! of course it is! Yes, more epoxy in this one. I love that stuff. After that last coat there isn't much sanding that needs to be done. The 1000 grit is just touch up. It dries super smooth since it's so thin of a coat. Interesting. I've never had any issues with the pad leaving lines. The finish flows out nicely removing the signs of wiping. or at least for me it does :) Thanks!
Hey Matt, thanks for the video! You really upped my confidence heading into the final stages of my current project because I've never used Arm-R-Seal before and thought I'd give it a shot. I've got a slab of Kentucky coffee that I cut into 2 end tables and a coffee table. The edges were live, but I got the bark off and sanded everything down. Is there anything I need to be cautious about when using this finisher for the thick (about 2 inches) vertical-ish edges? Thanks!
Great information Matt! Thank you. I started using a card scraper more for the initial part of finishing as well. Does a great job for those tricky grain patterns.
Hello Matt. Very helpful video - thanks. How would you describe the level of protection produced using this finishing process? Would you describe this as an “in the wood” finish (that provides only minor protective benefit), or is it more of a film finish that provides “some” degree of a protective film layer? Many thanks. Jim
Great video, I learnt a lot. But I think I won't be as good as you because I don't have beard to shave off. Are your beard hair a secret ingredient in the finish? Take care Karol
I didn't "see" it until 3:30am... 3:30am Matt is kind of scary and I wouldn't want to meet him on a dark street. :-) Great tutorial, Matt. I have never yet tried Arm-r-seal. It is at Lee Valley, but $24/quart is pretty pricey. How is the scent? You don't seem to be doing anything special for ventilation?
wordsnwood I'm pretty good at being a creeper :) It's about $17/qt here in the states. Scent isn't too bad. Smells like poly. Nothing special for ventilation besides coming in and out of my shop.
Matt, great video and technique. I've used Arm-R-Seal for sometime now with great results. Charles Neil introduced me to this product. Thanks for the video.
Haha. Dude I subscribed just for the disappearing facial hair...and of course the great instructional video! Really appreciate the info cos been looking for good finishing videos! Well done.
Question: At the end of your video you mention that you knock down to the final smoothness using 1000 grit sandpaper. What do you use to remove the sand paper dust? Mineral Spirits or something else? Thanks. Really enjoyed the video.
this stuff is absolutely amazing! I have used quite a few different types of poly from water based to spar urethane of a several different brands but nothing comes close to being as easy to apply with wayyy better results than anything I have ever used. It really can't get any more fool proof than Arm-r-seal. No tacky drips or stroke marks as it self levels, most of the sanding areas that didn't absorb as well disappear with extra coats. First time I used this product too because of this video, Although I have used other general finish products this one is the most impressive I have tried probably because it's a wipe on oil based product with more clarity and durability than most brands.
@@dwightl5863 it wasn't bad and the room I did it in had two windows and and walk out door with another door blocking it from the rest of the house so it could be vented almost like it was a garage.
+markmooredesign you do have to be careful with them. If they start leaving marks, I know I'm applying to much pressure but that hasn't been an issue for a long time
Hi Matt, Helpful video! The last sanding, with 1000 grit sandpaper, done after the finished has cured for a week, do you wipe the surface then with a small amount of mineral spirits? Thank you, Marian
Great video got a question for you. how does one fix an arm r seal build up on your final laye? I tried sanding lightly with 600 grit and now i can see line my sanding lines. Any suggestions? I started with a danish oil finish and used arm r seal over top. Thanks!
The clocks many use to order their day are unlike the clocks we use to make furniture correctly. I have found finishing a project in a shop with no LPHV equipment an assembly at a time to get a good finish on the whole in the end. All the corners come out clean for me.
Thanks Matt. The heirloom pieces I make take as much time for the finishing as building the projects. When I can wipe on enough thing layers, even red oak feels like glass. Love the point about it being tactile.
Very helpful. I wAtched your other video about water based and decided to go with the arm r seal instead. I really like applying the finish technique using a rag vs foam brush. Looks great too.
Matt... you started the video with a full beard and then after dinner you came back with a goat tee, then at 1130 you came back with a different cut and 3 am you cam back with a mustache... wonder if anyone else noted.
