Upper Unit Nears Completion

I got involved with some other stuff around the house, and work slowed on the upper unit of the hutch. But now it's got three coats of finish on it, just one more to go! I'm using my tried-and-true mixture of satin polyurethane and Watco natural oil, mixed in a 3:1 ratio. The Watco oil thins the poly out enough so that it can be wiped on, which eliminates brush marks. I've used this mix on kitchen cabinets, and it's very durable, and also easy to repair if the need arises. My dad found the recipe for this finish in a wood working magazine, probably twenty years ago.


I find that once the finish starts getting applied to the article, it changes from an unfinished arrangement of wood to a piece of furniture. It always surprises me, it is one of the magical parts of making furniture. In between coats of finish, I use 220 grit sandpaper. It does two things: first, it roughs up the surface so that the next coats of finish will adhere better, and second, it insures that the surface will feel soft to the touch. Two coats before the final one, I use 400 grit paper. Prior to the last coat I will use 500 or 600 grit paper, being especially careful to smooth any of the "show" surfaces - those surfaces which are likely to be touched when someone is looking over the piece. They have to be as smooth as glass.

While the finish coats are drying, I'll be busy building the shelves for the upper unit, as well as applying finish to the two doors. More on that process in the next post.