How to get that High Gloss Finish

[Chrispy]

Just thought this might help someone out there understand why I hate high gloss finishes especially black!!!!

After at least three coats of burnishable AC lacquer and about a week for it to harden.

First you need something to hold the work piece and in this case protect the corners.

Then you need the work piece I tried to show the surface texture and imperfections left be the spray gun.

Then cut back with 500 grit and water.

Wipe down.

More sanding this time with 3000 grit with water.

Wipe down with different cloth.

A splodge of cutting compound.

And burnish away still with a spray of water to keep it wet and cool.

Then wipe down again and have a good look and go back and redo if it's not up to quality. This is when you swear because you let it dry and get to hot and melt into and through on a corner so you have to re spray, wait a week and start over.

Run out of picture quota TBC.

 

[Chrispy]

Part 2
After the burnishing I like to use a bit of wax.

Again check.

And if it's OK then do it all over again.

Basically after a lot of work to flatten and remove any imperfections in the spraying you end up with what you started off with and a glass like flatness.

 

[nathandavies]

Mutt's Gnuts

 

[Woodfinish Man]

Great work! Very impressive.

 

[Chrispy]

And for the first time all 36 pieces finished with no respray needed. Oh joy!!! all I need to do now is put it all together without dropping any. :roll:

 

[Mike.S]

Agreed, very impressive. Did you sand between coats and which cutting compound have you found works best?

 

[mailee]

yup, there is certainly a lot of work involved in getting that glass like look. What do you do with the edges to avoid burning through? I apply masking tape to mine and polish away from it.

 

[Chrispy]

Agreed, very impressive. Did you sand between coats and which cutting compound have you found works best?

First coat is grey mdf primer rubbed down with something like 240 or 320 grit then a second primer thined down a bit to help it flow this should only need a very light rub over with 320 then a coat of black lacquer denibed with 400 second black lacquer, scratches were still showing through when the lacquer dries over night so rubbed back with 500 and then scotch bright pad then gave a third coat unfortunatly I thinned this a bit to try and get a finish straight from the gun but on drying over night the scratches could still be seen in the surface so left for a week and did as above.

Only ever used the 3M not sure which one it is I have changed to a very soft sponge in the polisher that seems to help alot with the control.

 

[Chrispy]

yup, there is certainly a lot of work involved in getting that glass like look. What do you do with the edges to avoid burning through? I apply masking tape to mine and polish away from it.

Luckily all the bits I have to do are flat panels and the edges don't really show to much so I just burnish the front face, and by dropping the panel into a frame to hold it still this also protects the edges from excessive pressure when compounding.

How does the masking tape trick work? how does it protect the corners from burning without getting in the way?

 

[mailee]

I tape the edges overlapping the top by about 2mm. When I polish the panel I ensure the rotation of the buffer is on to the panel away from the edge so it doesn't pull it off. When the panel is all polished I give a light hand scuff around the edge. I also use a lambswool bonnet on the polisher instead of the foam pads as it's not so course. I use 3M for the compound but then polish the finish with Presta swirl remover and this brings it up well. I use 800 wet n dry for initial flatting followed by 1200 and then polish. :wink:

 

[Chrispy]

Well I didn't drop any and here's the first of this batch of games tables ready for collection.

 

[Woodmonkey]

I don't get it, what are the holes for?

 

[Chrispy]

I don't get it, what are the holes for?

Speakers, they are modern games tables 8) http://www.surface-tension.net/coffee-table-specification.php

 

[Woodmonkey]

very cool