How did I watch this twice and not even notice the disappearing facial hair until I read the comments? Excellent video Matt, I'm finishing an awesome end grain walnut now like you do and its coming out beautiful!
It seems like when you drag the rag back over the coating to level the finish it sticks a bit and causes streaks. The directions say putting too much pressure on the rag causes this however I am not putting any pressure on the pad. Could it be not putting enough material down however on the video you show using a very thin coat. When I do that it really won't level out but streaiks. Ideas?
Great video! Arm-r-seal is my go-to finish for most projects. I appreciated your discussion of the finishing cloth and showing how to use it. I just folded it any old way, but your discussion of why you do it makes sense. Also, how light the last coat should be and wait a couple of weeks before the final sanding with 1000 grit. I've gotten decent results, but why not try for perfection. I normally use a clean Norton Microfiber cloth after sanding between coats, but I'm going to try the mineral spirits next time. I also use a 1lb cut dewaxed shellac for a wash coat for woods that tend to blotch like cherry, but you seem to start with the arm-r-seal and your results were great. I may experiment, though the shellac wash coat isn't much trouble.
Just to add, Norton makes one specifically for woodworking, I wouldn't use a regular microfiber cloth. They are good for wiping between the grits when sanding, too. Instead of tack cloth which can be a problem.
I'm glad you made this video, I've been looking into different finishes lately. Do you ever put any paste wax or anything on the parts after the final sanding?
Lane Bros WoodShop Thanks Matt. I've tried it before but it didn't seem to add anything to the finish. I will put wax on the drawer runners. That helps a lot there.
lol interesting progression of facial hair. And that's what I dislike about using Arm-R-Seal, is the recoat times. Takes a whole weekend to finish something
I had never used arm r seal before I saw your video on it. I love the work you produce and its always professionally done so I decided to give it a go. Great finishing product. Very easy to apply and give a beautiful semi-gloss sheen that I usually knock down just a tad with a paste wax afterwards.
Can you provide a video showing how to touch up existing stain with a lacquer top coat that has degraded around the knobs on kitchen cabinets from wet hands, Now, so far I can usually do this. However, wife insists on using Pledge spray wax/cleaner on the doors as well as Old English Lemon OIL. After I touch up. the stain I find it impossible to top coat the doors with clear lacquer with out "Fish Eye" popping up all over. If I pre wipe everything with damp cloth with lacquer thinner on it it softens the existing damaged area even more. Any suggestions or a video on this type repair would be appreciated.
Hey Matt, I know this is an older video but it really helped me with finishing my old Kitchen Butcher Block table that was in rough shape and now looks new. Love your videos, thanks! Also got a kick out of the shaves between coats!
good stuff! i noticed at 11:30 a part of ur beard was missing.. ;) clever subliminal messaging..i wanna shave now..haha yea dud that finish is great ! over the weekend i went back to Rockler and bought 5 more cans. and somemore walnut...lol im gonna have quite a bit of poly sitting around collecting dust..as long as im making furniture pieces.. i always get a grey haze when i sand .i think i sd this to oyu b4. do u use alot of m.s to wipe after sanding. or not so much. i hate the haze! it ruins all the time i put into it.ya know? thanks man! til the next episode"
Joe Walters Thanks Joe! 5 cans?! haha!! I guess they have good shelf life... I just wipe with a little MS. Just enough to dampen the rag. The MS should be flashed off by the time you apply the finish.
Matthew Cremona yea I probably over did it with 5 cans I have a long list of things to make this spring and summer th e guy sd like 8 months for shelf life b4 it gets a little clumpy. So if I time everything right and stick to my script I shld be ok..and cool thanks for the tip. As always I o er did it wth the ms I was putting alot on .so ill try using a little next go..
You don't really see it, tho I'd use finer, I think. BTW, I've used both 1500 and toothpaste on a rag(!) to get a slightly off-gloss finish. That way you can use full gloss poly which doesn't cloud the finish as much. All IMHO.
