Varnishing some blue pine for an interior project. I am assuming two coats is enough. Do three?
I lightly sanded it and applied one, let it dry. Lightly sanded again and wiped off with a tac cloth and applied a second coat. Call it good or do another?

Thanks guys and gals.

Call me silly, but what do the directions on the container say?

Tinyman

Vertical or horizontal surface(s) and will these surfaces see much abuse/moisture? Wipe on poly goes on really thin and two coats isn't a lot of protection. Then again, if what you're coating is the sides of a dresser, then two coats might be plenty.

Two might work.
How does it look?
Does it get a lot of physical use?
If so then do three.

Ok guys, thanks. It looks good. Your thoughts do make sense. It's going to be trim and some vertical cabinetry ect. Probably a third coat is warranted.

quote:

Originally posted by old rugged cross:
Ok guys, thanks. It looks good. Your thoughts do make sense. It's going to be trim and some vertical cabinetry ect. Probably a third coat is warranted.

If the color looks good/right, switch to clear from the same brand. Put a few quarts of clear on and that will help prevent wear. Clear comes in either satin or glossy depending on the finish you're hoping to achieve.

quote:

Originally posted by jimmy123x:

quote:

Originally posted by old rugged cross:
Ok guys, thanks. It looks good. Your thoughts do make sense. It's going to be trim and some vertical cabinetry ect. Probably a third coat is warranted.

If the color looks good/right, switch to clear from the same brand. Put a few quarts of clear on and that will help prevent wear. Clear comes in either satin or glossy depending on the finish you're hoping to achieve.

Umm, varnish is clear, you're not thinking about stains are you?

quote:

Originally posted by giz55792:

quote:

Originally posted by jimmy123x:

quote:

Originally posted by old rugged cross:
Ok guys, thanks. It looks good. Your thoughts do make sense. It's going to be trim and some vertical cabinetry ect. Probably a third coat is warranted.

If the color looks good/right, switch to clear from the same brand. Put a few quarts of clear on and that will help prevent wear. Clear comes in either satin or glossy depending on the finish you're hoping to achieve.

Umm, varnish is clear, you're not thinking about stains are you?

A lot of varnish has a tint to it, some more than others. The more coats you build up of varnish, the darker it generally gets. I've varnished, miles of teak on yachts putting on as many as 14 coats. Most of the time you need to build up at least 4 coats before you wouldn't see the grain showing through in the varnish and for the varnish to be perfectly smooth. Polyeurethane clear will cure harder than Polyeurethane varnish, so putting a couple coats of clear over eurethane varnish (provided it's compatible, same brand etc.), will result in a tougher finish against chips and damage. Varnish is soft to allow for flexing and movement of the wood. Outdoors this is important for drastic temperature swings and humidity changes, inside a house it is not.

Everything you want to know about varnish:

https://thecraftsmanblog.com/s...-vs-regular-varnish/

I usually think of 3 or 4 wipe on coats as similar to 2 regular brushed on coats. I am starting to like the look of wipe on finishes more and more.

I refinished a Baldwin piano a number of years ago. I wanted a deep finish and changed the stain from blond to walnut. Once I started the clear coat, I put on about 4 coats of high gloss, using steel wool and a tack cloth between each coat. Then I applied 2-3 coats of satin over the gloss. I used very fine steel wool on these coats.

The result was great. Sure, it took some time but it is a lifetime finish that has received many positive comments.

The number of coats after two only determines on how it will look.
The more prep aka sanding and more coats followed up with finish sanding mostly makes it look better.
More coats will add some protection but after a few that effect diminishes a bit.
Additional coats and sanding also takes out the grain and replaces with a smoother surface if so desired or needed.
YMMV