Hot take: Skipping sanding between poly coats cleared up my bubbling finish

I was working on a maple cabinet and the polyurethane kept bubbling after each coat. Most folks say to sand lightly between layers, but I tried just wiping with a damp cloth instead. The bubbles went away and the finish dried smooth and even. It took a couple test pieces to see that less handling meant fewer dust problems.

3 comments

3 Comments

amy6921mo ago

Carl from my woodworking group had bubble trouble on his oak table. He wiped it down between coats instead of sanding, and the finish leveled out really well. Makes you question all that standard sanding advice.

kai_west1mo ago

Carl's fix and Piper's maple desk story show how often the "right" way is just the loudest way. We get stuck on steps that might not even help our specific project.

piper_wells651mo ago

My maple desk had the same bubble trouble last year. I found that less sanding meant fewer dust nibs and a smoother final layer. Sometimes the standard advice just adds more problems.