I like the beard trick..Did not notice until you shaved your chin. I scrolled back to the beginning to see what I missed...Oh I too liked the your finish method. I have always had great results with that product.
Hey Matt, another great video and very helpful hints, not to mention a fantastic looking result. One question about applying thinner coats at the end. Instead of using less finish on the rag, I'll often just thin the finish with mineral spirits (the last coat at a 50/50 ratio). In addition to applying a thinner coat overall, this speeds up the drying process so that dust nibs have less time to hit. Any thoughts about going that route?
Matthew Cremona Great overview of your finish technique. I've never used General Finishes products before... Might have to give them a try. I've looked over their stuff once when I was at a Woodcraft but didn't narrow down which product I wanted to check out first at the time... General Finishes UK
This question is a little off-topic, just wondering why you decided to shave your full beard down to a mustache and a goatee, then to a mustache only, then to a clean shave look....all in one video. Just curious does that help the finish to come out better?.....lol
For our sake your sake and this includes your family,make sure you eat enough protein everyday buddy....about 150 to 200 grams per day....we want you to keep being such a strong individual....your biggest fan.....steve hahaha..
I am here watching 8 years later, and I am using Arm R seal SATIN. Yea, satin is a pain in my damn ass. Doing a 97" by 45" walnut table - you got to haul ass man. I have to go heavy on that first coat. You can't go over again more than once with Satin. That satin will kick your ass. The gloss (no flat agents) semi gloss (some flat agents) and satin ( ALOT of flat agents) so you can't just swirl it and be good. Nope, one pass, one overlap pass - if you do more you get streaks. I love it, but damn it's a pain in my damn ass most of the time.
Greetings, I've have watched several videos about Arm- R- Seal and General finishes products over the few years that I've been using them. Ran across yours again, and I was just wondering if anyone ever commented about you shaving before the last coat on that vid? I had to back it up to make sure, reminds me of a friend that did this a long time ago just to see if anyone would notice and no one did, Haha.
Jamie English Up here in Edmonton Alberta I am using "Varathane" brand semi-gloss water borne exterior grade clearcoat finish, it is UV and water resistant. have had very good results with the product so far. I have a pine shelf unit outside against the house that's been out for 3 years, it has 4 brushed on coats and is still in very good shape. Now that I HVLP spray I apply 5 coats for extra durability. Which we use on out funnel stands and hollow blocks made from cedar.
Hi. I mistakenly used Polyacrylic instead of water based polyurethane on a butcher block counter top (Lowe's had it sitting right next to their oil based polyurethane). Now, months later, the paper from boxes, like cereal or popcorn, sticks to the polyacrylic. I then have to scrape the paper free. How can I fix this?
Did this panel warp? It looks like it might be a bit off right around the crotch figure (although that might just be some lens distortion), and it's rocking back and forth on a (presumably) flat work bench. Is that something we have to worry about in such figured wood?
I came for the content, I stayed to see how how your face ended up... Between the first and second coat I did take a beat when my brain said something was different. I half dismissed it as maybe it was your shirt, your hat, or maybe the lighting? By the third coat, I caught it, but only because that beard style was such a contrast otherwise I might have missed it again. LOL. I will be trying Arm R Seal on my next piece....
Lesson learned: paper towels, and those "shop towels" will leave a little bit of fluff in the finish. Cut up an old t-shirt and it'll work much better.
How in the hell did it dry so fast? I call bs. You’re leaving times correct times out. I’ve tried your method. Must live in an alternate universe where time moves 20X faster in your shop.
Hey I have a table that I bought and it looks to have a stain on it- I was told that it has a wax on it- but what I am finding out is that its not very protected against spills from my kids etc- Do I need to sand the table before using this product? I love the finish color of this table and dont want to sand it but I defiantly need to seal it against kids/spills etc. Do you have any recommendations?
I've been catching up on your house renovation videos. I notice you use two part lacquer, both paint and clear coat now. It that just because of the scale of the house project?
What is mineral spirit ? We have paint thinner also used to dilute lacquer and shellac containing methyl alcohol, but What are the contents in mineral spirits.? I am an amateur wood worker but would like to become a better amateur. Thanks and best wishes.
