Need advice on improving Alder wood base finish

[spaniard02]

(Don't know if finishing topics belong in this section, but it seems a better fit than any other.) 

I finally got around to starting my very first build and have amazingly (for me) shown enough patience to do several days of experimentation & tweaking on both my wood base and mounting plate before starting assembly.  While I'm really happy with what I got from the mounting plate and am ready to get started mounting components, my wood base looks at-best mediocre and I can't really figure out what I'm doing wrong.

Basically, my coats are drying up with a really uneven & gritty-looking shine on them, and on top of that there also appears to be really really small physical clumping of some sort - as if the surface was attracting visibly large/solid dust particles in the air as it dries (but I'm pretty sure that can't be the case as I'm doing this indoors in a large room kept immaculately clean).  I'm using MinWax stain (I think oil-based?) & poly sealer (clear gloss) and am applying with two different size brushes, one large & one small.  I've been really careful to even everything out with every coat on every panel, have been carefully sanding at every step as instructed on the MinWax products' directions, and have been allowing more-than-adequate drying times.  I'm to the point where if I foul up another run, the sanding is going to start dulling the edges, so I need to get the next attempt right.

My only thought so far for potential improvement is switching from a brush to a rag, at least for the stain, in case the brush is laying it on too thick or is somehow clumping / otherwise gathering particles that are in-turn getting transferred to the wood.  Other than that, I'm basically at a loss.  The part that really bothers me is what it looks like after the poly dries, because it's just so far from what I thought it should look like as a "gloss" sealer.  I figure that even if the staining step isn't perfect, the sealer should at least be giving me a respectable, smooth sheen, but it just isn't. I doubt that going at that step with a rag would improve anything, that is again unless the brush is what's contaminating or overdoing it on that final coat.

Anybody else have experience with addressing problems like these that they can share?  I'm may not be blessed  with the wood-working prowess of Ron Swanson, but this shouldn't be this hard considering the time & care I'm putting into it.

[Mike B]

I have done 2 now, both the same way.

Just sanded, no stain, and used Minwax polyurethane varnish (satin)

Satin is way more forgiving than gloss.  The first coat I apply with a natural bristle brush and the next coats I wipe on with a rag.  I lightly sand 200 grit after the first coat and with steel wool between the rubbed coats.

The alder really is nice wood with a bit of figure in it, the finish brings out the glimmer and depth.  Looks great!

[kgoss]

I like to use sanding sealer first to avoid a blotchy look. Then apply stain liberally with a rag. Let it penetrate for a few minutes (follow label instructions). Then before it dries wipe with a clean cloth to get a nice even color. If it's not dark enough apply another coat of strain. Let that dry completely before sanding lightly. Use a tack cloth to get all the dust off and then topcoat if you want to. You can apply multiple topcoats too, just lightly sand and use a tack cloth between coats. Dust is the enemy of a nice finish

[STURMJ]

I have had very good luck with wipe-on poly, for a top coat.  Also steel wool between stain coats.

[Oberst Oswald]

No doubt... use a rag to apply stain.

[howardnair]

the wipe on  poly is excellent-i usually put on 5 to 8 coats it dries in about an hour or so --wipe on wipe off -clean rag is a must-when you are done with the rag spread it out so it dries do not ball it up and toss it in the can-another product is water based spar varnish--it is a hybrid product that cleans up with water dries real fast

[saildoctor]

+1 for pre stain wood conditioner.  If you use spar varnish I recommend 40 coats like the guys at the boatyard that made this.  And that's just the bilge! 

(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hagadonemarine.com%2Fassets%2Fimages%2Fgallery_sizzler4.jpg&hash=961488f138fcbad0eb68d255c59fc537b21cf461)

[Paul Birkeland]

+1 for pre stain wood conditioner.  If you use spar varnish I recommend 40 coats like the guys at the boatyard that made this.  And that's just the bilge! 

I don't know Kerry, I think 41 might be the ticket... 

That's an interesting juxtaposition of modern technology and traditional (sort of) boat building.

[howardnair]

Kerry, what exactly is that we are looking at---

[mcandmar]

Now that is wood work, got a link to any more pics, curious to see the rest of the ship...

[braubeat]

It is extremely difficult to keep dust off your finish. Professional shops use steam rooms to keep the dust off. For us amateurs you must resort to sanding and polishing. Personally I prefer oil finishes.

Michael

[Doc B.]

Kerry, what exactly is that we are looking at---

I'm pretty sure that's the part that Geordi stays in when they separate the saucer section.

[saildoctor]

http://www.tonycastro.co.uk/portfolio/sailing-yachts/19m-sizzler.html
http://www.marinasandboats.com/classic-boat-builders/

It's a custom built 60ft sailboat - cedar planks and mahogany ribs/ring frames.  I help make and maintain its sails.  Notice no winches or lines above deck - everything is led down to the 'bilge' where there are hydraulics and captive reels that let the sails go in and out.  All done with pushbuttons from the wheel!  I kind of wonder how often they need to run the generator to recharge the batteries.  I haven't seen this one personally, but at a boatshow I did see some powerboats the same people had made and the 40 coats of varnish deal was amazing.  It was like looking into a cedar reflecting pool.   

[howardnair]

Exquisite!!!---i own a 15.5 foot point jude-it is fiberglass with a tiny bit of mahogany on the rails-its old, battered and won't sail below 3 knots and is hard to handle above 18-i am jealous--lake coer de arlene-is very deep-the navy has or did have a submarine testing site there-imagine that