how do you apply varnish on wood and not get any bubbles?

Answer 1

Okay. Let's start with the basics. The air bubbles could be air bubbles or pieces of grit left behind from the sanding -- either pieces of wood dust or grit from the paper. What you need to do is clean the area after you've done sanding. I usually sweep, mop, let dry, sweep again, mop and let dry -- to both the area and the work piece. Then before I actually varnish, I wipe the area with neutral grain spirits which is an alcohol without additives. The liquid will force the air out and raise the grain. While it's still up, you can resand with a finer grit paper and do the sweep, wash, dry, sweep, wash, dry cycle again. It's up to you. After the alcohol dries, apply your first coat. You want the surface dry.

Use a natural fiber brush or a very very fine synthetic brush (large bristles will cause bubbles). When you but the varnish on -- TAKE YOUR TIME. Go slow. You can see the bubbles come off your brush. If you do, STOP. Let the varnish settle and start again. Another technique to watch is: DON'T soak the entire brush and try to "squeezee" it off -- that will only create more bubbles.

Most important is to slow down, remove all grit, clean the work area and slow down.

Answer 2

Varnish Bubbles

Answer 3

Polyurethane and varnish do not mix - period. That's why it started to peel and develop bubbles. Since you have introduced the urethane to the wooden bar, putting varnish on top of that will only exacerbate the problem. To get professional results, you really should remove the old and new finishes completely. To do this, let the wooden bar dry completed, then thoroughly sand off the finish, and then you can apply a fresh coat of varnish. Be sure not to shake the can of finish because it will create air bubbles that can be transferred to the wood. Between coats, you could lightly sand with a fine sandpaper or steel wool. I prefer the steel wool because it does a great job of leveling off any pits and peaks, without greying the finish like sand paper. Once you're satisfied with the number of coats to produce a nice finish, you can further protect it by using a quality floor wax. Apply it with a damp cloth, let it dry to a haze and buff it out to nice, deep and rich finish.

Answer 4

No matter what you do there is going to be bubbles on the first coat....it is the air leaving the wood....after you put the first coat on use a 220 grit paper on an orbital sander and lightly sand the floor... the first coat usually seals the wood .......then you will apply a second coat to the floor and the chances of bubbles decrease.....but doesn't mean it won't happen...if it does sand just the areas that have bubbles with 220 grit and put a third coat on....it is better if you do 3 coats of poly anyways....helps protect the surface....as to what to use to apply the poly...It's cooled a lambs wool brush...looks a lot like a mop......... I hope this helps you out

Answer 5

Make sure you sand the wood down before varnishing, and also use a good brush.

Answer 6

many times people shake or stir up the varnish and dont let it settle a little before applying. also , use a good brush.

Answer 7

its all in the brush